Times Advocate, 1989-05-03, Page 32Page 32
Times -Advocate, May 3, 1989
Pinery burn goes ahead after three-year delay
PINERY PROVINCIAL PARK -
The Ministry of Natural Resources
held a prescribed burn to restore a
32 ha (80 acres) section of Oak Sa-
vanna in Pinery Provincial Park on
Friday.
The burn was designed to mimic
the processes of natural fires which
have maintained the health and di-
versity of the Oak Savanna over the
past 5000 years. The burn was the
first stage of a five year prescribed
program that is necessary to perpet-
uate the 3000 acres of Oak Savanna
found in Pinery.
The ecology of savanna is charac-•
terized by open, sunny conditions
with widely spaced trees.' Between
the trees, meadows composed of
prairie shrubs, grasses and herbs
gives the Oak Savanna of Pinery its
unique character. Many plants in
Pinery are more closely related to
the tall grass prairies found 600 ki-
lometers further west, and as such
there arc many plants and animals
in Pinery considered rare or endan-
gered in the province of Ontario.
Most of these plants can only be re-
generated through burning.
According to Terry Crabe, Re-
source Management Specialist at
Pinery "Regular spring litter fires
are essential to retard woody growth
which will over -run and eliminate
the prairie meadows. Thus the fire
will enhance the growth of those
specially adapted savanna species,
while removing fire sensitive
plants, such as young red and white
pine which have been planted
throughout some of the Oak Savan-
na Pinery."
The fire, the first to be attempted
in a southern Ontario natural envi-
ronment park, has been carefully
planned for over three years. A
considerable amount of work had
gone into the preparation of a spe-
cies inventory, the establishment of
control plots, an extensively re-
searched fire management strategy
for Oak Savanna and completed
burn plan. This prescribed burn
was very similar to a number of
other successful burns that have
been conducted on similar sites
across North America. Crabe fur-
ther added,"The burn site is located
in the centre of the par and is repre-
sentative of the park vegetation. It
is bounded by the Ausable River
and a paved road."
The area was ignited by helicop-
ter and the burn was controlled by
highl trained staff from the Avia-
tion and Fire Management Branch
of OMNR. Aerial ignition was
chosen for reasons of safety requir-
ing no personnel to be within the
bran site and for reasons of cost ef-
ficiency since Large areas of Oak Sa-
vanna with natural fire breaks can
be readily ignited with a helicopter.
Fire suppression crews were on
The after effects - After the
flames went out in the con-
trolled burn at the Pinery Park
on Friday, the after effects of
charred trees and smoking
ground were easy to see. A
worker from the Ministry of Nat-
ural Resources keeps a close
eye on the situation. The con-
trolled burn was set by helicop-
ter and the purpose of the fire
was to get rid of several acres
of Savanna Forest, similar to
what might happen in a natural
fire.
Huron road funding
The following projects in South
Huron will receive funding assis-
tance: Town of Exeter, Huron, Mar-
ket and Waterloo streets, 40,000;
Stanley Township, Grader, S75,000
and Stephen Township, Bridge
Concession 4-5, $131,300.
"The Government of Ontario is
committed to roads and highways as
generators of economic growth and
as links for families and emergency
services," Riddell said. "This addi-
tional funding reinforces that com-
mitment."
TORONTO - Jack Riddell, MPP
for Huron, has announced a total of
$1,078,800 in supplementary funds
for various municipalities in Huron
County.
Riddell made the announcement
on behalf of the Honourable Ed
Fulton, Minister of Transportation.
"These funds represent a signifi-
cant contribution to the transporta-
tion .system in Huron," Riddell
said. The funds are in addition to
the grants normally given to the
county by the Ontario government.
Money for schools
TORONTO - London and Mid-
dlesex school boards have been allo-1
cated funds for capital projects•to-
tailing S21,630,000 for 1989,
announced Doug Reycraft, M.P.P.
for Middlesex. and Chief Govern-
ment Whip.
The Middlesex County Board will
receive 52.7 million to partially re-
place Delaware Central School, for
additions to Southdale Public
School, for additions to Southdale
Public School in Strathroy, and for
a new roof at Strathroy DCI.
