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Report on 2009 LPCIP activities

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:36:00 -0500

The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project (LPCIP) was hard at work throughout 2009 thanks to $69,000 in funding received from Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources which regard this as a very worthwhile, scientifically-validated project and have confidence in the LPCIP’s ability to deliver on its commitments. To date, the LPCIP has raised more than $198,000 much of which has been spent in and created employment in Norfolk County. Working with students on the Norfolk Environmental Stewardship Team (NEST), we repaired existing 2,500 of fencing damaged by wind and weather and installed 2,800 metres of new fencing including 600 metres of heavy duty fencing recommended by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in areas prone to wind and wave action. The hardworking NEST students included Kyle Mathe, Brad Demeyere, Nicole Waite and Nolan McGahey. We also installed 10 nest mounds comprised on a gravel and sand mixture recommended in previous scientific studies. These and the six existing mounds were monitored very frequently for evidence of nesting and nest predation. Two methods of trying to prevent predation tested with limited success. Seven turtle crossing signs obtained from the Kids for Turtles program were also installed on the existing wildlife crossing signs along the Causeway to complement the large electronic message sign that alerted drivers to watch for animals on the roadway. Unfortunately, one of the turtle crossing signs was stolen and the electronic sign vandalized this summer Our monitoring program began on June 1 and included road kill surveys three times per week and almost daily monitoring of artificial nest mounds for evidence of nesting activity or predation. The fencing was also monitored for damage and evidence of animal activities. The work was carried out by our wildlife technician, Crystal Roberston throughout the summer and fall. Our monitoring recorded a significant reduction in animal mortality, including SAR, this year. We believe this indicates that installation of additional fencing and nest mounds, as well as our education efforts, has had a positive effect. However, we also suspect that the unusually cool and wet weather this year may have had an impact as well. Despite extensive monitoring of the nest mounds during prime nesting and hatching periods, it was difficult to determine whether turtles used these mounds. Our efforts to reduce nest predation were moderately successful. However, we found that many nests are predated on the same evening as the eggs are laid and before we could install anti-predation measures. We continued our outreach and educations efforts throughout the year including on-going media relations and website updating, the development of a new project logo and signage, Species at Risk seminars at local schools, parks and on the Causeway, an Open House in August and participation in the local Bayfest community fair in September. At the Open House, we announced a tree preservation and planting policy to reassure local residents that the proposed work will not remove the existing tress on the Causeway and will result in hundreds of new native trees and shrubs being planted. Also on display were detailed landscape drawings of the proposed mitigation and safety measures along the Causeway and a scale model that shows how the funnel wall/ecopassage system would look when completed. The drawings and model were created by a local artist, Peter Ramsey of Port Dover. We feel that our outreach and education efforts have been successful in informing the public about SAR. For instance, we noted that many more drivers are slowing down or stopping to assist turtles in cross the Causeway. In the year ahead, the LPWBRF will continue working with the 16 other organizations involved on the LPCIP Steering Committee, to move this project forward.

The Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:16:00 -0400

Come out and join us for some community service as we clean up garbage from our local shorelines -- Long Point Beach (off Cove St. and Hastings Drive) and The Causeway on Sunday, September 20th, 2009 Volunteers will meet at the Canadian Wildlife Service parking lot on the Causeway at 10 a.m. All volunteers will be asked to fill out a waiver and will be supplied with garbage bags, plastic gloves, etc. Please call Terri Groh @ 519-586-9545 or Bernie Solymár @ 519-426-7124 to sign-up. The Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up is sponsored by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and the Vancouver Aquarium

