by Susan Moore

The 25th annual Trenton Woodlot Conference will be held on Friday, Nov. 21, 8am to 4:30pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 57 Stella Crescent in Trenton. Registration is required

The morning opens with Larry McTaggart of the Bancroft Area Forest Industry Association, who will explain the brand new Local Wood Initiative. Peter Hynard, Registered Professional Forester, will then describe the four historical forces that have shaped our forest landscapes today. Keynote speaker, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, is a self–described renegade scientist and author of numerous books. She is currently completing a film project, 10 Trees That Can Save the World (dianasjourney.com).

Following a hot roast beef and pork luncheon there will be a bus trip to the HR Frink Outdoor Education Centre and a trek through the woods and the spectacular wetland. The visit will feature tree identification with twigs and bark, benthic and riparian forest health, and updates on the Emerald Ash Borer. This outing will finish with a tour of Mapledale Cheese.

The option of an indoor program includes Ewa Bednarczuk, of Lower Trent Conservation, who will describe the Murray Marsh: Amazon of the Trent River. Dave Smallwood, of Quinte Conservation, will speak on small-scale forest operations and sustainable firewood harvesting. Rob Spence, of the MNR, will give an update on the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program, a significant tax savings program.

The conference is, Ontario. Admission is $30, which includes lunch and bus transport to the field trip.

The conference is hosted by the Hastings Stewardship Council, and supported by area stewardship and conservation groups. To register by Nov. 7, please visit hastingsstewardship.ca, contact 613-391-9034, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

by Susan Moore

Looking to plant trees on your land? Generous subsidies are available from Trees Ontario. And we supply the planting crew.

Planting trees on your property can help fight climate change, increase wildlife habitat and improve water conservation. Trees Ontario is working with many tree planting partners across the province to deliver the Ontario government’s 50 Million Tree Program.

Supporting landowners is our goal. Trees increase property values and improve the health of your land in so many ways. The 50 Million Tree Program makes planting very affordable. In most cases, about 75 percent of the costs will be borne by the program. Landowners with a productive area of one hectare or larger may be eligible.

Planting trees can support farmers by strengthening landscape resilience. Trees can shelter livestock and help control stock movement; provide shelter for crops and assist with soil management; reduce flood risk; and boost pollinators. A Trees Ontario rep will work with you to find the best solution for your property. Planting windbreaks, pond edges or marginal land can improve your operation. Simple hedgerows are a benefit to both crops and wildlife.

Contact Trees Ontario for a thoughtfully designed planting scheme tailored for your land, plus advice on tree maintenance and management. Ontario is committed to plant 50 million trees by 2025. Find out more about the program at www.treesontario.ca. Talk to local agent Tim Gray at 613-477-2981 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a planting consult. Idle land? Plant trees!

In an effort to encourage waterfront property owners to help keep their area lakes and shorelines healthy, the Malcolm Ardoch Lakes Stewardship Committee hosted a special presentation at the Clar-Mill hall in Plevna on September 14. Landowners from seven lakes in and around Plevna attended the event.

Barbara King, executive director of the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds (CSW), headed up the presentation and spoke about two programs that property owners can participate in that focus on creating healthy shorelines. Ross highlighted the importance of property owners taking the initiative to keep their lakes healthy. “While there are a lot of changes happening to Ontario lakes, there are not a lot of regulations, nor government agencies putting money into monitoring the changes. These days it is up to property owners themselves to take the necessary steps to protect their lakes now and into the future.”

The first program she spoke about was the Love Your Lake program, a shoreline evaluation and stewardship program developed by the CSW and the Canadian Wildlife Federation, who work together with lake associations to deliver the program. Participating lakes are assessed on a property-by-property basis and the evaluations are carried out by CSW staff so that landowners are not inconvenienced. All the information is confidential and once the assessments are complete, each landowner receives a report on their particular shoreline with recommendations for improvements. The lake association also receives a customized report regarding the overall state of the shoreline, which can be used as a guide for future community stewardship programs to be put in place by the association.

Shorelines are the focus of the program since they reduce erosion, filter pollutants, reduce the impacts of flooding and provide habitat for fish and wildlife.

