SIMCOE REFORMER NEWS RELEASE - SEE LINK BELOW
Some time ago the LPWA membership decided that the creation of large roosting ponds in the Crown Marsh should be a priority. As most will know, the LPWA has been very successful at attracting grants for this purpose. This has been largely thanks to our great partners at MNR who have made Canada/Ontario Agreement (COA) funding available to us.
In anticipation of OMNR facing huge constraints and the possibility that COA may not continue, LPWA looked to other funding sources and last year, those of you who attended the 2012 spring meeting will know we received a grant from a US agency under their Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) program. For the LPWA to apply for that grant, we were required to be incorporated and we have tried hard to avoid doing that because of the cost and effort, both for the initial filing and the annual reporting requirements.
In the case of the SOGL grant application, the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation (LPWBRF) was also applying for a grant so we combined the requests because it made both applications stronger and because LPWBRF are incorporated.
This year, we applied to the Province's Great Lakes Community Guardian Fund and again were told that only incorporated groups can apply. Our LPWBRF partners again offered to apply on our behalf and we are very pleased to report that $25,000 is earmarked for Crown Marsh rehabilitation. This work will occur in 2013. Please see the attached link to an article in the Simcoe Reformer.
http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2012/12/17/long-point-wetlands-getting-much-needed-help
We also wish to report to members that we are seeking and hopeful permission will be granted, to do pond and channel maintenance in the areas of the marsh we hunt. We recently held an open meeting to hear from members where they thought this should be done. It is important to note that all of the Crown Marsh restoration work that has been done to date has been paid for with funding grants made for those projects. This pond and channel maintenance will be paid for by the LPWA.
Please speak with any of the LPWA directors if you have any questions about these projects. You can also ask for a copy of the meeting minutes if you are a member.
Some time ago the LPWA membership decided that the creation of large roosting ponds in the Crown Marsh should be a priority. As most will know, the LPWA has been very successful at attracting grants for this purpose. This has been largely thanks to our great partners at MNR who have made Canada/Ontario Agreement (COA) funding available to us.
In anticipation of OMNR facing huge constraints and the possibility that COA may not continue, LPWA looked to other funding sources and last year, those of you who attended the 2012 spring meeting will know we received a grant from a US agency under their Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) program. For the LPWA to apply for that grant, we were required to be incorporated and we have tried hard to avoid doing that because of the cost and effort, both for the initial filing and the annual reporting requirements.
In the case of the SOGL grant application, the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation (LPWBRF) was also applying for a grant so we combined the requests because it made both applications stronger and because LPWBRF are incorporated.
This year, we applied to the Province's Great Lakes Community Guardian Fund and again were told that only incorporated groups can apply. Our LPWBRF partners again offered to apply on our behalf and we are very pleased to report that $25,000 is earmarked for Crown Marsh rehabilitation. This work will occur in 2013. Please see the attached link to an article in the Simcoe Reformer.
http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2012/12/17/long-point-wetlands-getting-much-needed-help
We also wish to report to members that we are seeking and hopeful permission will be granted, to do pond and channel maintenance in the areas of the marsh we hunt. We recently held an open meeting to hear from members where they thought this should be done. It is important to note that all of the Crown Marsh restoration work that has been done to date has been paid for with funding grants made for those projects. This pond and channel maintenance will be paid for by the LPWA.
Please speak with any of the LPWA directors if you have any questions about these projects. You can also ask for a copy of the meeting minutes if you are a member.