SNC Developing New Conservation Area in Augusta Township
South Nation Conservation (SNC) will be developing its first public Conservation Area in Augusta Township this year thanks to a municipal and federal partnership to protect local natural spaces and provide new outdoor recreational opportunities.
The park will be located on a 9-acre parcel of land along the South Nation River on McCrea Road. This property was previously owned by the municipality who decided to donate the land to SNC for conservation and recreational use. The Augusta Township Council voted in favour of the land donation and project in February.
Work is scheduled to take place through 2020 and will include parking lot and trail creation, river access, site clean-up and excavation, tree management, new tree planting and signage. This site is planned to be open to the public for day-use in 2021.
$31,500 in support for the project is being provided by the Government of Canada through the Canadian Experiences Fund, delivered in Southern Ontario by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
“Every year, Canada’s natural beauty attracts millions of visitors from across the globe,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages. “Now, with the support of the Canadian Experiences Fund, South Nation Conservation will be able to develop the Augusta Conservation Area, protecting this pristine region while bringing more tourists to this special corner of Eastern Ontario.”
“We’re excited to partner with South Nation Conservation to offer our residents a new outdoor, natural space for recreational use,” said Augusta Mayor Doug Malanka.
“This new Conservation Area will provide people with the first public and maintained river access to the South Nation River in this area while working to protect natural heritage and forest cover in Eastern Ontario,” added John Mesman, SNC’s Communications Lead. “This site will offer a scenic boat route where people can easily canoe or kayak from Augusta to the Spencerville Mill.”
SNC manages over 20,000 acres of Community Forest in Eastern Ontario and many of its Conservation Areas have been donated to the Authority through their Land Securement Program to help maintain natural legacies and provide a place for people to step outdoors and into nature.
SNC is a not-for-profit and community-based environmental agency that relies on donations and self-generated revenue to protect and enhance the local environment across its 4,441 square-kilometer jurisdiction, on behalf of its 16 partner municipalities.
People can learn more or donate to SNC online at www.nation.on.ca/donate.
About FedDev Ontario:
In Southern Ontario, the Canadian Experiences Fund is delivered by FedDev Ontario. For more than 10 years, FedDev Ontario has worked to advance and diversify the Southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada’s most populous region.
The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in Southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region.
Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in Southern Ontario by exploring their pivotal projects.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Taylor Campbell, Communications Specialist, tcampbell@nation.on.ca, 1-877-984-2948.
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