The second program King spoke about was the Shoreline Naturalization Program, which is offered through the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) and the CSW. This program is aimed at individual shoreline property owners and offers free visits to landowners within the Mississippi Valley watershed by CSW staff, who advise landowners on how to create and maintain a healthy natural shoreline. Following the visit, staff prepare a customized planting plan with the assistance of the landowner, taking into consideration the wants and needs of the landowner. Staff will advise the landowner as to what kinds of species to plant and where to plant them. Once the plan is approved by the landowner, staff will coordinate the ordering, delivering and do the actual planting and will also provide all of the necessary tools, materials and labour, with the understanding that the landowner contributes 25% of the total cost.

King said that the goal is for staff to work closely with the landowner so that together they can create a plan that meets the needs and wishes of the landowner, improves the health of shoreline, and is also financially feasible. Ross mentioned that sometimes an individual may highly value the water quality of the lake but their actions (often unknowingly) may not support those good intentions. “That is where these programs can really help,” she said.

Alyson Symons of the MVCA was also present at the event to promote the lake stewardship planning that her organization has been involved with on various lakes, including Malcolm/Ardoch, Canonto, Mississippi and Kashwakamak. Symons wanted to put the word out that lake associations looking to develop a lake plan can contact the MVCA, who can offer partnership and assist by providing various resources and information regarding water quality, along with other environmental information. The MVCA can help associations through the process of creating lake plans and will connect groups with available partners. For more information visit www.watersheds.ca or call 613-264-1244.

North of 7 Community Day on September 6

The brainchild of ecologist Gray Merriam of the Frontenac Stewardship Federation, the Community Day is an attempt to bring people together who live North of 7 in North Frontenac and Addington Highlands to talk about the landscape and watershed where they live, how they use it, what they value about it. By inviting guests to talk about various aspects of the land and waters, the community day will also allow for knowledge to be passed around.

“Everyone is invited to this event,” said Merriam, “and there will be a lot to find out, but it is really those who live North of 7 that we want to see, because we need to talk to each other about what we have learned, what works here and what doesn't, even what we need to worry about and what we don't need to worry about.”

Merriam has called in a few favours to bring a large number of guest presenters to the event to give a full picture of the region.

The event is being held at the Barrie Hall in Cloyne and at the Pioneer Museum next door. It includes a timely chainsaw maintenance session presented by the Ontario Woodlot Association, which will include information about boosting forest value. The Pioneer Museum will be open from 10 until 3, and will be hosting a question and answer session all day.

Among the people who will be available at the hall will be some who have made particular studies of the area, including geologist Dugald Carmichael and writer Orland French, who will talk about the origin of Benny's Pond. Jenny Pearce and Matt Ellerbeck will present local snakes and salamanders. Other presenters include: Leora Berman, Mat Mertins from the Mazinaw Lanark Forest, Guy Nason, Anne-Marie Young, Ron Pethick and more.

In addition to all this, Debbie Deline's famous Dead Creek tarts and muffins will be available. For further information, call 613-335-3589

The Centre for Sustainable Watersheds and Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority are seeking property owners to participate in a shoreline naturalization program for the Mississippi watershed.

The “Natural Edge” project has received $60,000 over two years from the EcoAction Community Funding Program and brings together local communities on four lakes (Mississippi, Canonto, Kashwakamak and Patterson) in the watershed and 8 kilometres of shoreline on creeks and tributaries.

The project involves planting native vegetation (trees, shrubs, ground cover, grasses, aquatic plants and wildflowers), which are preferred by local wildlife for shelter and food, to benefit the ecosystem and stabilize shorelines from erosion. Restoring, protecting and enhancing shorelines also contributes to improved water quality by filtering runoff.

The pilot project is designed to be a model for future naturalization efforts. It aims to see thousands of native trees and shrubs planted on 20 shoreline properties on four lakes and on 5 km of creeks and tributaries. Various workshops are planned, including hands-on planting activities on each of the four lakes, shoreline education workshops and presentations at various events to promote the program. Educational materials are also being developed.

Another key component is the creation of a demonstration site with interpretive signage. The project is funded by EcoAction Canada, but participating landowners are asked to contribute 25 per cent of the total costs for their site. Properties involved in the project receive a customized planting plan indicating the recommended areas for planting and a list of suitable native tree, shrub and ground cover species.

