The General Manager of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority says, as part of the Conservation Act Update the Province has asked that they produce a watershed based resource management strategy.
So Brian Horner says they introduced guidelines for that that were approved by the board.
“Through our Cost Apportioning Agreements that we have out to our member municipalities six out of our twelve member municipalities have signed on for the category three services. Another five we've been told that they'll be on their agenda for their upcoming meetings," Horner said.
Horner adds the municipality of Bluewater has decided not to sign the agreement at this time, but he hopes they can give Bluewater more information that will encourage them to sign for those services.
Horner says the agreement covers four specific services and they are education, stewardship and some local monitoring and sub watershed.
“So it could be that they want us to provide and education program. We may or may not be able to do it and if we do do it it would certainly be at an increased cost to the school. And similar for stewardship projects. Potentially if a landowner calls up to ask us to do something, we may not be able to do that," added Horner.
And, Horner also notes, if they do it would be at an increased cost.
He says part of their water monitoring involves beach sampling along the shoreline and it's possible that won't happen in that municipality, so he hopes they do sign on.
