Highlands Corridor

Huw Morgan

Joint Statement: Ontario Trails Protection Alliance (OTPA) and Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT)

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Re: a collaborative approach to conservation and trail use on Crown Land.

After meeting with key members of the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) early this week, an alliance of four of Ontario’s largest motorized recreational trail use organizations is now preparing to work collaboratively on plans that will protect access to trails within a proposed 100,000-hectare “corridor” linking three provincial parks and a vast network of trail systems throughout the Haliburton/ Kawartha region.

Commenting on the outcome of the February 10 meeting, Joel Castonguay, President of the 6,000-member Ontario Federation of Trail Riders (OFTR) said, “We certainly had some initial concerns when we went into the meeting, but, after a really good exchange, it’s clear we’ve got a tremendous opportunity to protect and grow our access to Ontario’s trails and the great outdoors.”

Todd Hall, Chair of the Haliburton Land Trust, agreed, noting there is a lot of common ground between the land trust and the trail-use communities. “Our objectives of maintaining ecological integrity and protecting trail use both require the protection of our natural assets. We are committed to ensuring that these natural assets are protected and access to Crown land trails by ATVs, off road motorcycles and 4WD vehicles remains. HHLT’s decision to support the designation of ecologically sensitive lands as Conservation Reserves was deliberate. The designation provides enhanced protection of the natural landscape and its critical functions while recognizing and respecting other uses such as trail use. These activities are part of our rural landscape, they help generate economic activity, and they are a part of our everyday lives. HHLT commits to working collaboratively with the Alliance and other stakeholders,” he explained.

Kawartha ATV Association (KATVA) President Carolyn Richards also expressed optimism stating, that by working together with HHLT, the off-road community can build a sustainable model that can be used across the province to protect trail access as
Crown land designations change and conservation efforts evolve.

KATVA and the Haliburton ATV Association (HATVA) are among two of the largest ATV clubs in Ontario and have stewarded trails within the Haliburton Corridor for over 20 years.

“HATVA and KATVA look forward to working in partnership with the HHLT in offering to the motorized and non-motorized public one of the best trail systems in Ontario while also protecting our natural environment,” she added.

Peter Kendall, Executive Director of the Schad Foundation, was equally optimistic, noting that a partnership with the motorized trail-use community will bring a host of benefits. “The dedicated efforts of this community are responsible for many of the world
class trails we have in Ontario. We look forward to working with the motorized trail use community and leveraging their wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to advocate for greater protection and expansion of Ontario’s trails”.

Going into the February 10 meeting, Peter Wood, President of the Ontario Federation of 4 Wheel Drive Recreationalists (OF4WD) questioned the need for reclassification of the General Use area crown land to a Conservation Reserve but was greatly encouraged by the desire for the Lands Trust to work with the trails and outdoor recreation community on a plan to protect our access to these important public lands. “This is a great and ground- breaking opportunity to work together with the conservation
community on what we hope will be a long-term, collaborative effort.”

OF4WD, the OFTR, Kawartha ATV and Haliburton ATV Association (HATVA) are all part of the province-wide Ontario Trails Protection Alliance (OTPA). All of the OTPA organizations support multi-use trail systems and have a long history of land
stewardship, safety education, investment in trail development and maintenance and codes of responsibility.

“It became apparent very quickly that the OTPA can — and should be — a prominent partner in our efforts,” concluded Luke Ridgway, Manager of the Ontario Conservation Accelerator program that is driving investment into a variety of conservation projects. “The environmental conservation and trail user communities are ultimately interested in the same thing: the long-term sustainability of our activities on the land within the forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife which brought us there in the first place,” he said.

Ontario’s largest Conservation Organization, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) also attended Monday’s meeting. “OFAH spokesperson Matt Robbins remarked that a collaborative approach to protecting and enhancing our natural
resources is not only necessary but critical to ensure our respective interests are represented and that conservation efforts are broadly supported.”

Following Monday’s meeting, HHLT and OTPA have agreed to share further information, including detailed trail mapping, trail user information and more, with further meetings planned to discuss protection of trail access and to set up a permanent input/ advisory role for the motorized trail use communities.

