Protecting our local resources, locally, by Kate Procter
As the snow started disappearing from the landscape this spring, I was heartened to see the trees we planted with the help of Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) in 2023 growing and the area now looks more like a young forest than an abandoned field of thistles. I have felt very fortunate to be able to share the story of working with MVCA staff to reforest these areas with several groups of like-minded folks. The MVCA hosted two workshops, and the Huron Perth Woodlot Association (HPWA) also led a tour as part of their annual spring gathering and AGM.
In 2023 we started a project to reforest some areas on the farm along the Maitland River that had previously been used for pasture. In total, over 20 acres have gone into the project, with over 10,000 trees planted. A duck pond was also constructed with the help and guidance of MVCA staff and Ducks Unlimited. This area had always stayed wet and acted as a settling pond for the surrounding fields. A little excavation allowed it to retain that purpose while enhancing it as wildlife habitat.
The Maitland River runs through our farm and we have always tried to protect and improve water quality by managing our farming practices. It hasn’t always been perfect, but as we learned, we improved so that we are not sending our best topsoil and nutrients down the river into Lake Huron. We hope this latest project will increase biodiversity, combat noxious weeds, increase tree coverage, and help improve climate change resilience. This would not have been possible without the expertise, skill, and long-range planning of the staff of MVCA.
Building resiliency into our environment is possible and has been achieved both within our watershed and in other areas. The Scott Municipal Drain is a great example of a system that has been designed to effectively manage runoff from intense rainfall and snowmelt events and has been successfully restored as a brook trout stream. Taking this approach from the exception to the normal way of managing storm water runoff is one goal we can work towards. “Slow it down, spread it out, and soak it in” is an easy way to think of this improved approach.
While seeing the new tree growth and meeting with other tree-loving folks is encouraging, there have also been discouraging developments for those of us concerned about our environmental health. As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the MVCA, we are greatly concerned with the province’s recent decision to amalgamate 36 conservation authorities (CA) into nine regional groups.
While provincial funding for the CAs has been cut over the years, their importance is growing as we deal with extreme weather events and a changing climate. The MVCA has been working hard at building resilience and prosperity throughout the watershed – with success requiring cooperation and collaboration between all levels of government and the private sector.
Because the CAs monitor temperature, rainfall, and snow accumulation over the years, they have a pretty good idea of how the changing climate is affecting the land and the people who live here. Fifty-year trends show generally hotter, drier summers that have more intense rainstorms. Winters tend to be warmer and wetter with rapid melting and rain events. All of this increases the risk for erosion and damage to land, roads, and buildings.
The MVCA reports that the assessed value of development and land at risk from flooding and erosion in the Maitland’s watershed alone is estimated at $750 million. Eight hundred homes and cottages along the top of Lake Huron’s bluff are at risk of bluff collapse, shoreline and gully erosion. You don’t have to take the MVCA’s word for it – talk to your insurance agent and learn how major weather events are affecting everyone’s rates.
As the importance of local CAs is increasing, the province’s decision to amalgamate seems even more alarming. A press release issued by the MVCA outlines some of the reasons for concern. Despite the province’s reassurances that services will not be affected, it is difficult to imagine how it could be otherwise, as the province has made no business case for how this decision will improve watershed health, resilience, or public safety in Ontario. There has also been no evidence to show that consolidation will be more efficient or effective.
The CAs have historically been delineated by the local geography of the individual watersheds and composed of elected councillors from the municipalities that are contained within those watersheds. It seems reasonable that the people paying for the work should have a say over how that money is spent and they have the local knowledge needed to develop effective plans. The CAs managed in this way have proven to be effective at giving local people the ability to consider what is happening and manage their natural resources. Maitland Conservation will now be joined with Ausable Bayfield, Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Nottawasaga, and Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authorities to form a new Lake Huron Regional CA.
The province’s decision is one way that it is rather sneakily taking away the voice of local and rural people and giving decision-making power to larger bodies by using a representation-by-population model. With lower population numbers, rural areas will be losing their voices while sitting at the tables of areas with larger populations.
Healthy soils, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and forests are vital to maintain the health and prosperity of all people. The Coon Creek Watershed Program in Wisconsin and New York City’s Watershed Programs are two great examples of effective watershed management programs. Developing these success stories requires a local champion for change, community-led programs that are designed by the people who live and work there, social, economic, and environmental support, systemic change, financial incentives, and long-term commitment. Contacting your MPP is one way of letting our provincial government know of your concerns about our commitment to develop watershed management programs that are driven and managed locally.◊