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Supporting conservation education
Alison Lobb, chair of the Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority accepts a cheque for $19,250 from Joe Vulders of
the Conservation Foundation. The money is slated for
conservation education. (Advance Times photo)
Looking for local heroes
There are so many people out there who do
so much to improve their community.
Now you have a chance to say thanks.
Nominate that special person for the 19th
Annual Citizen Citizenship Awards.
Each year a committee chooses an outstanding citizen from each of
the Blyth and area and Brussels and area communities to receive an
award for contribution to the community. If you know someone you
think should be honoured, please fill in the ballot and send it in. You
may attach a longer explanation of why you think your nominee
should win, if you like( If you have nominated someone before and
he or she didn't win, please feel free-to try again.
I nominate
Blyth Brussels
as Citizen of the year for & area & area
I feel she/he deserves this award because
Nomination Deadline April 30, 2004.
Name and phone number of nominator
PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2004.
MVCA hears from Mitchell at annual meeting
By Pauline Kerr
Wingham Advance-Times
Carol Mitchell, MPP Huron-
Bruce. gave a brief speech and
fielded questions during the annual
meeting of the Maitland Valley.
Conservation Authority Feb. 18.
Mitchell's main message to
authority members was they have a
voice in Toronto. The MPP said, "I
am in your corner."
She stated her government's
priorities remain health, education
and environmental issues despite
having to deal with the $5.6 billion
deficit.
Mitchell has served on the
conservation authority board and
said the meeting at the MVCA
headquarters in Wroxeter felt like
"old home week".
"Conservation authorities are
essential, and are our first line of
defence," she said, adding, "I •know
what you have had to do to get
funding... the strain on your finances
has been ongoing."
Mitchell had no announcement to
make about alleviating the funding
situation for conservation
authorities, but said her government
was aware of the situation, and
would make decisions based on
input from groups such as the
MVCA. "Since Walkerton (the E.
coli tragedy), the focus has been on
water quality," she said.
Mitchell invited authority
members to give their input at public
consultation meetings being held
March 8 in Kincardine (Davidson
Centre, 3-5 p.m.) and Holmesville
(Community Centre, 7:30-9:30
p.m.). Anyone wishing to make a
brief oral presentation is asked to
call Mitchell's office at 482-5630 or
396-3007.
The purpose of the meetings is to
hear how the public wants that $5.6
billion deficit handled, and what the
priorities are.
The -Minister of Finance is
undertaking a series of public
consultations, and Mitchell is
holding similar meetings within her
constituency.
"I need to hear what your priorities
are." Mitchell told the authority
members.
QUESTIONS
In response to a question about the
Healthy Futures program, Mitchell
said there would be an
announcement coning this week- at
the ROMA (Rural Ontario
Municipalities Association)
conference.
"It won't be called that," she said
about a possible new program.
Mitchell restated her government's
respect for rural issues and said she
had heard some very positive things
about environmental protection.
Ralph Kreutzwiser, mayor of
South Bruce, asked about wellhead
protection and noted he was looking
at a situation involving another
jurisdiction that would have a
negative impact on the value of
about 2,000 acres of South Bruce
THE EDITOR,
I know it was not a very nice night
for being out, but we had 12 tables
for euchre at the Blyth Arena on
Saturday, Feb. 21. All that were there
had a good time.
Some of us wanted to know where
the Blyth firefighters were, being as
the money that was being raised was
land. "No one would want it: he.
said.
Mitchell said long term solutions
had to be looked at. instead of "knee
jerk" reactions.
CONSERVATION ONTARIO
Dick Hibma of the Grey Sauble
Conservation Authority (Owen
Sound) and vice-chair -of
Conservation Ontario, said he was
"delighted" to hear Mitchell's
comments. The previous
government had "perhaps one
person" who understood what
conservation authorities were all
about. •
Hibma gave an overview of
Conservation Ontario, the umbrella
organization' for Ontario's 36
conservation authorities.
