Long Point Causeway Improvement Project

News

LPCIP Announces Policy on Causeway Trees

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.

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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.