by The Standard | November 25th, 2021 Podcast https://thestandardnewspaper.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LSRCA-acquires-more-land-Nov-25th-2021-The-girls.wav
DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard
BROCK: The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) has recently acquired 137 acres in Brock Township.
“The land transfer was finalized late last week and is a mix of wetland and floodplain in the Beaver River Wetland Conservation Area in the Township of Brock,” read an LSRCA press release, sent out on Tuesday, November 16th.
In a statement, the conservation authority’s General Manager of Conservation Lands, Brian Kemp, called this addition “a huge win for the watershed.”
“Wetlands are highly valued carbon sinks, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. They also help protect against flooding in nearby areas,” he stated.
In an email to The Standard, LSRCA communications official Susan Jagminas explained, this land was “purchased from a private citizen,” and the purchase was funded through their own funds, as well as some funding from the Region of Durham and the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation.
“We are thankful to be able to have collaborated to make this acquisition a reality!” Ms. Jagminas’ email read. “It’s hard to put a timeline on the negotiation process. Land acquisitions come after building relationships [which] can take years to develop, which I believe was the case with this purchase. We’d love to be able to make more announcements like this, but we are limited in our resources. The costs associated with land acquisition are complex. Beyond the purchase price, costs include: legal; appraisal; environmental audits; property clean up; land transfer tax; fencing; site securement; administration; ongoing maintenance, if there are amenities; and other administrative costs. Even land donations can come with these extra costs [which] need to be factored in. Because of our limited budget around land acquisition, one of our key strategies is to acquire lands [which] add to existing protected land, provide restoration opportunities or [which] create corridors between existing lands.”