Download Halton`s Regional Forests

Halton’s
Regional
Forests
Income derived from the thinning process is
put toward other forestry initiatives such as:
• Maintaining the trails, parking lots,
crossings and signs.
• Ongoing reforestation projects of previously
non-green land.
• Planning, organization and health
assessments of the forests.
• Enforcement of Forest By-Laws and Proper
Forest Usage
• Informational Material
• Invasive Species Control Projects
• Forestry Programs Available to the Public
• Wildlife Habitat Improvement.
Britton Tract
Natural Ecology:
Nine of the 14 Forest Tracts are considered to be environmentally sensitive
areas (ESA’s) with special ecology, and 6 Tracts form part of the larger Niagara
Escarpment Plan Area – a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, recognized around
the globe for its truly unique ecosystems. The Regional Forests are home to a
variety of plants and animals along with a number of rare (or fragile) species
including:
• 65 rare or uncommon plants including the provincially rare Languid Poa,
Handsome Sedge and Green Violet species. • Butternut, a tree species fighting extinction and recognized both provincially and
nationally as endangered. • Over 95 species of birds including of Red-Shouldered Hawk, Acadian Flycatcher
and Blackburnian Warbler all of which are sensitive to disturbance.
• Numerous vernal pools - the sensitive breeding grounds for the threatened
Jefferson Salamander, in fact the Forest Tracts offer some of the most premier
amphibian habitat in Ontario.
For more information on the Regional Forests or to reach Halton Forestry, please
visit http://halton.ca/ppw/planning/Forest/default.htm
Photo Credits: R. Reinholt
R. Reitmeir
B. van Ryswyk
HaltonRegion
Region
Halton
Dial 905-825-6000
311 or 905-825-6000
Toll free 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866)
Toll free: 1-866-4HALTON
TTY 905-827-9833
TTY:
905-827-9833
www.halton.ca
www.halton.ca
LPS-09110
Halton’s Regional Forest Heritage:
Regional Forest Tract Locations
30 SIDE RD
E
MAPLE AV
Municipal Boundaries
17 SIDE RD
15 SIDE RD
RD
5 SIDE RD
Coulson
STEELES
MAIN ST
DERRY RD
TRAFALGAR RD
Turner
LLVILLE
CAMPBE
AVE
HWY 40 1
EIGHTH LINE
Cox
FIFTH LINE
2
Kilometers
GUELPH LINE
1
Snyder
TWISS RD
0
MILBUROUGH LINE
City
of
Hamilton
Urban Areas
Georgetown
Regional Boundaries
Britton
Currie
Hamlets
SIXTH LINE
Laking
Forest Tracts
22 SIDE RD
THIRD LINE
10 SIDE RD
40 1
Railway Line
Acton
Mahon
HW
Y
Proposed Regional Roads
FOURTH LINE
Robertson
Highway
HWY 7
15 SIDE RD
Elliott
Highway on/off Ramps
REG. RD 25
Finney
Major Roads
DUBLIN LINE
FIFTH LINE
20 SIDE RD
Puslinch
How Far Have We Come?
Legend
7
Local Roads
NASS.-ESQ. TLINE
SIXTH LINE
Wellington
County
FOURTH LINE
SECOND LINE
Conley
GUELPH LINE
FIRST LINE
NASS./PUSCHL. TLINE
Frank
HW
Y
Recreation and Activities:
The late 1800’s saw excessive forest
removal throughout Southern Ontario
to produce lumber and clear the land
for early wheat-growing settlers.
Decades of forest removal soon led to
unfavourable conditions; fertile soil
became exhausted, lumbering ground
to a halt, and blowsands grew so
severe that roads became impassable
and entire landscapes were changed
forever. Settlers abandoned their
livelihoods and municipalities assumed
responsibility for their land.
In 1908, a report titled the
“Reforestation of Waste Lands in
Southern Ontario” was prepared and
the desperate need for reforestation
became strikingly clear. Starting with
the Counties Reforestation Act of
1911 the Agreement Forest Program
was formed under the Department of
Lands and Forests, now the Ministry
of Natural Resources (MNR). The
program faced the challenge of
rehabilitating over 350,000 acres
of land, a task that would span
nearly 100 years, ending in 2002.
Throughout its lifetime the program
has played a critical role in promoting
education and public involvement
in forest management. As new
discoveries in environmental science
and natural resource management
were made, many have been
incorporated into the workings of
the program including: wetland
conservation, erosion protection,
water recharge preservation and
endangered species rehabilitation.
Halton Region first acquired land
for reforestation in 1939 beginning
with the Cox Tract and entered the
Agreement Forest Program in 1950.
Since that time the Regional Forests
have grown to over 1600 acres of
forests on 14 tracts of land. Halton’s
Regional Forests are a beautiful and
important reminder of the critical role
played by natural areas in our modern
landscape.
Yellow Spotted Salamander
West Virginia White Butterfly
State of Eastern Ontario’s Forests, EOMF
Snyder Tract
Forest Management:
Management of the Halton Regional
Forest is guided by the Halton
Regional Forest Management Plan
(HRFMP). Assessment and monitoring
is carried out in order to identify
the forests’ health and to schedule
management activities. All Forest
Tracts are managed with the primary
goal of maximizing forest health and
enjoyment. When necessary, action
is taken to uphold the health of the
forests and their ecosystems and to
maintain safe and functional access.
Another important function of the
Management Plan is to tend to the
many conifer plantations throughout
the Forest Tracts. The plantations
began long ago, serving as both an
initial step toward reforestation and
as a potential source of timber. Over
time, the goal for these plantations
has changed from profit to health,
conservation and forest conversion.
Many plantations have matured and
require thinning to reduce the negative
effects of overcrowding. The outcome
of selection harvest is to create open
gaps allowing for sunlight and the
natural colonization of hardwood
species to establish and develop. As
time goes on and the new growth
matures, more of the planted softwood
will be removed allowing the forest to
convert to a healthy stand of native tree
species.
The Regional Forests offer a wide
range of activities to allow responsible
year round enjoyment. Hiking,
mountain biking, horseback riding and
birdwatching are common spring and
summer activities while snowshoeing,
dog-sledding and cross-country skiing
offer chances to enjoy the forests in
winter months.
While enjoying the Forest Tracts please
respect the delicate and important
ecological areas you are travelling
through. Stay on the formal paths
and help preserve the unique natural
systems around you. Maps of the
Forest Tract trails can be found at all
main entrances and are available online
for download. Motorized vehicles
are not permitted for recreational use
within the Forest Tracts. A Halton
Regional Forest Advisory Committee
has been developed to advise and
assist the Region with respect to the
implementation of the HRFMP.
Robertson Tract
Note: Hunting deer by shotgun or
archery is permitted in 12 of the 14
Forest Tracts provided that it is conducted
during the period designated by the
Minister of Natural Resources and
by following all proper MNR hunting
practices and regulations. Each
individual is responsible for knowing and
following all proper hunting regulations
and practices. Hunting is not allowed in
the Cox and Coulson Tracts.