Much of what was accomplished
by his organization during 2003
involved source protection planning
- "fallout from Walkerton".
He went on to say Conservation
Ontario has a tremendous pool of
talent, education and experience in
water protection. The challenge is
funding.
"Source protection is not
something that can be done on the
backs of the property taxpayer," he
said.
He spoke about -partnerships with
other organizations, and gave as an
example the highly successful
Healthy Futures program. Hibma
said, "Incentives do work."
Despite the facr conservation
authorities have been around for 50
years, and COnservation Ontario for
20 years, they remain what Hibma
calls "a really well-kept secret".
Conservation Ontario is working to
change that, and will launch a new
logo in April with the slogan
"natural champions".
CHALLENGES FOR 2004
Phil Beard, MVCA general
manager, closed the meeting by
providing information on the
organization's accomplishments
over the past year, and challenges for
2004.
First among the highlights from
2003 was the MVCA's new mission
statement, ratified by the board at
January's meeting: "Providing
leadership to enhance and restore
our water, forests and soil."
He spoke about how his staff's
research on climate changes has
painted a convincing picture of
warmer, drier summers, less winter
precipitation, and more high-
intensity short-duration
thunderstorms. All these lead to
increased erosion.
Beard said the result was rising
nitrate and phosphate levels in
rivers, and E. coli levels that often
exceed recreational limits.
As with the other speakers, Beard
discussed the Healthy Futures
program which provided technical
support and financial assistance to
rural landowners in promoting "best
practices" such as soil conservation
and planning, crop rotation, erosion
control and manure management
(runoff and storage).
for the new training centre.
I thought we lived in a community
that we all cared and were here to
help each other, I guess not.
Pat Jenkins.
Check out The Citizen's
WEBSITE
at www.northhuron.on.ca
"Healthy Futures for Ontario
Agriculture was a successful
partnership between conservation
authorities, counties and the
province," Beard explained. The
program saw 682 projects
completed. a $3.5 million
investment in water quality
improvement projects.
"It's.heartening to hear it may be
continued," he said in reference to
Mitchell's earlier statement.
PRIORITIES
A key priority for 2004, said
Beard, will be getting the province
and federal government to invest in
rural water quality and soil
conservation programs. "The
province and federal government
need to get together," he said.
The MVCA is setting an example
with the successful Maitland
Watershed Partnership - 20
organizations, businesses and
agencies that have been working
together for four years.
On the agenda for 2004 is a
continuation of the groundwater
education program. In 2003, 2,200
participated in it.
Regarding drinking water
regulations, the MVCA will be
bringing three of its conservation
areas up to standard - Galbraith
Camp (in cooperation with the
Optimists), Falls Reserve and
Wawanosh Nature Centre. The cost
will be about $60,000.
The MVCA will continue
encouraging better forest
management. Beard said the
majority of forests in the watershed
are in fair to poor condition. "They
are being logged at a non-sustainable
rate... there is not enough forest
cover," he said.
The MVCA worked with the
county on its forest conservation
bylaw, passed recently, and is
developing a forest education
program for high schools.
The MVCA is thinning its own
plantations - the Stapleton Tract was
thinned in 2003 and the Pollard-
Amcnt Tract will he thinned in 2004.
Beard said reforestation efforts
continue, with 75,000 seedlings
planted in - 2003. along with 6,000
large stock trees.
However, funding continues to be
the major issue for the MVCA. "If
we could get the provincial and
federal governments to match the
municipalities in funding
conservation authorities, we'd be
fine." Beard said.
He added, `The province isn't
pulling their weight." The province
provides only Six per cent of the
MVCA budget of $1.5 million, a
total of about $70,000, compared to
the $463,000 from municipalities.
The remainder of the budget comes
from donations, user fees and other
revenue.
Beard made special note of the
upcoming conservation dinner and
auction, April 23 in Brussels.
Letter to the editor
Writer upset by
firefighters' absence