The goals and wishes of the landowner drive the plan, and all advice is optional. The CSW will work with landowners to complete projects that are economically feasible on a case-by-case basis. CSW coordinates the ordering, delivery and planting, along with tools, materials and labour to complete the project. Landowners can participate in the planting, but it is optional and voluntary.

The planting is slated for the spring of 2015. Several partners are participating, including Canonto Lake Association, Kashwakamak Lake Association, Patterson Lake Association and Mississippi Lakes Association.

Any landowner within the Mississippi River watershed who is interested in a free site visit should contact Courtney Allison at CSW, 613-264-1244 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

www.watersheds.ca

Feature article, March 3, 2005

Feature article March 3, 2005

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Salmon River Habitat Strategy fills second hall

by Gray Merriam

On Saturday 26 February 45 people filled the Branch Library in Tamworth at an Open House presented by the Friends of the Salmon River, the Lennox and Addington Stewardship Council, the Frontenac Stewardship Council and the Hastings Stewardship Council. Just a few days earlier, the first Open House had also filled the W.I. Hall in Lonsdale.

People came to learn about the Salmon River Habitat Strategy Study being done by a partnership of these stewardship groups. After the volunteer group, the Friends of the Salmon River, was organized last April, the Stewardship Councils obtained funding from the Canada-Ontario Agreement to begin assessing the health of the Salmon River watershed. It is a big job because the watershed begins near Cloyne, at Story Lake, and extends all the way to the Bay of Quinte near Shannonville.

By using the latest satellite technology, Melodie Green, the full-time researcher on the study, has assembled maps of the whole watershed. Her map of the watershed shows the edges of the big basin in the land that collects all the water flowing into the Salmon. The maps also show all the forested areas in that watershed, the types of vegetation along the immediate shorelines of the river and all the known areas of special interest throughout the watershed. Results of inventories of fishes by both electrofishing and by trap netting were also presented.

One special area in the watershed include the Salmon River Alvar, an area of shallow soil over limestone that does not hold moisture well and so has some rare plants that would normally be found on prairies. Puzzle Lake Provincial Park is another special area along the Salmon, recently designated as a Provincial Park and under study to learn more about special environments and species that occur there. The newly appointed Superintendent of Puzzle Lake Park, Lloyd Chapman, was one of the participants at the Tamworth Open House. Others participating included staff of the three Stewardship Councils, Ontario Nature and Friends of the Salmon River. Displays were presented by those groups and by the Upper Canada Wood Cooperative, Cataraqui Canoe Club, Kennebec Lake Association, Concerned Citizens Against the Richmond Landfill, and, of course, many displays by the Salmon River Habitat Strategy Study.

Steve Pitt, Coordinator of the Lennox and Addington Stewardship Council explained that by using Environment Canada guidelines, results of the Salmon River study will ask "how much habitat is enough for a healthy watershed?". If some spots need help, both advice and funding sources will be provided to landowners. To safeguard the currently healthy condition of most of the watershed, the Stewardship Councils are offering to work individually with landowners to provide stewardship plans for the owner's property custom-designed by a professional at no cost and with no obligation.

The most important people present, the people on the land, ended the Open House with a lively series of questions that generated a full and friendly discussion with the resource people present -- a true information exchange.

The final Open House in this series will be in the Community Hall in Arden next Saturday March 5 from 11 am to 1 pm.

Feature article, June 9, 2005, 2005

Feature article June 9, 2005

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Whose Land is it, anyway? Part 2

In part one of this series, (Frontenac News May 19, available at Newsweb.ca), we took a historical look at the concept of land in this region, from pre-colonial times through settlement and the era of the family farm. In part 2, we will consider two currents of thinking about land that sometimes come into conflict. One is a concern over property rights, as it is being promoted by MP Scott Reid on a legislative level, and by the Lanark Landowners on a case-by-case political level. The other is the concept of stewardship, promoted by Conservation Authorities on a government level, and by groups like the Frontenac Environmental Partnership, land trust groups, and others.

The very idea of private property confers rights on the owner of that property. Owners of land have the power to prevent others from building on that land, hunting on that land, cultivating crops, or doing a variety of other things. They can post Do Not Trespass signs, which provide a legal barrier to entry onto the land.

But land is owned at the pleasure of the Crown, as represented by the government, and there are limits to what landowners can prevent.

