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Grey-Bruce Greenway
Purpose and Goals Purpose and Goals The Greenway Initiative is Ontario Nature’s vision for the future of land conservation in
Ontario
. It will keep Ontario’s remaining natural spaces and working lands healthy,
vibrant and ecologically sustainable and protect species and habitats, while promoting
land-use practices that incorporate the needs of nature protection through ‘smart’
planning. Conservation science shows us that the most effective way to protect
biodiversity in a shared landscape of urban, rural, recreational, agricultural,
industrial and natural land uses is through systems of protected natural cores
linked by corridor areas. An interconnected network of conserved cores and corridors
will protect habitat and species while fostering sustainable livelihoods and providing
communities and citizens with places to recreate and appreciate nature. This
is the promise of the Greenway Initiative.
With the Greenway Initiative, Ontario Nature is continuing its tradition of actively
promoting green space protection. The Greenway Initiative will engage community
stakeholders and provincial, regional and municipal governments to protect natural
cores and corridors throughout southern and eastern
Ontario
with linkages to protected areas in the north.
Definition
Definition
Background
Rapid urban growth in many parts of
Ontario
is fragmenting remaining natural areas and driving up the price of land. The
cost of delay will be considerable. There is much to do to protect water sources,
natural areas and species-at-risk, and to provide for green-space recreational
opportunities. A comprehensive, coordinated Greenway Initiative will consume fewer
human and financial resources than will addressing each issue and community separately.
Governments, agencies, landowners and non-governmental organizations recognize
these goals, and are willing to work together. There is increased public awareness
about the need for smart growth, stewardship and landscape-level planning in southern
Ontario
.
Accomplishments to Date
Ontario Nature is establishing the Greenway Initiative initially by working at
the local level. Citizens, farmers, other landowners, conservation organizations,
stewardship groups, municipal governments, government agencies and community groups
are playing a central role in identifying, protecting and restoring natural core
and corridor areas that will make up the greenways. Currently, two pilot projects
are in place—one in Grey and Bruce counties and one in the Frontenac Axis.
The Grey-Bruce Greenway Initiative is composed of a variety of stakeholders who
have undergone a conservation action planning session based on Greenway maps developed
by Ontario Nature. The three main prongs of the Greenway Initiative are:
Land Securement: strategic acquisition of land with high conservation values that represents
the diversity of habitat in region
Policy Development: creating new policy and informing existing policy to incorporate voluntary identification
and protection of significant natural features such as woodlands, wetlands and
other key habitat to ensure that connections are protected or restored.
Rapid urban growth in many parts of
Ontario
is fragmenting remaining natural areas and driving up the price of land. The
cost of delay will be considerable. There is much to do to protect water sources,
natural areas and species-at-risk, and to provide for green-space recreational
opportunities. A comprehensive, coordinated Greenway Initiative will consume fewer
human and financial resources than will addressing each issue and community separately.
Governments, agencies, landowners and non-governmental organizations recognize
these goals, and are willing to work together. There is increased public awareness
about the need for smart growth, stewardship and landscape-level planning in southern
Ontario
.
Accomplishments to Date
Ontario Nature is establishing the Greenway Initiative initially by working at
the local level. Citizens, farmers, other landowners, conservation organizations,
stewardship groups, municipal governments, government agencies and community groups
are playing a central role in identifying, protecting and restoring natural core
and corridor areas that will make up the greenways. Currently, two pilot projects
are in place—one in Grey and Bruce counties and one in the Frontenac Axis.
The Grey-Bruce Greenway Initiative is composed of a variety of stakeholders who
have undergone a conservation action planning session based on Greenway maps developed
by Ontario Nature. The three main prongs of the Greenway Initiative are:
Land Securement: strategic acquisition of land with high conservation values that represents
the diversity of habitat in region
Policy Development: creating new policy and informing existing policy to incorporate voluntary identification
and protection of significant natural features such as woodlands, wetlands and
other key habitat to ensure that connections are protected or restored.
Accomplishments to Date
Ontario Nature is establishing the Greenway Initiative initially by working at
the local level. Citizens, farmers, other landowners, conservation organizations,
stewardship groups, municipal governments, government agencies and community groups
are playing a central role in identifying, protecting and restoring natural core
and corridor areas that will make up the greenways. Currently, two pilot projects
are in place—one in Grey and Bruce counties and one in the Frontenac Axis.
The Grey-Bruce Greenway Initiative is composed of a variety of stakeholders who
have undergone a conservation action planning session based on Greenway maps developed
by Ontario Nature. The three main prongs of the Greenway Initiative are:
Land Securement: strategic acquisition of land with high conservation values that represents
the diversity of habitat in region
Policy Development: creating new policy and informing existing policy to incorporate voluntary identification
and protection of significant natural features such as woodlands, wetlands and
other key habitat to ensure that connections are protected or restored.
Ontario Nature is establishing the Greenway Initiative initially by working at
the local level. Citizens, farmers, other landowners, conservation organizations,
stewardship groups, municipal governments, government agencies and community groups
are playing a central role in identifying, protecting and restoring natural core
and corridor areas that will make up the greenways. Currently, two pilot projects
are in place—one in Grey and Bruce counties and one in the Frontenac Axis.
The Grey-Bruce Greenway Initiative is composed of a variety of stakeholders who
have undergone a conservation action planning session based on Greenway maps developed
by Ontario Nature. The three main prongs of the Greenway Initiative are:
Land Securement: strategic acquisition of land with high conservation values that represents
the diversity of habitat in region
Policy Development: creating new policy and informing existing policy to incorporate voluntary identification
and protection of significant natural features such as woodlands, wetlands and
other key habitat to ensure that connections are protected or restored.
The Grey-Bruce Greenway Initiative is composed of a variety of stakeholders who
have undergone a conservation action planning session based on Greenway maps developed
by Ontario Nature. The three main prongs of the Greenway Initiative are:
Land Securement: strategic acquisition of land with high conservation values that represents
the diversity of habitat in region
Policy Development: creating new policy and informing existing policy to incorporate voluntary identification
and protection of significant natural features such as woodlands, wetlands and
other key habitat to ensure that connections are protected or restored.
Land Securement: strategic acquisition of land with high conservation values that represents
the diversity of habitat in region
Policy Development: creating new policy and informing existing policy to incorporate voluntary identification
and protection of significant natural features such as woodlands, wetlands and
other key habitat to ensure that connections are protected or restored.
Key Accomplishments in 2008
§ Grey-Bruce Greenway maps used as basis for Conservation Action Plan, which addresses
specific issues that group will focus on
§ Seven working groups formed with greater Grey-Bruce Greenway committee to focus on conservation targets such as:
i.
Alternative
Land
Use Services;
ii. landowner contact; quarries and aggregate extraction;
iii. community involvement and official planning;
iv. land securement;
v. surface water protection;
vi. land securement; and
vii. buffer strips and setbacks
§ Consultation with planners of
Grey
County
during Official Plan review leads to letter of recommendation from Grey-Bruce
Greenway
§ Grey-Bruce Greenway brochure drafted and printed and distributed as part of communication
and outreach strategy
§ Partnership formed with Ontario Federation of Agriculture and booth booked at
OFA tent during International Plowing Match in Bruce County
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