14--Champion Country Tuesday, July 20, 2004 ,Niagara Escarpment Commission T eesgo n a recognized for visionary planning consultation going on1 The Nîao'irî Escrjj ýnt S'j,ý Escarpment Plan bave rcceivcd tbe 2004 Vision in Planning Award from thse Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP). The award recogtizes long- standing plans that bave improvcd the quality of life for a Canadian community. "The Niagara Escarpment Commission is Urilled to be acknowledged as a visionary leader in Canadian planning by sucb a prestigious organization as, CI>," said Don Scott, chair of Uic Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC). Thse NEC and the Niagara Escarpment Plan protect Uic 725-km escarpment, which crosses 22 local municipalities, Uiree regions, four counities and thse cities of Hamilton and Owen envirooment, water resources, recreational amenities, farinlands and scenic vistas. in 1990, it won international acclaim as a World Biosphere Reserve by Uic United Nations Edticational, Scientifie and Cultural Organîzation. "The Niagara Escaipmcnt Plan demonstrates Uiat Uic ideals of sustainability are wiUhis our reacb," Mr Scott said. "We can enjoy a beaithy environment wiUi clean air, dlean water and produc- tive land, ini balance wiUi com- patible dcvclopment and eco- nomic prosperity, wbcn we make Uic cboice to do so and stick wiUi that choice." The NEC was establisbed in 1973 to create Canadas first large-scale environnientai land tise plan. The 17-member comi- municipal govemments, contin- ues to ovcrsee devclopment in Uic Plan area Urougb a devclop- ment permit process. More Uian 80 per cent of Uic plan area is piivately owned and maintained, There are also 117 public parka and open spaces, including the Bruce Peninsula national park, provincial parka and conservation auUiority lands,' connected by thse Bruce Trail walking paUi. "Sinice its inception in 1985, Uic Niagara Escarpment Plan bas bcd an increasingly positive impact on quality of lite and Uic natural envirooment in Uic Most populous and bigbly devcloped region in Canada," said CiI> pres- ident Ron Shishido. 111 ~t~k ftUtI~U1 dl 1S~WZS If tbe incrîts of good govemment werc to bc judged by tbc amount of work it crates, not jus for its own staff but for a broad range of others- everyone from farm organizations to consulsing firms -tbe currcnt provincial govemment is doing a great job. As we work tbrougb the different consul- tations tbat bave bcen undertaken by the Province in recent weeks, we find useful efforts and anme tbat are qucsiionable at best. We bave to rank the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources procesa tbat reviewcd nuisance deer permits as exceptionally rel- evant. At tbe otber cnd of tbe scale, bowever, there are consultations underway now that bave left farmers tbinking tbcir input is destined neyer to, be seco again. Altbougb tbe Greenbelt Protection Act NoPrnce S Huunn & hd SM -l- M 7 IsMne Liconsos 17 % Rg Avella174 Re$2 OPA Paul Commentary consultations are relatively new, they have eh a lot of farmers shaking tbeir heads in a combination of amazement and confusion. Some are left witb the impression tbe final report bas already been written, before their input was presented. Tbe discussion paper circulated as part of tbis consultation bas a number of sections tbat display a complete lack of krowledge of farming and tbe people who farm tbat land and live in tbe rural areas of the pro- posed greenbelt. Urban residents in searcb of readily accessible open space seem to be tbe prin- ciple beneiciaries of tbe proposed green- beit arca, based on statemrents in tbe dis- cussion paper. It suggests a key of tbe greenbelt protec- tion act would be to ensure a continuous and connected systemr of open spaces. 'Mis ignores the reality tbat mucb of tbe open space land is privately-owned farm- land. Altbougb tbere's legislation to protect a farmers land from trespassers, tbe discus- sion paper fails to mention tbis critical detail. Wbile tbe final boundary lines for tbe Greenbelt Protection Act area bavcn't been defined, farmers are already expressmng concerna tbat attempts to preserve farru- land witbin that boundary will bave nega- tive impacts on farmlands in adjacent areas. If urban growth it balted within tbe greenbelt arcs, the areas beyond tbe bound- ary will face mncrcasing pressure for urban growth, and that will place extreme pres- sures on tbe farmlands outside thc protect- cd arca. It's projccted tbat 115,000 new people will locate witbm ic Greater Toronto Area cacb year for tbe foreseeable future. These people will bave to live some- wbere, and will likely locate in Uic adjacent areas. Now Uic Province bas issucd its 58-page discussion paper, 'Growth Management for Uic Greater Golden Horsesboc'. 'bis reacbes out to tbe countries and regions bcyond Uic proposcd grecnbelt area - to places lie Waterloo, Wellington, Dufferin, Brant, Simcoe, Durbam, the Kawartba Lakes, Peterborougb and Northumberland counities. Tbe Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Rcnewal is bcbmnd tit latest process and bas set September 24 as Uic deadline for public comment on its discussion paper. Pannera witb livestock to, tend and crops to barvest must feel ovcrwbelmed as Uiey try to fmnd Uie time to review ail of Uiese discussion papers and prepare comments to Uic govemment before Uic deadline. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture's researcb dcpartment will prepare com- ments for submission to tbe goverroment, but we encourage farmers to review tbe papers, talk to the federation and make independent submnissions. Paul Mistele is a meniber of thte Ontario Federation of Agriculture e.secuti'e com- mincee.