Contacts for more information:
For HHLT:
Todd Hall, HHLT Chair
705-457-3700
chair@haliburtonlandtrust.ca

OTPA:
Lisa Thomson, OTPA Chair
705-466-2747
Lisa.thompson@oftr.ca

Special Announcement – Land Purchase Opportunity

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The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust has been given an opportunity to purchase a large property within the Highlands Corridor. This undeveloped, 100-acre property (40 ha) in Highlands East contains forests, wetlands and 3.5km of natural river shoreline. It is rich in biodiversity and natural habitats and would be a great complement to our existing 5 properties.

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust has set a goal to raise $75,000 to purchase this new property and we need your help!  We have set up two fundraising initiatives to meet our goal: an online auction and a fundraising campaign on CanadaHelps.

ONLINE AUCTION

We are holding an on-line auction from Sunday November 17, 2024 through to Sunday December 8, 2024. It’s a great place to shop for holiday presents! Please check on all the fantastic items and bid often! The auction site can be reached by clicking here.  You can register to bid on the welcome page. Please bid generously to help us raise money for our land acquisition project.

We are looking for donations of goods and services to the auction no later than Sunday November 10. To donate items to the auction, please contact Christel Furniss at admin@haliburtonlandtrust.ca

CANADAHELPS FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

We have set up a fundraising campaign on CanadaHelps that will run until we have met our target. Please click here to make a one-time donation to the purchase of this property. Please forward this important opportunity on to your friends and family. Let’s work together to protect the lands and waters we all love!

Featured Partner in Conservation Nancy Cooper

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Nancy Cooper

Recently, Rick Whitteker, our Partners in Conservation Coordinator had a chance to meet one of the original Partners in Conservation, Nancy Cooper. A small group of HHLT board members, employees and key volunteers joined Rick and Nancy for a tour of her property. Nancy, author and land steward, is originally from northern Ontario and is a member of the Chippawa Nation of Rama. Nancy introduced herself and her sister-in-law Lexanne and, through their stories, their passion for their 300 acres of land became very clear.

“A gift from the Creator” is Nancy’s view of how her family ended up buying the property in 1996; the story of the purchase is full of serendipity. Nancy feels the land gives her a closer connection to her ancestors and her brother Ed, who jointly owned the property and loved to spend time there. Ed passed 10 years ago and was Lexanne’s husband. His memory still brings these two women together in their mutual love of the land.

The HHLT group rambled together down a track following Nancy’s gentle pace. Nancy encouraged everyone to listen and learn from the surroundings. This was not a hard sell for this collection of dedicated land conservationists, as wild columbine, pileated woodpecker holes and flowering bunchberry were noted along the way. The group heard stories of illegal marijuana growers, elder sweat lodge gatherings, healing ceremonies, trapping and hunting. Muddy prints of moose tracks gave everyone a hint of the diversity of wildlife that makes this landscape home. A Blanding’s turtle was spotted on the way into the property and a painted turtle basked on a log in the fen where the group met up.

Nancy and Lexanne also spoke of wildlife like great blue herons perching on floating logs, whip-poor-will calls and jelly-like mounds in the pond water that are made up tiny filter feeding aquatic animals called bryozoan! Ending up at a large pond, the group could see a cabin across the water, built at the base of a small peninsula with water on both sides. A weekend getaway spot built by Ed and Lexanne, the cabin is only accessible by water. A homemade barge rests on the shore, a reminder of the ingenuity and dedication needed to construct this remote dwelling. The water for this large pond is held back by a significant beaver dam.

This is where Nancy drew her inspiration for her book, Biindigen. Amik Says Hello. Recognizing firsthand the role of the beaver in biodiversity, the story follows a family of beavers as they search for a shy family member who disappears when their cousins arrive for a visit. In their search, they meet various animals that have benefited from the industrious beaver. Written from an indigenous perspective for 3–7-year-olds, the story is a wonderful combination of fun and fact, allowing readers to also learn of some Anishinaabe words.

