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November
2001 Newsletter
Conservation
Authority Unveils Five Year Plan
by
Don McLean
The
Hamilton Conservation Authority has released a draft five
year plan that calls for increased purchases of land as
well as a revival of the HCA's strong role in environmental
education. It also hopes to become involved in increasing
greenspaces in Hamilton's urban core.
The
HCA has adopted a new slogan: "Healthy streams... healthy
communities". Water management and flood control was
the reason that conservation authorities came into being.
Growing concerns about water contamination offer an opportunity
for the HCA to increase its activities. Over the next five
years, it hopes to increase its water quality monitoring
program and map groundwater discharge and recharge areas.
There will also be a requirement to upgrade its flood control
infrastructure. One of the additional ideas being explored
is to utilize the Christie and Valens dams to generate electricity.
The
HCA currently owns or manages over 9600 acres of greenspace
and recreational lands. This amounts to 14% of the total
land within the watersheds it is responsible for. Currently,
it is acquiring additional lands at the rate of about 150
acres per year. It's new plan calls for a doubling of that
acquistion rate to 300 acres per year. This would bring
its total holdings to over 11,000 acres by 2006.
Environmental
education is also strongly emphasized in the new plan. The
HCA was forced to cutback on its outdoor education centres
in the mid-1990s when the Harris government cut funding
to conservation authorities by 70%. Some of these monies
have been replaced by other provincial granting agencies
and the HCA has found other sources of income separate from
taxes.
One
of these — charging for the use of the HCA trail system
— has generated criticism. Consequently, they are hoping
to abandon these fees or at least make them voluntary.
A
portion of the HCA's funding has always come from the municipalities
within its watershed. With the recent amalgamation, there
are now only two of these — Puslinch Township and the
City of Hamilton. Together they provide about $2.8 million
a year, or only about 26% of the HCA's budget. This has
been declining in recent years, especially when inflation
is taken into account.
The
HCA's new plan is dependent on convincing the municipalities
to increase their financial support. Puslinch has already
agreed to do so, but the City of Hamilton will be a tougher
sell. The HCA request is modest. They are asking the municipalities
to cover 30% of the HCA budget. This works out to about
$9.15 per person and only re-coups the cuts and inflation
of the past few years.
If
Hamilton politicians don't agree with the HCA's request,
it may encourage more active consideration of less savoury
proposals such as a scheme to bottle and sell water from
the springs along Sulphur Springs Road. This would take
the HCA down the unfortunate path taken by some other conservation
authorities to generate desperately needed dollars. In some
places this has included logging of natural areas, and even
the outright sale of valuable greenspace.
Friends
of Red Hill members living in the new City of Hamilton
should strongly consider asking their councillor to support
the HCA request for a modest increase in funding. A letter
or phone call might help convince local politicians of the
high public regard for the HCA and help it maintain its
strong commitment to ecological principles.
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