Doing Good; Not Harm

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:18:00 -0400

Letter to the Editor, Simcoe Reformer, Tillsonburg News We wish to counter some erroneous information presented by the “Friends of the Causeway Association” (FOCAS) in a deputation to Norfolk Council recently about the low-level temporary fencing that the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project Committee has installed to reduce the large annual roadkill of turtles and other wildlife, some of which are species at risk, along the Long Point Causeway. Unfortunately, your newspaper repeated this incorrect information under the headline “Doing more harm than good,” giving your readers an inaccurate perception of our conservation efforts on the Causeway. If your reporter had contacted us to fact-check the story, he would have learned that: • Our proposal to install fencing was reviewed and approved by scientists at Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Both levels of government provided grants to support the work. • Our efforts are based on recovery goals established within provincial and national recovery strategies, and reviewed by species experts from the Ontario Multi species Turtles at Risk Recovery Team and national Eastern Fox Snake Recovery Team. • We rely on the expertise of our own Science Committee, which includes biologists from Parks Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as members of the Ontario Road Ecology Group. • The fencing installation is guided by the best available science, both from scientific literature and that which is currently implemented by researchers nationally and internationally. In addition, fencing installation also follows established Ontario Ministry of Transportation guidelines. • We have secured all of the necessary permits from the Ministry of Natural Resources under the Ontario Endangered Species Act (ESA2007) and the Wildlife Conservation Act. • Fencing and cleared swaths on each side of the Causeway represent a very tiny percentage of the total area of Big Creek Marsh, and primarily include areas that are within the existing road allowance. • The fencing is being monitored on a regular basis for damage and evidence of animal movement along fencing and through escape hatches • No trees and only very low hanging branches or deadfall were removed to make way for the fencing. This area was first scouted and approved by biologists, and County staff carried out the work. • With regard to disrupting animal movement between the Marsh and the Bay, we will be creating gaps in the fencing by Sept. 15 as recommended by our Science Committee. This information was available to FOCAS and your reporter had they chosen to contact us. We believe that Council was rightly skeptical of their claims and we presented the correct information as noted above to Council the following week. Paula Jongerden, Chair Long Point Causeway Improvement Project

Causeway trees to Long Point saved

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:39:00 -0400

Sun Media The London Free Press August 14, 2009 SIMCOE -- The willow and cottonwood trees along the causeway to Long Point will not be cut down, says the latest policy statement from the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project committee. Co-ordinator Rick Levick said the committee wants to be "loud and clear." The initial project called for cutting down some of the trees for a wider roadway and other safety improvements to the 3.5-kilometre road. But the group has responded to public concern about the plan. "The (committee) is committed to working with the community and Norfolk County to define a vision and comprehensive landscape plan that includes the retention of existing trees," the policy reads. "We feel this adjustment to the plan will still meet our goals," Levick said. The project calls for planting Carolinian species of trees, shrubs and plants. "We have to start thinking now for when the trees die," Levick said. "So, 50 years from now, people still drive under a canopy of trees when they drive down the causeway." The committee hopes to reduce wildlife mortality on the road by creating eco-passages, rehabilitating habitats and installing fences. The committee also wants to make a safer road and capitalize on tourism opportunities by adding more wildlife viewing areas and adding a trail along the causeway. A group of concerned citizens has opposed the estimated $15-million project, saying it's unnecessary, will ruin the causeway's landscape and cost taxpayers.

Trees will stay

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:33:00 -0400

Posted By ASHLEY HOUSE, Simcoe Reformer The willow and cottonwood trees along the causeway out to Long Point will not be cut down, says the latest policy statement from the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project steering committee. Rick Levick, co-ordinator of the project, said the committee wants to be "loud and clear" on the subject. The initial project did call for the cutting down of some of the picturesque trees to allot for a wider roadway and other safety improvements to the 3.5 km of road. But the group has responded to the public's concerns. "The (LPCIP) is committed to working with the community and Norfolk County to define a vision and comprehensive landscape plan that includes the retention of existing trees," the policy reads. "We feel this adjustment to the plan will still meet our goals," Levick said. The project calls for planting Carolinian species of trees, shrubs and plants. "We have to start thinking now for when the trees die," Levick said. "So, 50 years from now, people still drive under a canopy of trees when they drive down the causeway." The LPCIP hopes to reduce wildlife mortality on the road leading into Long Point by creating eco-passages, rehabilitating habitats and installing fences. They also want to make a safer road and capitalize on tourism opportunities by adding more wildlife viewing areas and adding a trail along the causeway. A group of concerned citizens opposed the estimated $15 million project, saying it was unnecessary, will ruin the causeway's landscape and hurt the taxpayer. In January, the group banded together and called themselves Friends of the Causeway, or FOCAS. Since then, the LPCIP committee has sat down with representatives from FOCAS, on two occasions to discuss concerns and differing opinions of the LPCIP. "There are some points that we have the potential for agreement, including the non-removal of trees," said Stu Ross, spokesperson for FOCAS. "They've been receptive to the public's concerns." But the group is still butting heads on if wildlife, especially reptile, mortality is an issue on the causeway. FOCAS doesn't think there's a problem, while the LPCIP said it has the research to prove turtles and snakes are getting killed at an alarming rate because of the road running through their habitat. "To be honest, we have a lot more expertise, research and been at this for a longer time," Levick said. FOCAS is also against the LPCIP's vision for a walkway. Levick said the vision is still conceptual but in theory it would be wide trail shared by pedestrians and bikers on the west side of the causeway, with a buffer of trees to ensure a safe distance from the road. FOCAS is holding another public meeting this Saturday at the Port Rowan Community Centre at 10 a.m. There, they will reveal their ideas on how best to implement a walking trail along the causeway as well as answer questions from the community.