The enlightening property tour ended with the melodious song of a rose breasted grosbeak and a group photo. With Nancy holding her book and Lexanne holding one of the Land Trust’s new I’m a Proud Partner in Conservation sign, we were all smiles after our time together. The HHLT would like to thank Nancy for becoming a Partner in Conservation land steward, sharing her story and love of the land.

Nancy’s book can be ordered at goodminds.com. A portion of every sale goes to the SILT fund which is Supporting Indigenous Libraries Today an organization important to Nancy and her work.

Support Grows for the Highlands Corridor

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The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust has seen the positive momentum of the Highlands Corridor conservation project grow in the past few months. Letters of support or passed resolutions have been submitted from a variety of stakeholders including the County of Haliburton, the Municipality of Trent Lakes, Kawartha Conservation and both Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association and North Kawartha Lakes Association.

Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters

Diverse groups like the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) recognize the value of this project by stating in their endorsement letter that, “the OFAH feels strongly that the Highlands Corridor initiative is a true win-win for conservation and for the people of Ontario.”

Nature Conservancy of Canada

Most recently, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has endorsed the project and state that, “protecting this important wildlife corridor contributes to the health of our lakes.  Healthy lakes support a variety of wildlife habitats and contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of our community. We understand the importance of private landowner support for this initiative and commend the Land Trust’s Partners in Conservation program.”

Partners in Conservation Program

The number of Partners in Conservation (PIC) continues to grow with private landowners joining the PIC program taking advantage of the complimentary Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) offered by the HHLT through a grant from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada.  Other landowners have joined the PIC program, without the benefit of the MFTIP grant because their conservation interests are aligned with those of the HHLT and the Highlands Corridor. It appears that the concept of the Highlands Corridor as a nature-based solution to building climate change resilience, protecting lands and waters, and maintaining biodiversity is resonating with a wide range of individuals and groups!

Rick Whitteker Appointed Partners in Conservation Coordinator

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Rick Whitteker Photo

Rick Whitteker will be HHLT's new Partners in Conservation (PIC) Coordinator. In his new role, Rick will support the 12 private landowners who have joined the PIC program and will recruit 5 more partners in conservation in the Highlands Corridor area.

Rick has lived in Haliburton County since 1997, originally working for Haliburton Forest as an outdoor educator, followed by 15 years with Fleming College as a faculty and coordinator of the Outdoor and Adventure Education program.

According to Rick: ”For many years I have enjoyed the outdoors recreationally and as a guide, interpreter, writer, and educator. The PIC Coordinator position is a great opportunity to give back to nature by supporting private landowner conservation efforts. I am especially excited to be involved in HHLT’s local conservation effort called the Highlands Corridor.”

Shelley Hunt, Chair of HHLT said: “We’re delighted to have Rick fulfill this important role. His experience and enthusiasm for the Highlands Corridor project will help attract further partners in conservation”.

Rick’s position will be funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Schad Foundation.

The Highlands Corridor covers approximately 100,000 hectares and connects three provincial parks in Ontario: Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands just south of Minden, Kawartha Highlands in northern Peterborough County and Silent Lake in Highlands East.  Biodiversity is rich in the Highlands Corridor with 40 Species at Risk, 25 provincially significant species and 43 regionally rare species.  Wetland representation is high at 17.9% including 4800 hectares of provincially significant wetlands.

The HHLT is seeking protection of the unceded crown land within the Highlands Corridor (~60,000 ha) as a Conservation Reserve, with the goal of protecting species at risk, providing a natural wildlife corridor, protecting wetland habitats, increasing biodiversity, and strengthening climate change resiliency.

The PIC program targets landowners committed to landscape conservation with properties that strategically bridge gaps between fragmented crown land within the Highlands Corridor.  The program provides a property tax incentive for a 10-year term through enrollment in Ontario’s Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program, assisting landowners in developing management plans with objectives of enhancing environmental protection and wildlife habitat.  The PIC program has been very successful with a current portfolio of 1740 ha of private land supporting the conservation effort.