Conservation Foundation invites you to make positive difference to your community with donation in June
You can support needed projects in June with your donation and give Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation a chance to win $20,000 donation to support local community projects
Your local conservation foundation says you can make an extra difference to your community by donating in June. The month of June is the Great Canadian Giving Challenge.
Why is your donation in June so important? Every donation you make (of $3 or more) to Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation (ABCF), through the Giving Challenge website, the ABCF a chance to win a $20,000 donation in support of its work.
 To donate to the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation in June you can search their name on the givingchallenge.ca website or go directly to this web page:
You can donate to support all the programs of the Conservation Foundation or you can specify which program you want to support.
There is a line on the online donation form that says ‘MESSAGE FOR AUSABLE BAYFIELD CONSERVATION FOUNDATION (OPTIONAL).’ In that field, feel free to mention the program you want to support. For instance, you might want to support tree planting, or conservation areas and trails, conservation education, or another program.
To find out more about the work of the Conservation Foundation visit this web page:
Only donations made from June 1-June 30, 2020, at givingchallenge.ca, will enter the charity to win the grand prize of $20,000.
To donate now, or to find out more, visit this web page:
The Chair of Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation is Dave Frayne. He encourages you to donate in June.
“Your donation to the Conservation Foundation makes it possible to support community projects we can only do with your help,” Dave said.
“Your donations helps us to provide job experiences and bursaries for young people and to support accessible trails and nature enjoyment and recreation,” the ABCF Chair said. “Your donations also help the Foundation to support family-friendly community events, build habitat, protect turtles and aquatic species, support conservation education, improve forest conditions, and much more.”
If you have any questions about ABCF, or about making a donation, feel free to contact the Conservation Foundation by email at info@abca.ca or leave a voicemail message by phone at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
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New program boosts cover crops in Bayfield area
Grant programs offer up to $40 per acre for farmers in Main Bayfield watershed
Landowners in the Main Bayfield watershed are now eligible for an enhanced cost-share program that offers $30 per acre, up to 100 acres, for planting cover crops.
“If you have been wanting to try cover crops, this is a great opportunity,” said Hope Brock, Healthy Watersheds Technician with Ausable Bayfield Conservation.
 The grant is thanks to the enhanced Main Bayfield Cover Crop Boost Program. Agricultural producers in the Main Bayfield watershed can receive a total of up to $40 per acre, when the Cover Crop Boost grant program is paired with funding from the Huron County Clean Water Project.
To find out more about grants to plant cover crops contact Hope Brock (hbrock@abca.ca) or Nathan Schoelier (nschoelier@abca.ca), at Ausable Bayfield Conservation, 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
Funding is limited and some restrictions apply. Application intake deadlines are June 30, July 31, and August 31.
Cover crops have many benefits to the farmer and the community. They help to protect water quality and build soil health. Cover crops help to reduce loss of nutrients and topsoil, reduce the amount and speed of water running off of land, and reduce wind speed at ground level which reduces wind and water erosion and the speed of water runoff. Those are just some of the benefits.
Do you need some help to decide what to plant? You may contact your local cover crop seed supplier, talk to your neighbour, or contact your certified crop advisor.
You may also want to use the cover crop decision tool here:
The Main Bayfield watershed stretches from Varna west to Bayfield east to Vanastra and north to Clinton. For Main Bayfield Watershed boundaries consult the Watershed Report Cards at abca.ca at this web page:
The Cover Crop Boost program in the Bayfield area is made possible thanks to funding from Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.
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As provincial COVID-19 restrictions are eased we remind you to please call first when considering your summer construction projects
Change to summer-like weather, phased easing of Ontario’s coronavirus restrictions prompts people to consider work in regulated areas but permits are required
Property owners save time, avoid unnecessary costs by talking to staff first about their plans
The return of warm weather and the provincial phased easing of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions is encouraging people to think of returning to their shoreline properties and to consider building or upgrades or other development.
This is prompting Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) staff to remind the public to first contact your municipality and conservation authority if you are planning to do work that may be in a regulated area such as the shoreline. Permits are required for this work.
ABCA regulations and planning staff ask you to contact them before the work begins. Talking to them during the planning stages can save time and save unnecessary expenses later.
“It really makes a positive difference when residents contact us early on,” said Geoffrey Cade, ABCA Water and Planning Manager. “It helps us to provide information they need about whether their property is in a regulated area and what policies allow and what they don’t.”
Contacting the conservation authority first “saves money and time for the property owner by letting them know if their planned work meets provincial regulations and local policies and whether it can be considered for permit approval.”
In the first phase of provincial reopening, there was an increase in reports of unauthorized work in regulated areas, according to the conservation authority. Staff are working remotely when possible during the current pandemic but they are also visiting areas, observing pandemic safety protocols, where there are reports of work that has begun without a permit.
You are advised to contact your municipality and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, to find out if permits are required, before you consider new works to ensure your plans meet policies. “A good rule of thumb is the earlier the better,” Geoffrey said. “Our staff can tell you if or how regulations and policies affect your property,” he said.
“In some cases, the staff member may offer advice on how you can amend your plan so it could meet the regulation and policies. Staff can also let you know what documents to submit and if any studies are needed.”
Lake Huron water levels, at or near record highs, have reinforced the need to protect people and property from natural hazards such as flooding and erosion. The conservation authority protects people and property by keeping development out of the areas of highest natural hazards.
The ABCA regulates development, interference with wetlands, and alterations to shorelines and watercourses through the Conservation Authorities Act and Ontario Regulation 147/06.
For maps of regulated areas visit this web page:
To find out more visit abca.ca or contact Meghan or Daniel, by email through the staff contacts page, or by phone at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
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