SNC Enters Twinning Agreement with Watershed-based Organizations from Quebec and France
South Nation Conservation (SNC) signs twinning charter with two watershed-based organizations, SMAGE des Gardons from France and l'Organisme de concertation pour l'eau des bassins versants de la rivière Nicolet (COPERNIC) in Quebec, as a cooperative approach for integrated water resource management.
An agreement was in place between COPERNIC and SMAGE des Gardons to share expertise between the two watersheds and SNC was asked to join the partnership in 2014.
“We are very pleased to be part of a partnership that offers a unique opportunity to share expertise, technical knowledge and best practices with two other watershed-based organizations across provincial and international borders,” explained Doug Thompson, Chair, SNC Board of Directors.
This week, SNC staff visited the COPERNIC watershed before hosting the delegation at the Finch office. The three day visit of both groups to the Finch office was a follow-up to one made earlier this week and last year to France by some SNC staff to provide information on SNC programs and approaches.
As part of this gathering, a signing of the Charter between the three organizations occurred at the May 19th SNC Board of Directors meeting.
The Charter establishes actions and solutions to priority issues identified by the three organizations with the goal of improving integrated water resource management in the watersheds of Gardons in France, South Nation in Ontario and Nicolet in Quebec.
The planning of activities and site visits such as these provide the opportunity to see some projects in action. Some of the site visits organized by SNC included learning more about cover crops, Alternative Land Use Services, controlled tile drainage and tree planting projects, among others.
“Our hope is that the partnership leads to the improvement of integrated water resource management in the three watersheds,” said Thompson.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Natasha Machado, 877-984-2948, ext. 313. nmachado@nation.on.ca