The London -Middlesex Roman
Catholic Separate School Board has
received S16.8 million, the majori-
ty of which will go toward the con-
struction of a new John Paul II Sec-
ondary Szhool in London. New
child care centres are also included
in this allocation.
The London Board of Education
has received $2.1 million to be used
to purchase two sites for new
schools, and to make additions to
two existing schools.
"This money is part of nearly
S1.1 billion to be spent on school
construction in Ontario over the
next three years, ' said Reycraft,
who made the announcement on be-
half of the Honourable Chris Ward,
Minister of Education. "Increased
funding under this government
brings our spending commitment
for school capital to nearly eight
times the level of the 1984 com-
mitment."
AGR0-TREND SPRAYERS
Equate with
High Quality, High Performance
"LOW" PRICE
Middlesex road grants
TORONTO Doug Reycraft, M.P.P. for Middlesex and Chief
Government Whip, has announced $689,400 in supplementary road
grants for 19 projects in 17 Middlesex municipalities.
"These funds are a significant contribution to the transportation
system in Middlesex," said Reycraft, who made the announcement
on behalf of the Honourable Ed Fulton, Minister of Transportation.
These funds are supplementary grants that are in addition to the op-
erating and capital grants normally given to Middlesex municipali-
ties by the Ontario government every year.
"Thegovernment of Ontario is committed to roads and highways
as generators of economic growth and as links for families and emer-
gency services,". said Reycraft. "This additional funding reinforces
that commitment."
There have been significant increases in the municipal roads fund-
ing levels in recent years, he added.
On average, the municipal roads allocation has increased 8.6 per-
cent annually over the last three years.
This supplementary funding represents the province's contribution
toward $1,033,400 in projects which in this area are: Biddulph twp.,
Class 7 Grader, $75,000; London twp., Fergus Bridge, $15,000 and
Class 7 Grader S66,300; Lucan Village, Butler St. reconstruction,
$20,000 and McGillivray twp., gravel pit payment, $33,700 and cul-
vert replacement $15,000.
OMAF job
opportunities
CLINTON - The Ontario Minis-
try of Agriculture & Food is once
again providing job opportunities
for young people as well as sum-
mer help for farmers through the
Junior Agriculturalist program.
This program provides an oppor-
tunity for students between the ages
of 15-24, with no farm experience,
to work on a farm for eight weeks.
Students receive .S35 a day with
every second weekend off.
Host farmers are asked to provide
room and board, and contribute $17
a day to the Junior Agriculturalist
training fund.
If you arc a student or a farmer,
and would like more information re-
garding this programs, please con-
tact the OMAF office in Clinton at
482-3428 or 1-800-265-5170.
Nick Geleynse
Rural Organization Specialist
Let's landscape
CLINTON - Tired of mowing the
steep slope or trying to grow grass
in that shady spot? Wish you could
see through the front windows but
they're blocked by overgrown trees
and :.hsu.la:7...f,larats.si, y.,,
ference in how a home looks from
the outside and how .the outside
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__some of the pests and discase that•-••
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Discover how landscaping can
make your yard more private or
your entrance more inviting. See
how planning can make plants
work for you to provide a cool srvoi.
for relaxing, a grassy area for play-
ing or a colorful area for your en-
joyment.
With fellow 4-H members, you
will learn how to create a landscape
design and how to choose the plants
to go in it. Measuring and "map-
ping out" an existingyard and a.
visit to a local nursery are just two
of inc many activities. Workshops
for4-H leaders will be Wednesday,
site to contain the fire within the
designated area.
The park was closed for both day
visitors and campers on Friday.
The entire prescribed bum was com-
pleted in less than an hour and
should have had no effect on the
parks neighbours.
This prescribed burn, which was
initially planned for the spring of
'87, was cancelled due to poor burn-
ing conditions caused by an early •
spring- season that resulted in a
quick green -up of the savanna com-
munity. In 1988, the prescribed
burn was again put on hold due to a
lack of available fire personnel re-
sulting from the extensive fires that
occurred throughout Northern Onta-
rio.
Vh say - "Coon you see"
through the smoke of the Pin-
ery burn?
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To find out more about the 4-H
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scape", contact the Rural Organiza-
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Agriculture and Food, Jane Muegge
at 482-3428 or 1-800-265-5170.
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