Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
Protecting the land we love for future generations
On April 22, 1970, environmental advocates from around the world gathered to celebrate the very first Earth Day. Over 50+ years later we will join with environmentalists from around the world to celebrate and set our minds to this year’s theme: Planet vs Plastics.
A donation to the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust would be the perfect way for you to celebrate earth day. HHLT is instrumental in protecting the land we love for future generations. Please click here to donate.
Kawartha411.ca has published an absolutely fabulous summary of Haliburton County history and specifically the Dahl family and Dahl Forest. The article was written by Glenn Walker with files from Rob’s father, Grenville Schrader.
Please click here to read the article.
Enjoy your holidays this year and don't forget to come for a walk in the forest at Barnum Creek Nature Reserve or Dahl Forest to work off those calories.
This year's holiday picture was taken in Barnum Creek by board member Huw Morgan.
We are looking forward to your support in 2024. Cheers!
The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust has seen the positive momentum of the Highlands Corridor conservation project grow in the past few months. Letters of support or passed resolutions have been submitted from a variety of stakeholders including the County of Haliburton, the Municipality of Trent Lakes, Kawartha Conservation and both Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association and North Kawartha Lakes Association.
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Diverse groups like the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) recognize the value of this project by stating in their endorsement letter that, “the OFAH feels strongly that the Highlands Corridor initiative is a true win-win for conservation and for the people of Ontario.”
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Most recently, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has endorsed the project and state that, “protecting this important wildlife corridor contributes to the health of our lakes. Healthy lakes support a variety of wildlife habitats and contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of our community. We understand the importance of private landowner support for this initiative and commend the Land Trust’s Partners in Conservation program.”
Partners in Conservation Program
The number of Partners in Conservation (PIC) continues to grow with private landowners joining the PIC program taking advantage of the complimentary Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) offered by the HHLT through a grant from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada. Other landowners have joined the PIC program, without the benefit of the MFTIP grant because their conservation interests are aligned with those of the HHLT and the Highlands Corridor. It appears that the concept of the Highlands Corridor as a nature-based solution to building climate change resilience, protecting lands and waters, and maintaining biodiversity is resonating with a wide range of individuals and groups!
The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) has agreed to participate in the Centre for Land Conservation’s (CLC) certification program.
HHLT recognizes the importance of having clear policies and robust process controls in place to manage what we do. These controls range from our guiding principles to financial controls and to how we steward the lands entrusted to us. We also recognize that our funders, donors, other stakeholders and members want assurance that we are a credible organization with rigorous processes in place.
For these reasons, we have agreed to participate in the CLC certification program. In this program, the CLC will assess the degree of conformity of our internal controls to their Standards and Practices (S&Ps). According to CLC, the S&Ps are intended to outline the "ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of land trusts in Canada." Conformity to the S&Ps is important for any organization holding conservation lands for the public interest. The S&Ps include 12 standards and 91 recommended practices, ranging from ethics and compliance to board accountability, financial management to land securement and stewardship.
We are one of a select few land trusts from across Canada to participate in this pilot phase of the certification program.
The assessment process is intended to validate that our control processes meet or exceed those set forth by the CLC. Determination of conformity will lead to certification, which will enhance credibility and build public, investor and government trust.
Rick Whitteker, Haliburton Highlands Land Trust's Partners in Conservation (PIC) coordinator reports on his summer's activities and the status of the program:
"Through our Partners in Conservation (PIC) program the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) is also working closely with local landowners. The PIC program targets landowners committed to landscape conservation with properties that strategically bridge gaps between fragmented Crown land within the Highlands Corridor. The HHLT assists landowners in developing management plans with objectives of enhancing environmental protection and wildlife habitat. The program also provides a property tax incentive for a 10-year term through enrollment in Ontario’s Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program.
The PIC program has been very successful. With 20 PIC members representing over 1,800 hectares, the PIC program continues to grow, with 5 new members in the vital Highlands Corridor being added this summer. Many of these private properties create an important connectivity component to the Crown land within the corridor, as well as enhancing climate resilience and supporting all wildlife, including many species at risk.
During the August meeting with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks the government officials commended on the comprehensiveness of the HHLT research, and the establishment of local and provincial support. The PIC program demonstrates strong local landowner commitment to conservation and stewardship and support of the Highlands Corridor project."
In April of 2022, the Haliburton Rotary Club agreed to fund a proposal by the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust to build:
for a total cost of $6,800.
We're happy to report that the 8 benches are now completed and installed in locations that encourage hikers to sit for a while and contemplate the beauty of our properties.
On Saturday September 30, over thirty people gathered at the trailhead for the Fall Nature Hike at the Catchacoma Forest just off Highway 507 south of Gooderham in Peterborough County. With many making the drive from Haliburton, another sparkling fall day greeted the group keen to learn about this unique forest dominated by some very old, Eastern Hemlock.
The Catchacoma Forest is a 662 hectare stand of old growth north of Catchacoma Lake, just west of the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. From an ecological perspective, this forest is the largest documented old-growth hemlock stand in Canada. Very rare to find a stand this large in its natural (unlogged) state, this forest has tremendous carbon sequestering capabilities and is home to 13 species at risk.