Presentation from Aug 8 Open House

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:41:51 -0400

Here is a downloadable version of the PowerPoint presentation at the August 8 Open House for the Causeway Project. Dial-up users should be aware that this is a very large file (45 MB) that will take some time to download.

LPCIP Announces Policy on Causeway Trees

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:37:00 -0400

Port Rowan, August 10, 2009 -- The Steering Committee of the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project (LPCIP) today announced a policy statement on preserving the Causeway’s existing willow and cottonwood trees and developing a comprehensive long term landscape plan that would include planting Carolinian species of trees, shrubs and plants along the 3.6 kilometre roadway. The statement was issued in response to inaccurate information that the proposed Improvement Plan required the removal of all trees along the Causeway. However, the plan did recognize that some dead or damaged trees might have to be removed for public safety reasons or to allow for possible widening of the roadway’s narrow shoulders. “We have always been committed to maintaining the natural rural quality of the Causeway and never intended to remove many, let alone all, of the existing trees,” said Paula Jongerden, chair of the LPCIP steering committee. “This inaccurate information has created a lot of speculation in the community and we want to make sure everyone understands our intentions concerning both the existing trees and any new plantings being considered.” The policy statement was developed by the Steering Committee in consultation with the Long Point Region Conservation Authority and Norfolk County’s Forestry Division. "The gateway to the unique natural environment of Long Point has been defined historically by the trees that line the Causeway. The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project Committee is committed to working with the community and Norfolk County to define a vision and comprehensive landscape plan that includes the retention of existing trees. And more importantly, identifies the resources required into the future to ensure appropriate maintenance, replacement, and additional planting of appropriate native Carolinian tree and shrub species, which benefits the Causeway structurally, and the marsh and bay ecosystems. The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project Committee intends to utilize professionals in the field of arboriculture and landscape design to ensure this community vision can be successfully achieved. Our collective effort will ensure that the resources we have inherited from our predecessors will be sustained as a legacy for future generations and the many visitors to Norfolk County who visit our community and the UNESCO Long Point World Biosphere Reserve." The LPCIP Committee recognizes and accepts that the policy of retaining all of the existing trees will alter or postpone some of the proposed improvements and is prepared to work with the community and appropriate experts to develop a landscape plan that enhances the attractiveness of the Causeway. “This policy represents a win-win situation for those people who want to preserve the natural heritage of the Causeway and others who wish to see improvements that will make the roadway safer, more attractive and a real asset to this community,” said Jongerden. * * * The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project is managed by a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from 17 government agencies and local organizations and several individuals well-known in the community. The Committee receives administrative and management support from the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation, which promotes research, monitoring, education and projects that support the goals of conservation and sustainable use in the Biosphere Reserve. For more information on the Causeway Improvement Project, please visit our website at www.longpointcauseway.com or contact: Rick Levick LPCIP Coordinator rick@longpointcauseway.com Tel: 519-586-8360 Cell: 416-723-2910

