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Ecowrappin'
ANOTHER MAJOR WETLAND?
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Among the articles I have written for Ecowrappin over the past three or so years were those entitled Hullett and Monticello---historical and ecological perspectives on the Hullett Wildlife Management Area near Clinton, Ontario---and the Monticello project, located on the Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area located just a few miles northwest of Grand Valley, Ontario. As you may recall, Hullett is a complex of approximately 2100 acres of diverse wetlands among nearly 3000 acres of equally diverse terrestrial habitats.The Hullett and Monticello wetland restoration and creation projects were both heavily supported by Ohio State's Division of Fish and Wildlife through proceeds from their annual State Duck Stamp program. In fact Ohio's state wildlife agency, over a period of several years, entirely financed the $2 million spent on the contractor's charges, construction materials and construction supervision at Hullett. Eager to support additional quality wetland initiatives in Ontario, Ohio provided the first $25,000---an amount that was subsequently quadrupled in equal matches through the auspices of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, virtually covering the entire construction and materials costs of the 230-acre Monticello wetlands.
Why would the State of Ohio support major wetland habitat projects in Ontario? The returns of leg bands from ducks taken during waterfowl hunting seasons, or discovered through other mortality factors, indicated that many of the waterfowl species travelling through Ohio are produced in and/or travel through Ontario. And Ohio wildlife and resources personnel realized that many other species of migratory birds, whether aquatic or terrestrial, that pass through Ohio twice each year, benefit from wetlands and related habitats further to the north, especially those in Ontario. Waterfowl aside, the multi-species benefits of wetlands were known to, and appreciated by, the conservationists of Ohio---as they are by conservationists everywhere.
When the Monticello project was completed in the late summer of 2000, Ohio's Division of Fish and Wildlife was already asking about another project in Ontario that they could support. Again, they were considering financial contributions of significance and, accordingly, were interested in a wetland initiative on a larger scale. The opportunities for sizeable wetland restoration or creation in southern Ontario had become extremely limited and would involve expensive land acquisition. The 1000-acre wetlands proposed for western Dover Township near Lake St. Clair had foundered. Yet, one only had to look as far as the near north, to that area off the western end of Lake Nipissing, where land suitable for wetland creation might be assembled at a reasonable cost.
Cache Bay and West Bay are situated at the northwest and west ends of Lake Nipissing respectively. Both are notable waterfowl environments, especially during spring and fall migrations. So the question could be posed as to why another wetland in this area would have added value. As far as I am concerned---and I believe as far as most wildlife, especially waterfowl, are concerned---there is no such thing as too much habitat. Besides, another wetland more conducive to waterfowl nesting efforts in an area already containing locally, if not regionally significant migration or staging areas shouldnít be a bad thing. And a twice proven supporter of wetland conservation projects was asking about making significant financial contributions to another large wetland!
Several years ago, after inspecting projects in the Burwash and Sudbury locales and assessing prospective projects around Cache Bay, I travelled Highway 64 from Verner, on Highway 17, south and west to Highway 69 at Alban. I had heard about vacant, open lands that might have wetland project potential off the west end of Lake Nipissing and wanted to see for myself if there was any such potential. I was surprised to find large expanses of relatively flat fields. From all appearances, this was previously farmed land that had been idled for some time. In several locations these expanses were hundreds of acres in area. Large drainage ditches traversed these old fields. Though visible water sources for future wetlands where not readily apparent, I wondered what the effect might be of strategically blocking these ditches. In most cases it did not appear that there would be any damaging impacts on man-made features or natural timber resources---these seemed to be absent from much of these local, open landscapes.
The opportunity to fully assess the potential for wetland creation/restoration and investigate any physical or social conflicts surrounding these areas off the west end of Lake Nipissing never came about. Ducks Unlimited Canada followed new directions and pursued different habitat goals. Resource agency personnel pre-disposed to more tangible, visible habitat endeavours changed throughout all the conservation partners. Land prices have been escalating in the near north in recent years. It is quite plausible that agricultural interests have since re-discovered and re-claimed those extensive, idle lands that I observed years ago. So whether the potential to feasibly implement a large wetland project similar to a Hullett or a Monticello yet remains in Ontario is subject to renewed investigation efforts. Even if one or more suitable sites were available, I doubt if the motivation exists to follow through. It seems that undertaking major wetland conservation projects has become a thing of the past.
I was born on the Bruce Peninsula on July 20, 1951 and raised on a farm just south of the village of Lionís Head, which is located about halfway up the peninsula on the Georgian Bay shoreline. I graduated from Georgian College of Applied Arts and Technology in Barrie in 1973 as a Resources Engineering Technologist. I was hired by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) in April of 1975 as the first DUC employee in Ontario. Throughout almost 29 years I was involved with the implementation of more than 500 wetland projects and project complexes in southwestern and south central Ontario. Some of these habitat projects included important waterfowl and migratory bird habitat along the eastern shoreline of Lake St. Clair. Just three weeks short of completing 29 years with DUC, I accepted an early retirement opportunity effective March 31, 2004.
