May 7, 2004, Calandra property on Oak Ridges Moraine to be preserved

NEWMARKET – Members of the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust (ORMLT) today joined staff and elected officials of the Regional Municipality of York and other invited guests at a dedication ceremony to thank the Calandra family of Whitchurch-Stouffville for their donation of a 60-acre conservation easement on the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The securement ensures that no future development will take place on the property, and will provide the opportunity to enhance and strengthen significant habitat found in the adjacent York Regional Forest Hall and Patterson Tracts. York Region will work jointly with the ORMLT to rehabilitate the property, including the planting of a variety of native tree species.

"The Calandra family's generous donation of this property easement is a great success in our efforts to preserve land on the Oak Ridges Moraine," said Tom Atkins, President of the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust. "Their vision will ensure that the property is protected in perpetuity."

The property is designated a Natural Core Area in the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and houses a tributary of the Black River. The property has also been identified as a High Aquifer Vulnerability Site under the ORM Conservation Plan and an Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority. A portion of the Oak Ridges Trail System also crosses the property.

"The Calandra family should be commended for this significant property easement," said York Regional Chair and CEO Bill Fisch. "The property's proximity to the York Regional Forest will not only allow us to expand our forest cover, but also allow future generations access to more of the Oak Ridges Moraine's natural heritage."

The conservation easement will assist York Region in its efforts to increase green spaces to 25 per cent of the Region's area – a key component of the Regional Greening Strategy.

Under the Greening Strategy, the ORMLT is dedicated to protecting environmentally significant moraine properties through land securement by working with landowners to encourage protection of environmentally sensitive lands through conservation easements or land donations.

York Region and the ORMLT have formed a partnership to protect and rehabilitate environmentally significant properties across the Region.

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For more information on the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust, please visit www.oakridgesmoraine.org

Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust Contact:

Susan Lloyd Swail, Chief Administrative Officer

- (905) 833-3171

- Email: landtrust@bellnet.ca

York Region Contact:

Michael Kemp, Corporate Communications, York Region

- (905) 830-4444 or 1-877-474-9675, ext. 1232

- Email: michael.kemp@region.york.on.ca