Open House on Causeway Project, Sat. Aug. 8

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:13:00 -0400

If you’re puzzled by the conflicting information you’re hearing about the proposed improvements to the Long Point Causeway, please attend our Open House at the Port Rowan Community Centre on Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature: • Presentations on improvements being proposed and question and answer sessions at 10:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m. • Representatives of the 16 organizations involved • Displays and information on supporting organizations • Our new landscape design and artist’s concepts of how the improved Causeway could look in the future • Free refreshments Please note that no donations or membership fees required. All are welcome. We are committed to community involvement in this effort to restore the Big Creek Marsh-Inner Bay ecosystem, reduce wildlife road kill, improve public safety and make the Causeway a vital asset to our community. We welcome your comments, questions and ideas. Steering Committee* Long Point Causeway Improvement Project * Member organizations include Bird Studies Canada, Long Point Bay Anglers’ Association, Long Point Country Chamber of Commerce, Long Point Region Conservation Authority, Long Point Waterfowlers Association, Long Point Waterfowl, Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Norfolk County, Norfolk Field Naturalists, Norfolk Land Stewardship Council, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Parks Canada, Upper Thames Valley Conservation Authority, Ruffed Grouse Society and Toronto Zoo. Individual members – Dr. Dave Ankney, Stephana Johnston, Bob Scott. Background Information The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project began in October 2007 to achieve the following objectives set by the volunteer Steering Committee: • Improving ecosystem health, water quality and water movement between Big Creek Marsh and Long Point Inner Bay • Reducing wildlife road mortality • Creating safer roadway conditions for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians • Improving recreational opportunities • Improving access between Long Point and Port Rowan Over the past two years, the LPCIP Project has commissioned the following: • A feasibility study on how the LPCIP objectives could be achieved based on the best current science and similar projects across North America; • Wildlife road mortality studies; • Installation of temporary measures to reduce road-wildlife mortalities such as fences, signage and electronic messaging; • Installation and monitoring of artificial turtle nesting platforms; and, • Distribution of information about the Project to the public. Please note that the current Causeway Improvement Plan is a conceptual proposal only. Any major improvements to the Causeway will be subject to an Environmental Assessment and detailed engineering and design. This could take as long as three years, leaving plenty of time for us to work together as a community to develop the best practical solutions possible. That is why we have sought comments and suggestions from interested members of the public through surveys, comments sent to our website (www.longpointcauseway.com) and open houses. Please join us on August 8 to participate in the development of this Project. Over the long term, the participating organizations and individuals believe this project will: • Boost local economy during construction phases through job creation and orders for local goods and services • Restore water flow and fish access between Inner Bay and Big Creek and help to reduce silt and nutrient deposits in the Bay • Make the Causeway safer and more attractive • Reduce wildlife roadkill and preserve Species At Risk • Improve linkages between Port Rowan and Long Point • Enhance the reputation of Norfolk County as a “green” community

Leave trees alone: report

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:05:00 -0400

Posted By Monte Sonnenberg, SIMCOE REFORMER The committee that hopes to rebuild the Long Point causeway is committed to sparing as many trees along the road as possible. Rick Levick, spokesperson for the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project, said yesterday that the message from the community on this count has been heard "loud and clear." "We've heard from the community that this is an issue," Levick said. "We're going to see what we can do to ensure no trees are removed." When the causeway project was first proposed, the people behind it spoke of removing trees that impede bike paths and pedestrian walkways and trees that got in the way of viewing areas for bird watchers. They also spoke about replacing existing trees with native Carolinian species. The tree issue prompted a backlash in the Port Rowan area from people who like the causeway the way it is. They have come together to form FOCAS, which stands for Friends of the Causeway Association. In May, FOCAS hired local forester Ron Thayer to take an inventory of trees along the 3.5-kilometre causeway and provide a report on their health. Thayer documented 224 healthy trees. Of these, 166 are black willow while 58 are poplar. Smaller numbers of silver maple, alder, red maple, Manitoba maple, white birch and lilac were also found. Sixteen dead trees were recorded, all of them black willow. In his report, Thayer concludes that the trees are key stabilizers of the causeway, which divides the Big Creek marsh from Long Point Bay. "The trees initially planted along the causeway were carefully selected to perform the function of stabilizing the structure beneath the road," Thayer says. "As a result, the Long Point causeway is today as secure and as maintenance free as it ever was and is likely to remain so for as long as the core species exist in their current locations. "I have seen causeways that cross other wetlands. Many have fallen into disrepair due to a lack of the foresight that is seen to have been present in those people that planned the Long Point causeway." Stu Ross of Long Point, a retired biology teacher and spokesperson for FOCAS, says the causeway trees also have aesthetic and symbolic value. "The trees provide habitat and they keep the road where it is," he said. "For those of us who have been here for many years, the trees signify the entrance to a very different part of the world. You take away those trees and you take away some of Long Point's essence; you take some of its distinctiveness away." Levick says a long-term plan to reintroduce Carolinian trees is compatible with keeping trees that are already in place. He added the causeway committee is a long way from firming up plans for the rebuild, which could cost as much as $15 million. Ross took the causeway project committee to task last week at Norfolk council when he criticized the installation of silt fencing on either side of the road to reduce the incidence of roadkill. Ross says the fencing attracts predators that take advantage of frogs, goslings and other creatures that come up against the barrier. The animals are defenceless because the fencing has been placed in areas where the surrounding vegetation has been cut. Rather than preserving species at risk, Ross says the fencing is contributing to their demise. Levick responded to the allegation at Tuesday's meeting of Norfolk council. "We suggest this is more speculation than fact," Levick said, adding the fencing strategy has the approval of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service.

