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Important document links:
We hope all members have an opportunity to read this report, and welcome any comments or questions below.
Subject: Land Stewardship Task Force Report: Recommendations and Opportunities
Dear Madawaska Club of Go Home Bay members,
The Land Stewardship Task Force was formed by the Board in 2016 to examine options for enhancing protection on the Club’s interior lands while still retaining ownership and control of these holdings. The attached report summarizes that process and recommends the development of a conservation easement as the preferred option.
In addition to maintaining the current objectives for our “Open Space” lands, which are highlighted in the Official Plan and Zoning By-law for the Go Home Bay community, an easement enhances protection by creating a more permanent designation for habitat conservation while still maintaining the same rights of access, ownership and use. Moreover, because of a current federal program - the Canada Nature Fund - the Club has a unique opportunity to benefit monetarily by entering into an easement agreement if we proceed promptly. The Georgian Bay Land Trust is presently applying for funding under this program to create a corridor of protected habitat along the Georgian Bay coastline which would include a conservation easement on Club lands. If successful, the Club could conservatively receive ~ $300K for enhancing protection on our open space lands. We ask that the Go Home Bay community consider our recommendation of a conservation easement presented by the task force in this report. We will present an overview of report at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (Tuesday, April 30th – announcement, agenda, and other materials to follow), but it is our hope that by sharing this report now we will help answer many questions in advance of that event and facilitate discussion and dialogue moving forward.
In the interim, task force members Doug Grundy and George Lougheed have volunteered to answer emailed questions from the membership about the task force report. Their email addresses are:
dgrundy.gcpc@gmail.com
lougheedg@rogers.com
Both questions and answers will be posted on the Madawaska Club website in an attempt to provide as much information in advance of the AGM as possible.
We look forward to hearing from the Club on this recommendation and finding the best means possible to maintain the status and health of Go Home Bay interior lands and waters.