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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2011-02-24, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011. The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) held its 59th annual meeting Feb. 16 at the administration centre in Wroxeter and chairperson Wilf Gamble said plans for the 60th anniversary this year are underway. “It’s the best crew you could have,” said Gamble of the staff and added it had been a busy year at the MVCA, with 35,000 seedlings and 5,000 large stock trees planted. He added that in its 60-year history, the MVCA has helped educate over 200,000 students. The guest speaker for the evening was Terry Schwan from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, who gave a presentation on Forest Health in the Maitland Watershed. Schwan said a healthy forest is complex, diverse and resilient but a recent forest health assessment for the watershed rated 55 per cent of it as poor or fair while only 45 per cent was described as good. He added that current logging practices in the area might not be sustainable as they don’t allow the forest to mature and woody debris on the ground is important to the forest health. Schwan said some of the tools for protecting forests include easements, tax incentives, land use planning, cutting bylaws and woodland advocacy. According to Schwan, the MVCA has a goal to improve the forest health from 45 per cent to 60 per cent by 2020 by protect, enhancing and restoration. The challenges to the goal, said Schwan include inadequate programs that lack continuity as well as a lack of landowner interest. “I don’t know how programs will expand in this day and age,” said Schwan. He added though that potential for reforestation in the area is high, with over 60,000 acres of marginal land in the watershed and it could be done with community partnerships but noted, “It’s tougher to find people than land.” In other business, Gamble and Goderich Mayor Deb Shewfelt were declared chairperson and vice- chairperson respectively for second consecutive one-year terms. Presentations were also made to retiring directors Dorothy Kelly (Morris-Turnberry,) John Cox (Town of Minto, Township of Mapleton, Township of Wellington North,) Julie Behrns (Municipality of North Perth) and Arnold Storey (Municipality of West Perth, Township of Perth East). The MVCA also introduced new directors David Baker (Morris- Turnberry) as well as Dr. Terry Fisk (Town of Minto, Township of Mapleton, Township of Wellington North,) Matt Duncan (Municipality of North Perth) and Gordon Young (Municipality of West Perth, Township of Perth East). Continued from page 1 on Saturday was the abolition of the ward system and the restructuring of council. The issue, first raised by Mayor Bernie MacLellan at the municipality’s first strategic planning meeting of the term, was that some councillors felt council was too big and that perhaps Huron East had come far enough as a community and it no longer needed the ward system as a crutch any longer. At the time, the idea received its share of criticism and Saturday was no different. As read by Clerk-Administrator Jack McLachlan, the Municipal Act states that each council must have a minimum of five members and if council wished to change the structure of council, a public meeting would have to be held. McLachlan also said that sufficient notice would have to be given, in that if the structure was to change, the decision would have to be made a year before the next election, otherwise the change would not come into effect until two terms from now. “I could see council run different, and hopefully better, if we change the ward system,” MacLellan suggested that councillors could be elected at large under the new system. Blaney, like many other councillors, disagreed, saying “we’ve spent a decade making this work”. The suggestion was that there would be three councillors from the north and three councillors from the south, using the dividing lines that are already put in place for the Public Works Department. Blaney said that he has already heard negative feedback from people on the idea, saying that there is already resentment in the community that the idea was even being considered. The question was finally asked as to whether council wanted to instruct staff to review the structure of council and it was voted down with seven votes against the further investigation of the issue and four votes for the idea. MacLellan made a second attempt saying that if councillors didn’t want to reduce the number of councillors, that the ward system could still be restructured. That concept was similarly shot down. Other ideas that were discussed was the municipality’s economic development strategy, plans for the area roads and the Vanastra Recreation Centre and Day Care Program. Councillors also discussed the municipality as being an ideal location for a hotel, something that is needed in the area. It was also decided that a Building Maintenance/Facilities Manager would be appointed and that the municipality would begin actively trying to acquire serviced industrial and residential land. Huron East will keep ward system, 12 councillors MVCA holds itsannual meeting Come along now It was Family Day on Monday so that meant it was time for North Huron’s annual Luge-A- Thon. During the saucer races in Belgrave, Olivia Johnston, left, gave it her all, draggin her younger sister Gabby around the arena as fast as her legs would take her. (Vicky Bremner photo) Sponsorship levels are: 1. Friends $250-$499 2. Benefactors $500-$999 3. Patrons $1,000 and over ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - 1000 COPIES AR E BEING ORD E R E D ! Only Order a copy prior to March 31, 2011 at the $100.00 +$5.00 GST = $105.00 -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- By Pat Bolen The Wingham Advance-Times