Kawartha Land Trust adds protected lands in Kawartha Lakes, Douro-Dummer Township

Large properties in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Douro-Dummer Township are now under the protection of the Kawartha Land Trust.

The charity announced that it has added a 39-acre site on the shore of Balsam Lake in the Kawarthas thanks to an agreement with Steven and Ali DeNure. The new conservation easement agreement (CEA) was supported by funding from the government of Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership.

Kawartha Land Trust says the majority of the property is part of the Corben Creek provincially significant wetland and contains a mixed swamp that is home to balsam fir, eastern white cedar, aspen and black ash, an endangered species in Ontario.

Steven DeNure, a KLT Trustee, said he had seen increased development on the lake north of Lindsay, and he wanted to preserve the wetlands and creek entrance, which the family has owned for two decades.

“Planning permission had been granted to develop this property into a number of lots and we reversed that potential development when we acquired the properties in 2003 and 2004,” he said.

Founded in 2001, Kawartha Lake Trust is a land conversation charity that protects more than 30 properties in the Kawarthas.

David Piccini, Ontario’s minister of the environment, conservation and parks, applauded the new agreement.

“The Ontario government commends the Kawartha Land Trust, the Ontario Land Trust Alliance and the DeNures for securing this natural habitat for endangered hardwood and other precious swamp life,” he said.

“We’ve seen that investing in the protection of natural areas, like the provincially significant wetlands at Balsam Lake, can play an important role in conserving Ontario’s natural diversity, while mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, we will continue to work with partners to protect and promote more healthy, natural spaces.”

Also acquired is the 73-acre Forbes Lane property in the heart of Douro-Dummer Township, just east of Peterborough. The land was purchased through donor support and funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.

Kawartha Land Trust notes that the property’s size and proximity to lands conserved by other conservation organizations in the region means that a significant amount of the land is considered interior forest, habitat that is relied upon by species like the wood thrush, a species of special concern in the province.

A conifer swamp on the property is part of the Dummer Lake South Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) Complex.

With the two acquisitions, Kawartha Land Trust now has more than 5,350 acres of protected land.

“For over 20 years, Kawartha Land Trust, with the support of its volunteers, donors, and supporters, has worked to protect important ecosystems in the Kawarthas,” stated executive director John Kintare.

“While there is much more work to be done to ensure the protection of the region’s natural and working lands for the benefit of current and future generations, I’m glad to be able to share this great conservation news with the community.”