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April 01, 2016

RVCA Celebrates 50 Years of Conservation

RVCA Celebrates 50 Years of Conservation

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) Board of Directors formally acknowledged the 50 year anniversary of the Conservation Authority’s formation at their meeting last night.

“We are delighted to celebrate 50 years of conservation,” announced RVCA Chair Lyle Pederson as he unveiled the Authority’s special 50-year logo. “This will be a year to share our successes and how they have made a significant contribution to the health and prosperity of our watershed.”

Covering 4,241 square kilometres, the RVCA was officially formed on March 31, 1966. The conservation movement in Ontario began in the early 1940s as community leaders expressed concerns about the condition of the environment and managing natural resources. This resulted with the Province of Ontario passing the Conservation Authorities Act in 1946. Conservation Authorities began to form throughout the province. The legislation was considered innovative and farsighted, responding to growing concerns that land uses and deforestation were contributing to deteriorating water quality, flooding and soil erosion. It empowered municipalities to address these issues through a single collaborative agency based on a watershed. Today, Conservation Authorities continue to respond to local issues and conditions and are accountable to their municipal partners.

Over the past 50 years, the RVCA and its many partners has had a positive, cumulative impact on our local watershed. Successes include:

PDF 50_years_infographic

  • 9 million dollars of grants distributed to landowners undertaking stewardship projects
  • 5.7 million trees planted on private lands equaling 24 square kilometres of new forest
  • 2,800 hectares of sensitive lands acquired and protected
  • 186,450 water quality samples taken
  • 16.5 kilometres of shorelines naturalized and buffers planted
  • 9,650 kilometres of streams surveyed
  • 17,500 butternut seedlings planted
  • 29,000 volunteer hours invested in watershed health
  • 42 kilometres of trails created for outdoor recreation at local conservation areas
  • 23,700 Planning Act application reviews completed
  • 6,475 permits processed under Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act
  • 250 Environmental Assessment Act reviews
  • 4.5 million dollars fundraised by the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation
  • 62,000 visitors annually to our conservation areas including 10,000 students
  • 14,950 septic approvals issued, plus 3,600 re-inspections along lakes

“The work done has laid a strong foundation for a healthy and sustainable future,” said RVCA General Manager Sommer Casgrain-Robertson. “But there is lots left to do and we look forward to working with our many partners and landowners to achieve our goals for a healthy watershed for all.”

Those interested in more details on the history of the RVCA can visit www.rvca.ca/timeline for an online walk through the years since 1966. An infographic highlighting the RVCA’s achievements is also available on the website. Be sure to follow the RVCA on Facebook and Twitter to see interesting highlights over the year (#RVCA50).