ERO number 019-2986 In the…

ERO number 019-2986

In the MECP’s Regulatory Proposal Consultation Guide introductory paragraph, the document states proposed regulations would ensure “the conservation and management of conservation authority-owned lands”. Conservation is more than simply natural hazard management. It is more than managing natural resource issues like flooding, drought, erosion, sedimentation and water quality. It includes the conservation of natural heritage, according to the Conservation Authorities Act. Natural heritage conservation goes together with education and recreation. The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has managed the land at the Mill of Kintail Conservation Area in Lanark County since the 1960s. It is situated on 154 hectares amidst field, forest and a tributary river of the Mississippi river. It is an important part of this community, and has over the years provided stewardship, environmental education and a long list of recreation opportunities. For the past 16 months it has also become a sanctuary. Near Ottawa, this heritage site draws overflowing capacity visitors to its parking lot. During these pandemic days, families with excited children in tow explode from their vehicles as youngsters race to the trailhead. Couples in hiking gear study the trail maps and head off briskly. Older folks ramble slowly down the well-maintained paths, skirting fields of wildflowers. Extended family groups gather for a leisurely picnic. Wandering through magnificent hardwood forests, the paths follow a meandering rocky stream, converging at the site of an historic 1830s grist mill, the Mill of Kintail. Invariably voices hush and footsteps slow as visitors enter this sanctuary of forest, field and river. Here is an excellent opportunity for recreation and environmental education – an opportunity that must remain as a part of the core mandate of the CA. User fees alone will not generate the funds necessary to operate this site if it is deemed non-core. Let’s respect our taxpayer dollars by considering it a part of the core mandate of MVCA.