The government can expropriate private land for a highway, an airport or other purposes. Many property owners only own the surface rights to their land, leaving themselves open to a variety of incursions by prospectors, who can stake the land and will then have the right to fell trees, dig trenches, and perhaps start a mine on the land.

A case in point is the situation recently faced by Ron and Elva Price in Central Frontenac. They have lived on and farmed a piece of land for over 50 years, but a mining department official ruled that they could be forced to sell their farm to a mining company for twice its market value. The operative word is forced. Fortunately for Ron and Elva, the decision was eventually reversed, but the very concept flies in the face of the concept of property rights.

Land ownership also bestows rights to do certain things on ones land, such as build a house, pasture animals, dig a garden, put in a pond, plant trees, remove trees, etc. These rights are limited, however, and there are those who argue that the limitations on these rights have been increasing to the point where the landowners have becomes victims of government bureaucracies that have devalued land ownership.

Meanwhile, land is a commodity, and the assigned market value on a piece of property is used to determine municipal tax rates.

All of this has proved too much for many people, and has sparked the support for groups like the Lanark Landowners Association and affiliated groups throughout Eastern and Southwestern Ontario. Their slogan sums it up, Back off government, get off my land.

Stewardship:

The idea that land ownership carries with it an implicit responsibility to care for that land, to be a steward of the land, is sometimes seen as conflicting with property rights. There is an old Algonquin idea that says all collective decisions pertaining to land should be made in the interest of the next seven generations. In terms of private land, this would require landowners to see themselves as owners of land in trust for future generations rather than for themselves.

Many land stewardship activities, such as those that are advocated by Stewardship Ontario, a volunteer- based organisation with administrative support from the Ministry of Natural Resources, are based on initiatives on the part of landowners to enhance wetlands on or adjacent to their properties, practice sustainable forestry, etc. These activities are generally not controversial for property rights advocates because they are voluntary, encouraging stewardship as a feature of land ownership.

Stewardship has also been taken on by cottage associations in recent years. No longer concerned solely with organising regattas on the lake during summers, these associations have developed broader concerns, from taxation issues to environmental concerns on their lakes. As property owners associations they reflect the collective concerns of a specific group of landowners, many of whom are seasonal residents that use their land mainly for recreational purposes.

This is the source of a potential conflict. Someone who invests a lot of money in a lakefront cottage or a year- round retirement home, but whose income is derived elsewhere, would see their land interests best served by minimising the land use of their neighbours.

An unlikely case in point is wind farms. For people concerned about the environment, any economically viable wind power project, as a replacement for coal burning power production, would seem to be eminently desirable. Nonetheless, there was a recent story in the Globe and Mail about a farmer in Huron County who is hoping to put up windmills on his farm. He is facing opposition from neighbouring recreational property owners because of the noise the windmills may make and the effect of the windmills on their view of the countryside. There are similar concerns being expressed over planned wind generation on Wolfe Island.

It would be unfair to discount all stewardship efforts by Lake Associations on the basis that waterfront property owners are more concerned about their long-term recreational pursuits that on the health of the planet. To a great extent they have come to the positions they are pursuing by recognising what has happened with lake development in other places, and as they develop lake plans they have been careful to consider the needs of the commercial operators on their lakes. Living on water, they also recognise that anything that takes place on a watershed has long-term impacts further downstream.

There is still a fundamental difference between two communities that share the land in rural eastern Ontario.

There are families who have, for generations, derived some or all of their living from the land, whether by farming, logging, milling wood, trapping, or other means. For them the land represents their livelihood, and is something to be maintained.

For families who have recreational properties, and for the increasing number who have converted their recreational properties into permanent retirement homes, land represents peace and tranquility, and is something to be preserved.

In the final instalment of Whose Land is it, Anyway? a range of existing limitations on landowners abilities to exercise their dominion over their land will be examined, from the most obvious and easiest to justify, such as burning bans, to more indirect and controversial limitations, such as prohibitions on trailers.

Feature Article - September 1, 2005

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Walleye spawning rehabilitation at Bob's and Crow Lakes

by Mel Fleming

The Frontenac Stewardship Rangers (L to R):Ayrton Potter from Holy Cross HS, Bethanie Worth from NapaneeHS,Lindsay Davidson fromSydenham HS, and Xavier Granville from Napanee HS. (click image for larger view) Over the past ten years, the Greater Bobs and Crow Lake Association has undertaken a Walleye spawning bed improvement campaign under the leadership of Mel Fleming, the Association’s Director of Fisheries and Wildlife Habitat.

