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| You are here: CRCA Home > About Us > Administration | |||||
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What is the difference between a Conservation Authority and a Conservation Area?Many people get the terms conservation authority and conservation area mixed up.Conservation Authority is the name of our organization. A Conservation Authority's main purpose is to manage natural resources, primarily land and water, on a watershed basis. To do this, we participate in many different activities including surveys and studies of our natural resources, education programs, land use planning and forestry, to name a few. A Conservation Area is a property owned by a Conservation Authority that has been developed for recreational use. Depending on the size and nature of the property, Conservation Areas may contain trails, picnic areas, swimming areas and other facilities. |
Administration
What is a Conservation Authority?A Conservation Authority is a corporate body, formed by municipal request, under the Conservation Authorities Act of Ontario. Its purpose is to further the conservation, restoration, development, and management of natural resources (excluding gas, oil, coal and minerals) in their areas. Conservation Authority, powers are set out in the Conservation Authorities Act, Revised Statutes of Ontario, Chapter 85.An authority’s jurisdiction is based on a watershed (an area of land drained by one stream or river) rather than by political boundaries, since all municipalities through which a river or stream flows, share its resource problems. The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority has jurisdiction over 3,506 sq. km (1,354 sq. miles) of land, from Greater Napanee in the west to Brockville in the east. In all, there are ten watersheds in our jurisdiction, the largest ones being the Cataraqui and Gananoque Rivers. Smaller systems include the Collins, Millhaven, Wilton, Little Cataraqui, Lyn, Golden, Buells, and Butler Creeks. OrganizationA Conservation Authority is managed by board members appointed by the municipal governments within its area. It is the board members responsibility to represent the views of the citizens within their respective municipalities. In this way, local input into the activities, operations, and projects of the Authority is provided.The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority has 17 members appointed by the councils of the 11 municipalities that lie either wholly or partly within the watershed. The CRCA has three Advisory Boards: the Administration and Finance Advisory Board, the Conservation Lands Advisory Board, and the Water Management Advisory Board. Advisory committees have been established for Lemoine Point and Parrott's Bay Conservation Areas because they are funded by a special municipal levy. From time to time, the CRCA sets up special sub-committees to study specific issues and provide recommendations to the Board. An Annual General Meeting of the Full Authority is held in January of each year, at which time the chair and vice-chair of the Authority are elected and the members of the Advisory Boards are elected. The Authority’s budget is reviewed at this meeting and is passed at the Full Authority meeting in February. The Full Authority normally meets once per month. FundingMost of the CRCA's funding comes from a levy on our 11 member municipalities. Some funding still comes from the province, mainly through the Ministry of Natural Resources. With increased cuts in provincial funding and municipalities trying to keep tax increases to zero, the CRCA is always looking for other sources of revenue. Gate fees, user fees and fundraising have been, and will continue to be used as sources of revenue.Increasingly, we work with other government agencies and community groups to get projects done. Through sharing of funds and other resources, we are able to accomplish more with our partners that we could each accomplish on our own.
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EVENTS | CONSERVATION SERVICES | COMMUNITY RELATIONS | CONSERVATION LANDS | RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | FOUNDATION |
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©2008 Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority |
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