About
The Land Conservancy has no paid staff. It is run entirely by volunteers who are dedicated to preserving vital habitat for species survival.
Every penny the Land Conservancy receives from members, donors, and funders is used for land acquisition and stewardship. Annual operating and property stewardship costs are $8,000.
We set aside money in a land acquisition fund so that we are ready to cover acquisition costs, such as appraisals, when a donor offers a property to us or when we buy a property that is important to preserve in its natural state. We have a land acquisition policy and are developing a natural heritage action plan to identify priority areas for protection.
To cover the ongoing costs of property ownership and conservation easement management, we maintain a stewardship account to generate sufficient annual income to cover property taxes, property insurance, and other expenses related to property responsibilities. We also have money set aside in the Natural Areas Protection Fund which is endowed with the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area.
We follow the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices and are members of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, a charitable organization supporting land conservation and land trusts in Ontario.
Thanks to the generous donations of landowners, members, supporting individuals, and funders, the Land Conservancy now protects eight properties with a total area of 220 hectares (540 acres), providing habitats for 19 species at risk. To preserve these habitats for all the animal and plant species that thrive there, most Land Conservancy properties are not open to the public. They are nature reserves for the purpose of conservation.
The Land Conservancy holds conservation easements on two properties, totaling 85 hectares (212 acres), one near Westport and the other on the Salmon River, with 990 meters of shoreline. A conservation easement limits further human use of the land, preserving natural features in perpetuity.
The Ontario Land Trust Assistance Program provided $14,195 to assist with the acquisition of the Arthur Nature Reserve, the Lee Nature Reserve, Salmon and Snake Islands, and the two conservation easement properties. Financial support for the Ontario Land Trust Assistance Program was originally provided by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and more recently by The Government of Canada Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk.
Meyer Woods
Our first property, was the generous donation of Henry and Marion Meyer. This 75 hectare (186 acre) lakefront property is home to several species at risk including:
Arthur Nature Reserve
A 16-hectare (40-acre) lakefront property, was kindly given to the Land Conservancy by Dr. Diane Arthur. It is protecting nine species at risk, including the Eastern Black Ratsnake. It is an EcoGift.
Lee Nature Reserve
A 12.5 hectare (31 acre) triangle of land on the west side of the Salmon River adjacent to the Mellon Lake Conservation Reserve. It has 914 metres of shoreline. The land is characterized by granite cliffs rising in successive ridges away from the river, and features several habitats, including rocky barren outcrops, deciduous woods, and riverine wetland. The property is home to Five-lined Skink, a species of special concern. The Lee Nature Reserve was the gift of Steven Lee, and qualified as an EcoGift.
Salmon and Snake Islands
Located about one kilometre off Kingston’s shoreline. The islands are small rocky outcrops that have been the subject of Canadian Wildlife Services research for almost 40 years. They were the gift of Dr. James Day and Robert Carson, and qualified as EcoGift. The Toronto Star profiled the islands as home for Ring-billed and Herring Gulls in this 2011 report.
Our mission is to preserve and protect natural sites and landscapes
in Kingston and Frontenac and Lennox and Addington counties.
Guiding Vision
To create a Land Conservancy that people throughout Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties will recognize as a trustworthy and far-sighted organization, preserving and protecting natural sites and landscapes in this area. The communities will see value in our goal of protecting representative significant natural habitats, supporting biodiversity and connecting natural areas across the counties, and will respect efforts to encourage land stewardship through cooperation with other environmental organizations and support for landowners. The Land Conservancy will be seen as a key partner in protecting the ecological integrity of this part of Ontario.
Incorporated as a federal not-for-profit corporation in 2004.
Authorized to:
- issue charitable receipts, Canada Revenue Agency
- receive EcoGift, Environment Canada
Board of Directors: 11-members
Membership: 135-members
Downloads:
- Strategic Plan 2015 to 2020, including regional maps
- By-laws
- Funders We are very grateful to funders who have supported land acquisition, stewardship projects, training, and other activities.
Annual operating and property stewardship costs
Memberships, donations, and investment revenue support the Land Conservancy’s work.
For any new acquisition, by gift or purchase, we set aside at least 10% of the appraised value of the property in a stewardship account. This ensures our capacity to preserve the property over the long term.
We also have an endowed fund with the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area, the Natural Areas Protection Fund. This Fund provides an additional source of funds for property stewardship costs. The capital in this Fund is permanently invested with the Community Foundation. We receive an annual grant from the Fund.
Natural Areas Protection Fund
Board of Directors
Officers
Vicki Schmolka, President
schmolka@kingston.net
613.549.1707
Mary Alice Snetsinger
Vice President
ecoserv@kos.net
613.376.6916
Roger Healey, Treasurer
healey@queensu.ca
613.546.5873
Larry McCurdy, Secretary
larry@mccurdy.biz
613.389.6427
Chairs
Land Acquisition Committee, Chair
Paul Mackenzie
mackenzp@queensu.ca
613.547.5748
Mapping Committee, Chair
Kate Laird
lairdk@queensu.ca
613.900.6302
Finance Committee, Chair
Roger Healey
healey@queensu.ca
613.546.5873
Communications Committee, Chair,
Vicki Schmolka
schmolka@kingston.net
613.549.1707
Read articles about us or about land trusts in general.
Past annual meeting speakers
| 2017 | Dr. Warren Mabee, Canada Research Chair. On potential impacts of climate change to our local environment |
| 2016 | Mitchel Kellar, Adrienne Parsons, Rebekah Short, and Elizabeth Travers, Fleming College students. On best stewardship practices for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark breeding success |
| 2015 | Dr. Gray Merriam, landscape ecologist. On the importance of natural processes to ecosystems |
| 2014 | Dr. Barrie Gilbert, retired wildlife biologist. On restoring wild spaces to provide better habitat for bees, birds, and beavers |
| 2013 | Michael Runtz, author, photographer. On “Beavers: Nature’s Wetland Engineers” |
| 2012 | Dr. Chip Weseloh, researcher, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. On 35 years of research on the waterbirds of eastern Lake Ontario |
| 2011 | Anne Robertson, Land Conservancy Board member, a virtual tour of Meyer Woods |
| 2010 | Howard Clifford, donor of a conservation easement, cliffLAND, a 506 hectare (1250 acre) property in Lanark. On the love for and protection of nature |
| 2009 | Raleigh Robertson, retired Queen’s University professor of biology. On preserving land for science, education, and conservation using the Queen’s University Biological Station as an example |
| 2008 | Wayne Grady, author. On the future of the Great Lakes |
| 2007 | Don Ross, Executive Director, Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. On the Reserve’s UNESCO designation |
| 2006 | Dan Kraus, Ontario Conservation Science Manager, Nature Conservancy of Canada. On the Conservation Blueprint for the Great Lakes region |
| 2005 | Dale Kristensen, Queen’s University. On ecological restoration |
Mailing Address
Land Conservancy KFLA
P.O. Box 825
Kingston, ON
K7L 4X6
Contacts
Call or email a
Board member
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