Landowner Contact

The Watershed Stewardship Project will educate private landowners about the ecological significance of their properties, and expose them to ideas about land stewardship and long-term protection and ecological restoration.

The landowner contact approach we are using was developed by the Natural Heritage League of the Ontario Heritage Foundation under the guidance of Professor Stewart Hilts at the University of Guelph. It has been successfully applied in Carolinian Canada areas and other areas since that time.

The idea of combining protection and restoration has been achieved in a very successful fashion by the Hamilton Harbour Watershed Stewardship project conducted by the Bay Area Restoration Council.

Ecological restoration works will follow accepted approaches and methods that have been outlined in manuals and through the many years of experience gained by the Grand River Conservation Authority and other partners. Several Lower Grand River Land Trust (LGRLT) members have been directly involved in these endeavors and will bring that experience to the project.

AWARDS PROGRAM

The Stewardship Award program is designed to recognize voluntary protection of Ontario's natural heritage by private landowners.

It involves a verbal commitment by landowners to protect the natural features on their property, in return of an honourary sign of recognition and a 'handshake' agreement between the LGRLT and private landowner.

Why should I participate?

The WSP will help you...

• Restore/manage wetland, floodplain & forest habitat
• Assess your conservation needs
• Retire fragile lands from cultivation
• And more

By working…

• To share information
• To assist in conservation planning
• To connect you with funding sources
• And more

And together we'll

• Improve the health of your community and the Grand River Watershed
• Encourage stewardship of natural areas
• Provide hands on conservation action
• And more
  

As a private landowner and a watershed resident, your participation in the Watershed Stewardship Project will include some of the following benefits:

Increased health of watershed (water quality, steady watertables, etc.) Improved private property Tax reduction programs Increased biodiversity Facilitation of projects by LGRLT Increased awareness of watershed Strengthened communities

Gullying in soy field.

What commitments do landowners make in accepting a stewardship award?

To maintain and protect the natural area to the best of their ability To notify the LGRLT of any planned land use change that might threaten natural area To notify the LGRLT of any threats to the area To notify the LGRLT of any intent to sell or transfer ownership of the property.

Erosion of stream banks.

Is the commitment legally binding on the owner of the property?

No. The agreement is verbal, or "handshake only", and signifies the landowner's sincere intentions to protect the area.

Landowners are asked to provide 90 days notice of any impending changes or wish to cancel the agreement. The strength of the protection commitment is the strength of the landowner's word.