The hike was led by Katie Krelove of the conservation advocacy group, Wilderness Committee. Katie opened the hike briefing with a sincere acknowledgement that the Catchacoma Forest is on unceded Crown land in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig First Nations. Haliburton Highlands Land Trust board member Sheila Ziman introduced herself, the Land Trust, and the Highlands Corridor project which includes the Catchecoma Forest.
Katie planned out some strategic stops to allow the group to experience the difference between a forest recently harvested (2019) and the intact old growth section of the Catchacoma Forest. Katie pointed out that as a shade tolerant tree, the forest cuts will result in a changed forest structure as hemlock will not do well under an open canopy.
Eventually the hike takes us into the unharvested section of forest, large trees dominate the landscape. The trail is crisp and soft, a result of decades of built-up conifer needles. Dominated by hemlock, the canopy is punctured by these magnificently tall, straight trees. Other species also grow amongst these giants including a smattering of White Pine, maples, and Yellow Birch. One huge Yellow Birch stood out; more sun loving than hemlock, this tree spread out its branches like an umbrella in the crowded canopy.
Katie took the time to explain some of the criteria that goes into assessing an old-growth forest. She explained that Eastern Hemlocks over 140 years are considered old growth. Sometimes the girth of the tree is not a good indicator, as shade tolerant trees can toil for decades in the understory until some disturbance opens the window to allow light to reach the forest floor.
But old growth forests aren’t just about old trees. Other criteria include the amount of downed woody debris and the state of decay of this material, the number of snags or dead standing trees, and the strata of the forest, meaning the number of vegetation layers including the ground layer, shrub layer, understory, and canopy. Another indicator of an old forest is the occurrence of natural pits and mounds on the forest floor the result of old trees toppling, leaving behind a pit with the root ball and trunk decomposing into vegetative mounds.
As the late afternoon light slanted through the trees, the majesty of this forest hit home. With a moratorium on logging soon to end, the future of the Catchacoma Forest remains uncertain. With the possibility of annexation into the existing Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park or the conservation reserve protection advocated by the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust Highlands Corridor initiative, the hope is the Catchacoma Forest will remain in its natural state for years to come.
The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) is pleased to announce that Rick Whitteker will be its new Partners in Conservation (PIC) Coordinator. In his new role, Rick will support the 12 private landowners who have joined the PIC program and will recruit 5 more partners in conservation in the Highlands Corridor area.
Rick has lived in Haliburton County since 1997, originally working for Haliburton Forest as an outdoor educator, followed by 15 years with Fleming College as a faculty and coordinator of the Outdoor and Adventure Education program.
According to Rick: ”For many years I have enjoyed the outdoors recreationally and as a guide, interpreter, writer, and educator. The PIC Coordinator position is a great opportunity to give back to nature by supporting private landowner conservation efforts. I am especially excited to be involved in HHLT’s local conservation effort called the Highlands Corridor.”
Shelley Hunt, Chair of HHLT said: “We’re delighted to have Rick fulfill this important role. His experience and enthusiasm for the Highlands Corridor project will help attract further partners in conservation”.
Rick’s position will be funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Schad Foundation.
The Highlands Corridor covers approximately 100,000 hectares and connects three provincial parks in Ontario: Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands just south of Minden, Kawartha Highlands in northern Peterborough County and Silent Lake in Highlands East. Biodiversity is rich in the Highlands Corridor with 40 Species at Risk, 25 provincially significant species and 43 regionally rare species. Wetland representation is high at 17.9% including 4800 hectares of provincially significant wetlands.
The HHLT is seeking protection of the unceded crown land within the Highlands Corridor (~60,000 ha) as a Conservation Reserve, with the goal of protecting species at risk, providing a natural wildlife corridor, protecting wetland habitats, increasing biodiversity, and strengthening climate change resiliency.
The PIC program targets landowners committed to landscape conservation with properties that strategically bridge gaps between fragmented crown land within the Highlands Corridor. The program provides a property tax incentive for a 10-year term through enrollment in Ontario’s Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program, assisting landowners in developing management plans with objectives of enhancing environmental protection and wildlife habitat. The PIC program has been very successful with a current portfolio of 1740 ha of private land supporting the conservation effort.
For more information on the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust and the Partners in Conservation Program, please visit haliburtonlandtrust.ca or email info@haliburtonlandtrust.ca.
Are you a good land steward and own 100 acres or more in the Highlands Corridor (see map below)? If so, we invite you to become a Partner in Conservation and receive a property tax incentive. Once again the Land Trust has secured funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada. This funding allows us to prepare management plans tailored to landscape conservation and supports enrollment in the OMNRF Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program. For 2023/24 funding is limited to five landowners so please contact the Land Trust (admin@haliburtonlandtrust.ca) for more details as soon as possible.
Protecting the Highlands Corridor is a nature-based solution to maintaining biodiversity and wildlife connectivity, and building resilience to climate change.