This year, three creeks known for walleye spawning were improved. These were the Crow Lake Village Creek, Scotts Creek as well as the McEwen's Creek which flows into Bobs Lake. The work included pressure washing rocks in the creeks, removing tree and brush interferences, and general cleaning up of weeds and other debris. Herns Sand and Gravel supplied the spring water and the pressurized water pressure equipment after installing silt screens to protect the lakes. In addition, the Frontenac Stewardship Rangers, under the direction of MNR's Kevin Hansen, did the actual cleaning up, including removing beaver dams.

The funds required to carry out these tasks were supplied by the MNR through Community Fisheries and Wildlife Programs (CFWIP), and from the Association itself. Other projects have already been successfully undertaken in our lakes, including building a bridge at Thompson's Creek to provide access for walleye and pike to their spawning areas, optimizing Eagle Creek, and upgrading channel walleye spawning areas. Ross Cholmondeley and Kevin Esseltine, both biologists from the MNR, provided the expertise and guidance to the Association.

The four-member Stewardship Ranger team put in a full day at the three creeks, moving and cleaning rocks, and removing a Beaver dam from under a bridge at one location.

The Greater Bobs & Crow Lakes Association under its Fisheries mandate, sponsors a number of projects every year to enhance the fisheries in its lakes. Every year, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) stocks the two lakes with lake trout. Usually, 10,000 lake trout fingerlings are stocked in Crow Lake and 25,000 are stocked into Green Bay of Bobs Lake. In the fall, attempts are made to identify the lake trout spawning areas, while the success is determined by reports on the fish caught and reported to Mel Fleming c/o the Bobs & Crow Lakes Association, RR #2, Godfrey, ON K0H 1T0.

However, the Assocation has not done Walleye stocking on the lakes since 1992. MNR studies had determined that stocking Walleye on lakes that have a native Walleye population could be counter-productive, actually decreasing fish stocks over time.

Fisheries scientists have determined that the supplemental planting of domesticated fish on top of native fish might create competition between stocks, spread diseases, dilute the genetic make-up of native stocks, and eventually displace native fish.

While the Walleye levels in Bobs and Crow Lake remain very low, they have been increasing over the past 10 years. In 1997, a Fall Walleye Netting Index project showed 2.5 Walleye per net captured, and the number in 2002 had increased to 3.12 Walleye per net. A new survey will be done in a year or two and it is hoped that the Walley spawning bed improvements and other stewardship initiatives on the lake will lead to a further increase. Still, there is a long way to go. A Netting Index of 5 per net indicates low levels of Walleye in the lake, so Bobs and Crow Lake still have a long way to go.

Feature Article - February 23, 2006

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Feature Article - March 16, 2006

$38,000 marketing plan approved forCrown land roads, campsites

by JeffGreen

An unsolicited proposal from Northbridge Consulting to put into place marketing strategies for the Crown Land Stewardship Program (CLSP) has been accepted by the North Frontenac Township Council.

Northbridge is the company that recently completed a marketing study for the township, funded by a $10,000 grant from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation. The study, which was presented to Council on February 23, contained “Implementation Guidelines” which called for quick action by council in order to be effective for the upcoming tourist season.

Two weeks later, on March 7, Northbridge submitted a nine-page proposal to re-brand the program, establish a 30 page website with an online booking capacity, and undertake an e-marketing plan for the program. The proposal was priced at $38,000 plus mileage. The cost of printing promotional maps and brochures was not included.

The main objective of the plan is to increase the usage of the Crown land campsites from the dismal 9.2% of capacity that was the case in 2005. At one point the Northbridge proposal estimates that the fresh marketing approach should lead to a revenue increase of 15% from permits in 2006, but later projects a revenue increase of over $50,000 in 2006, almost 75%, and based on that projection predicts that the township will recover their marketing costs within the first year, including production and printing costs for maps and brochures.

When the proposal came up for discussion at Council last week, Mayor Ron Maguire said, “We’ve just spent $10,000 of good money to develop the marketing strategy, and we want to see an impact from that starting in 2006. In my opinion we should move on this.”

Councillor Fred Perry agreed, but was concerned that the township does not have a long-term commitment from the Ministry of Natural Resources to maintain the Crown Land Stewardship Program for more than one year at a time.

