Highlands Corridor

Our Strategy for Building the Corridor

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) is a non-governmental, registered charity which recognizes the deep cultural ties that people have to the land, and both respects and supports the ongoing use of the land by hunters, trappers, anglers, trail users, paddlers, naturalists and forestry operations etc..  The Trust has identified a significant wildlife corridor covering over 100,000 hectares of unceded Crown land, municipal land, and private land connecting three provincial parks.  The Corridor lands are rich with wetlands, forests, wildlife, species at risk, and deep carbon deposits.  The Corridor offers a nature-based solution to building climate change resilience (including mitigating localized flooding), protecting water quality and maintaining biodiversity.  Many community members are well aware of the critical importance of these lands from an economic, cultural, tourism, and natural standpoint.  To help ensure future generations will be able to benefit and enjoy these lands, HHLT has developed a stewardship strategy with three pillars:

1. Private Land. Working with HHLT is a voluntary process for landowners interested in protecting the features of their properties that they value. HHLT believes that private land should remain private and respects the rights of all property owners to manage their land as they see fit according to provincial and federal laws and regulations. To encourage stewardship of private land, HHLT has three initiatives:
• Land Acquisition: One means of conserving lands is to acquire ecologically sensitive properties. Only private lands where the owner voluntarily chooses to either donate or sell the property to the Trust are considered for acquisition.  No Crown Land is acquired by the Trust.  This process simply changes the ownership of private land.
• HHLT Partners in Conservation program: private land owners may choose to take advantage of HHLT’s assistance in advising on good stewardship practices. The advice is non-binding and does not change the owner’s rights.
• Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP): If private lands meet the provincial criteria to qualify for tax incentives under the provincial Managed Forest Tax Incentive program, HHLT may be able to offer assistance in developing management plans should land owners wish. The MFTIP agreement is between the province and the private landowner.  The reason HHLT offers assistance is that we regard the program as a good means of promoting sound habitat stewardship.
2. Crown land. HHLT plans to continue to support the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in the conservation and sustainable management of Crown land through:
   • Research: Focusing on wetland mapping, species at risk and ecologically important habitats. Results are provided to provincial and municipal governments.
   • Education: Creating and running programs that educate the public about flora and fauna and encourage citizens to get out into nature to enjoy and conserve habitats.
   • Collaboration: Working with groups like the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Ontario Trails Preservation Alliance (OTPA) to conserve habitats and increase recreational access for all users. HHLT supports the responsible use of the land including but not limited to the ongoing use of trails.
3. Milburn Kendrick Area of Interest. HHLT has identified a tract of land at the southern end of the County, within the Municipalities of Minden Hills and Highlands East, which has been nominated for designation as a Conservation Reserve. The Milburn Kendrick Area of Interest occupies about 8% of the area of the corridor.  Approximately 24% of the area is wetland including 5 provincially significant wetland complexes.  Further, it is home to 32 species at risk, 22 provincially significant species, and 26 regionally rare species.  The initiative is supported by the Bancroft Minden Forest Company as its protection contributes to the criteria of their Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has also expressed their support for this redesignation, conditional to the continued allowance for existing recreational uses such as hunting, trapping, and trail riding (standard to Conservation Reserve designation).  The Conservation Reserve designation specifically allows these uses to continue. This initiative is in the very preliminary stages of a robust governmental process which will eventually include consultation with interested parties.  HHLT has no role managing the conservation reserve, its trails or other uses.  The Province of Ontario is the recognized authority for management and land use (including trail access) of Conservation Reserves and Crown land.