Long Point Causeway Improvement Project

News

Motorists getting the message

Published by the Simcoe Reformer, August 30th, 2010. The message appears to be sinking in. The number of snakes, turtles and frogs killed on the Long Point Causeway this year appears to be way down. That’s encouraging news for supporters of the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project. They have made it their mission to stop the carnage, much of which affects endangered species. “The numbers are notably down from previous years, especially for species at risk,” Rick Levick, co-ordinator of the improvement project, said at the NatureFest event at the Port Rowan Community Centre Sunday. “We have to attribute that[…]

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Causeway Project seeking donations for Wildlife Barrier Fencing

Port Rowan, July 08, 2010 – The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project (LPCIP) has launched a fundraising campaign to install and maintain heavy-duty barrier fencing to reduce wildlife road mortality along the Long Point Causeway. The work will complement the installation of three ecopassages under the roadway that the LPCIP has proposed for next year. The LPCIP’s monitoring program over the past two years has shown that barrier fencing is an effective way to reduce road kill of turtles, snakes and frogs along the Causeway. However, it has also found that the low-cost black silt fencing that was initially installed[…]

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Next phase in the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project

By Renee Berube, CD 98.9 FM, Simcoe, Ontario in July of 2010 The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project is getting set to move on with their next big phase. They’ve secured 400 thousand dollars worth of grants to fund an environmental assessment on three eco-passages, which would allow wildlife and water to pass the underneath the road safely. Project Coordinator, Rick Levick says now they just need Norfolk County on board as the acting body and for staff’s expertise. The County has agreed to take the role because they believe it will be nothing but a benefit to have these[…]

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Causeway upgrade moves forward

By Daniel Pearce, Simcoe Reformer, July 8, 2010 The first step in a controversial proposal to upgrade the causeway to Long Point is about to begin after municipal officials voted last night to move to the design stage. Norfolk County will now look at how to run three culverts under the narrow two-lane roadway to create a safe passageway — from the marsh on the west side of the causeway to the inner bay on the east — for both water and reptiles. As well, an environmental assessment and a hydrological study will be conducted to make sure the project[…]

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Long Point Causeway Road Kill Numbers Way Down

Monday, April 19 2010 Efforts to reduce road kill of turtles and snakes, including species at risk, on the Long Point Causeway are having a notable impact according to monitoring studies conducted by the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project (LPCIP) Committee over the past two years. The annual road kill count of turtles dropped from highs of 202 in 1979 and 190 in 1993 to only 85 in 2009. The studies also noted significant declines in the numbers of amphibians (frogs and toads) and small mammals killed on the 3.6 kilometer-long roadway. The LPCIP Committee has installed about 4,000 metres[…]

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Volunteers repair fencing to protect wildlife

Monday, April 19, 2010 With the early warm weather, turtles, snakes and frogs are starting to move across the Long Point Causeway where they risk being hit by passing vehicles. On April 17, a dozen volunteers, including Scott Gillingwater and Crystal Robertson (in photo), helped repair and reinstall the temporary barrier fencing that keeps these reptiles off the roadway. Norfolk County has also set up turtle crossing signs and the electronic message sign altering drivers to watch for wildlife on the Causeway. The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project Committee is encouraging drivers to watch out for animals on the road[…]

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Curriculum featuring Long Point Causeway

Thursday, March 25, 2010 Reptiles at Risk on the Road has produced classroom resources for grades 1-8, based on the 2009 Ontario science curriculum, developed through funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources Species at Risk Stewardship Fund. These activities are intended to accompany the educational efforts of the Reptiles at Risk on the Road project, but they may be used by anyone with an interest in Ontario’s reptiles! The Grade 8 curriculum unit features the road mortality issues related to the Long Point Causeway and proposed efforts to reduce the annual road kill of turtles, snakes and amphibians, including[…]

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Report on 2009 LPCIP activities

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[…]

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Trees will stay

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[…]

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Causeway trees to Long Point saved

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[…]

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