“I’d hate to invest money in this only to have the province pull the plug after one year,” Fred Perry said, “I’d like to see us get a three or five-year commitment from the province.”

This is apparently not something the Ministry will consider, but the fact that it was the Ministry of Natural Resources that approached the township about this in the first place several years ago, leads Hunter to believe the government will not want to take over responsibility for the roads and campsites anytime soon.

Councillor Bud Clayton opposed the plan, saying, “$40,000 is enough money to maintain the roads for several years. That would be a better way to spend that kind of money.”

Councillor Dave Smith expressed confidence in Northbridge. “They seem to have the heart of the situation, and they have access to the expertise to make this happen. We’ve been talking about this program in terms of its potential to bring tourists into the township for years. It’s time to do something about it.”

“I agree that we don’t have the expertise to develop a marketing plan,” said Deputy Mayor Gleva Lemke, “but I can’t say that I am in favour of spending $40,000 on this proposal at this time. I think we need to look at this further, and maybe do part of it.”

Councillor Wayne Good “I think that it’s a lot of money. I’m not convinced it’s going to be anything more than a one or two year program, especially with the developing land claims.”

“We are trying to make the Crown Land Stewardship Program pay,” concluded Councillor Perry. “I have to trust Northbridge. They are targeting the Ottawa market, which makes sense.”

Councillor Perry then asked township CAO Cheryl Robson if the township’s procurement bylaw permitted entering into a contract like this without giving competitors an opportunity to bid on the job.

Cheryl Robson said it was permitted under the bylaw, provided the company is on the list of vendors of record for the township, which Northbridge is.

In a close vote, Council decided to give the Economic Development Committee the authority to finalise a contract with Northbridge. Councillors Hunter, Perry, Smith and Mayor Maguire, supported the motion, and Councillors Good, Clayton and Deputy Mayor Lemke opposed it. (See “Gambling with taxpayers’ money” on page 3)

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Feature Article - February 23, 2006

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Feature Article - March 16, 2006

Gambling with taxpayers' money

Editorial by JeffGreen

At their meeting last week, the normally cautious North Frontenac Council spent quite a bit of money. After accepting a bid of $273,000 for a new fire hall, they accepted a $38,000 marketing proposal for their Crown Land Stewardship Program.

There was little similarity between the two expenditures.

Council has been working on the fire hall project for years. They came close to building a fire hall last year, but backed off and reconsidered. They worked through a variety of design proposals seeking one that gave them the space they needed at a price they could afford. Nonetheless, when they set out a request for proposal that included engineers’ drawings for the project, they still received bids that ranged considerably in price, from a low of $273,000 to a high of $355,000.

Even then, they took time to consider whether the lowest bid, which was a full $50,000 lower than the next to lowest one, encompassed the entire project. Only then did they accept it.

The marketing plan for the Crown Land Stewardship Program, on the other hand, was submitted as an unsolicited proposal from the same consulting company that had prepared a marketing strategy in the first place.

This, it seems to me, was a lapse in judgement on council’s part.

The North Frontenac Council is a hard working group of people, who are doing their best to serve the interests of the ratepayers in their township. For example, they met for 12 hours, dealing with a variety of matters, before making the decision about the marketing contract. This council has also had to deal with staffing changes on an ongoing basis throughout their tenure, and they have been working on developing proper budgeting for the township as well.

The Crown Land Stewardship Program represents a tremendous potential for tourism development in North Frontenac, and with this council’s time being almost up, they want to make something happen with this program. They don’t want to let it slip by.

Still, they took a gamble by accepting an unsolicited offer without seeking other proposals.

The contract has not been signed, and the Economic Development Committee of council will have a chance to work out the details with Northbridge, the consulting company in question.

There are some gaps in Northbridge’s proposal that will hopefully be filled in before that contract is signed. For example, the proposal talks about a rebate program for marketing materials, a rebate program that no longer exists. The proposal also seemed unclear on how much of a revenue increase can be expected in the first year of the plan, at least to my eyes. A larger question pertains to who will maintain an online booking system that will be set up, and at what cost.

North Frontenac Council has always strived to make the Crown Land Stewardship Program revenue neutral. They have decided they must spend money to make the program work.

They should still be very careful about how they spend that money. - JG

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