Long Point Causeway Improvement Project receives $69,000 in funding

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:39:00 -0400

June 30, 2009 -- Efforts to protect wildlife by reducing the annual road kill of endangered turtles and snakes along the Long Point Causeway got a $69,000 boost thanks to funding from both the federal and Ontario governments. The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project (LPCIP) will receive $48,000 from Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program and $21,250 from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ Species at Risk Stewardship Fund to carry on with barrier fencing, turtle nest mounds, signage, and monitoring activities along the 3.6 kilometre roadway, ranked the fifth deadliest in the world for turtle mortality. The HSP funding will also support the LPCIP’s efforts to inform and educate the public about the ecological issues being addressed by the Project, including protection of Species at Risk. “This continued funding from both levels of government represents a real vote of confidence in the scientific validity of our work and the urgent need to protect the endangered species that are regularly killed on the Causeway”, said Paula Jongerden, chair of the LPCIP Steering Committee. She noted that funding applications to both programs are reviewed by scientific experts before approval is granted. Work began earlier this month to install about 2,300 metres of temporary barrier fencing that will prevent animals from venturing on to the busy roadway that links the Long Point peninsula to the mainland. Last year, the Project installed 2,500 metres of this fencing to reduce roadkill of turtles, snakes and amphibians. As well, 10 more artificial nest mounds have been created along the Causeway to provide alternative nesting sites for adult, female turtles that are often killed on the road as they search for high, dry areas to lay their eggs. Different methods of preventing predation of the turtle nests by raccoons, skunks and other animals will be studied this year. All of this work will be rigorously monitored over the next four months to verify the effectiveness of these measures and learn more about the movement of animals along and across the Causeway. The road kill reduction work and monitoring program will be overseen by the LPCIP’s Science Committee whose members represent the Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Parks Canada, Bird Studies Canada, Long Point Waterfowl, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and the local community. The LPCIP will also continue its public awareness efforts to educate both residents and visitors to the Long Point area about the animal mortality issue and other ecological problems created by the 80 year-old Causeway. For example, the LPCIP recently hosted a “turtle walk” for the Kids for Turtles program to allow youngsters an opportunity to view nesting turtles along the dyke in the Big Creek National Wildlife Area. Turtle crossing signs, obtained from the Kids for Turtles program, have also been erected to alert drivers to watch for turtles on the road. “People in this community should be proud of the fact that we are working together to reduce the road mortality of several Species at Risk turtles and snakes and other animals that are routinely killed on the Causeway,” said Jongerden. “Long Point is recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve, one of only 15 in Canada, because of its rich diversity of plants and wildlife and its crucial role as a haven for many rare and endangered species.” Jongeren also noted Ecoplans Limited, the environmental consulting that developed the proposed Improvement plan, has been invited to present its work at the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation in the United States this September. “This is a further indication of the quality and scientific validity of our plans to reduce the negative impacts of the Causeway on the Long Point ecosystem.,” said Jongerden. Jongerden regrets that some members of the public may be confusing the LPCIP with an opposition group calling itself “Friends of the Causeway Association” and may be mistakenly joining or funding FOCAS thinking that they are supporting the Improvement Project. To date, the LPCIP has raised about $200,000 in funding to undertake a feasibility study about possible solutions to environmental and public safety problems with the Causeway and to reduce the annual mortality of wildlife, especially Species at Risk. For more information on the Causeway Improvement Project, please visit our website at www.longpointcauseway.com Background The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project is managed by a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from 16 government agencies and local organizations and several individuals well-known in the community. The Committee receives administrative and management support from the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation, which promotes research, monitoring, education and projects that support the goals of conservation and sustainable use in the Biosphere Reserve. The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk is a partnership-based, conservation initiative sponsored by the Government of Canada. The Program is managed cooperatively by Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Parks Canada, and administered by Environment Canada. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is investing more than $ 4 million this year in volunteer stewardship projects across the province that will help protect and recover species at risk and their habitats. The projects are part of the province’s $18-million, four-year Species at Risk Stewardship Fund.