|
Province gives $40,000 to Pine River Watershed Initiative By Liz Dadson |
Huron-Kinloss news To Comment on this article Click Here |
|||
 On hand for the presentation are Don Farrell (L) and Dave Gibson of the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network, Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell, Huron-Kinloss councillor and network director Anne Eadie, Arran-Elderslie mayor Ron Oswald of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and network co-ordinator Adrienne Mason | ||||
|
The Pine River Watershed Initiative Network received a significant financial boost Thursday (May 27), with a total of $40,000 from the province to put toward this program, helping to improve water quality in the watershed. Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell was on hand to make the presentation, beside one of the group's signs on property owned by Dave Gibson on Bruce County Road 7, just north of Ripley. Mitchell and Arran-Elderslie mayor Ron Oswald presented $30,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, over two years, which will go toward the salary for the co-ordinator and help create a plan of action to address water quality issues. "I'm pleased to announce this grant for the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network," said Mitchell. "This funding will allow (the group) to hire staff to develop a plan that includes innovative, action-oriented ways for communities to improve and protect our local environment." The initiative network has a goal to protect, preserve and restore clean water and a healthy ecosystem within the Pine River Watershed in Huron-Kinloss. Over the past decade, the group has been working with local landowners and many funding sources to create treed buffer strips along the banks of the Pine River and its contributing streams. These strips of trees act to catch topsoil, and runoff before it enters the waterways and also provide shelter for native wildlife. The network is also developing plans for the creation of restored and constructed wetlands to further protect the watershed. On June 18, the group is hosting an appreciation day for all of its sponsors and participating landowners, as well as a tour of many of the completed projects. "The work that (the network) is engaged in is work to revitalize the natural communities of the landscape surrounding Ripley, Pine River and Lurgan Beach," said co-ordinator Adrienne Mason. "Our work is designed to benefit all levels of these communities, from the actual soil and water through local wildlife populations, including the human residents. Furthermore, the group's work is only made possible through a co-operative and engaged community of people for which we are very grateful." The Pine River Watershed Initiative Network has also received $10,000 from the province through its $250,000 program to keep Lake Huron Clean. This money will also help support the co-ordinator's position in order to implement stewardship projects and continue to educate watershed residents. Projects such as these help reduce pollution entering the lake and help protect the watershed. Huron-Kinloss councillor Anne Eadie was at the presentation Thursday and said the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network needs to expand its program and requires a paid employee to keep up with all the work."The volunteers have done a great job getting this up and running," she said, "but we're at the stage where landowners are coming to us wanting to do tree-plantings and cattle-crossings to protect the rivers and streams. It's great to have this long-term funding to hire a co-ordinator." Don Farrell, supervisor of the initiative network, said about 30 landowners are involved in projects to protect the watershed. "Putting up the fencing, building cattle-crossings, planting trees, and researching wetlands protection - it's all going to improve the water quality down the road," he said. "We've already seen some improvement. The water isn't running as fast and we have wildlife in the watershed that we've never seen before."
|
 Pine River Watershed Initiative Network co-ordinator Adrienne Mason talks to Huron-Kinloss council about the projects being done to help protect the watershed Mason spoke to Huron-Kinloss council at its May meeting and said the network has received funding for numerous projects and wetlands research. She said some of the funding was used by students at Ripley-Huron Community School to pot up seedlings at The Ark Native Plant farm in Kincardine. These will be nursed for a year and then planted east of the school. "These native plants will provide biodiversity in the ecosystem," she said. A buffer strip project is also under way to protect the wetlands, said Mason, adding that the initiative network has planted 40,000 trees each year since its inception three years ago, but there is more to do. "There's a stream bank of 250 to 260 kilometres to be protected," she said. "A lot of it can be protected with natural vegetation which is a cost-effective way to protect streams and rivers." Mayor Mitch Twolan congratulated the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network on its achievements. "We appreciate all the hard work and dedication you put into these projects," he said. For more information about the network, contact Mason at 519-353-5310 or by E-mail: pineriverwin@yahoo.ca
|
|||
|
 for
world news,
books, sports, movies ...Friday, May 28, 2010 |
|||
