2020 SCRCA Stewardship Program Highlights

December 2020 | SCRCA Stewardship Team

 

Stewardship and Forestry

The SCRCA promotes and supports activities that will create healthy watersheds and improve local water quality and soil health. Conservation Authority staff achieve this by providing educational opportunities, technical advice, and financial assistance to local landowners interested in  establishing Best Management Practices (BMPs) and stewardship projects on their properties, such as tree planting and wetland creation. The SCRCA also offers several forestry services to promote sustainable woodlot practices including the development of woodlot management plans and certifying woodlands under the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP).

 

Healthy Watersheds Program

$310,169 in grant funding secured to support 78 projects (April 2019 – December 2020).

• 60 tree planting projects (28.5 hectares)
• 10 wetland projects (6 hectares)
• 1 erosion control project
• 2 livestock fencing projects
• 1 grassed waterway
• 4 tallgrass prairie projects (12.5 hectares)

 

 

Tree Planting

• 50,340 seedlings planted on 28 individual properties (26 hectares) by SCRCA planting crews.
• 6,120 seedlings and 620 large stock trees supplied to local landowners and two municipalities.
• Over 2,500 litres of seed collected from native tree species including oak, hickory, walnut, and maple.

 

Tree Seed Collection

Every fall, SCRCA staff collect seed from native trees throughout the watershed. The seeds grow into trees that will be used in future afforestation projects in our region and ensure the trees  produced are genetically adapted to our local growing conditions.

 

Woodlot Management Services

Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP):

• 3 new plans, managing 63 hectares of forest
• 1 renewed plan, managing 19 hectares of forest

 

Lambton County Woodlands Conservation By-Law

The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority has administered the Woodlands Conservation Bylaw on behalf of the County of Lambton since 2011. This partnership not only assists with the regulatory aspect of the bylaw but has expanded local outreach and education related to conserving woodlands.

 

 

Spongy Moth Infestations

Spongy Moths are invasive insects that arrived in Ontario from Asia and Europe. During the larval life stage, Spongy Moth caterpillars feed on the foliage of trees. During periods of high infestations, the caterpillars can severely defoliate host trees which can threaten tree health and increase vulnerability to future infestations. In 2020, large Spongy Moth infestations were observed in Lambton Shores, Sarnia, Plympton-Wyoming, and throughout the Lambton Heritage Forest and Pinery Provincial Park. In cooperation with Lambton County, the SCRCA has supported community education efforts to help residents recognize and remove egg masses, collect and dispose of live caterpillars, and become informed on treatment options.

Interested in undertaking a stewardship project?

If you are interested in undertaking a stewardship project on your property or would simply like to learn more, fill out our Healthy Watersheds Program Survey.

We will add you to our contact list and reach out to you if funding becomes available to support the projects you are interested in implementing on your property.

You can also choose to receive occasional updates about upcoming expert-led and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing events.