Conservation Area Strategy

Guiding Future Land Management

Conservation Halton stewards and manages thousands of acres of lands from lake to escarpment. These lands include our eight conservation parks along with other natural lands and passive recreation areas that we manage across our jurisdiction. Our Conservation Area Strategy guides the future management of these lands to help ensure these spaces continue to be protected and enhanced for years to come.

A view of the Niagara Escarpment in autumn

About Conservation Halton Lands

Conservation Halton owns approximately 10,000 acres of conservation lands. These lands include our well-known active conservation parks as well as passive recreation areas and management areas that are protected for natural heritage purposes, or to help us mitigate natural hazards. Our lands are comprised of over 500 parcels that are categorized by their use and are classified by their characteristics. These characteristics include natural features, ecological significance, and purpose.

While our management areas do not support public access, our active conservation parks and passive recreation areas are accessed and enjoyed by the public.

Benefits of Conservation Authority-Owned Lands

The lands that conservation authorities own and manage provide different types of community benefits. Active and passive recreation areas provide recreational opportunities in nature that can promote the mental health and physical wellbeing of visitors. Many conservation authority-owned lands are also protected to help reduce natural hazard risks to human life and property (e.g., flood risks), or to help conservation authorities conserve, protect, rehabilitate, and manage natural heritage features and functions.

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In 2021, through changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, the province implemented a standardized approach to conservation authority service delivery and funding that identified mandatory programs and services. These mandatory programs and services include the management of conservation authority land. As part of this update, each conservation authority was required to prepare a land inventory and a conservation area strategy, with objectives to inform the conservation authority’s decision-making for the lands they own or control.

Our Conservation Area Strategy identifies key goals and objectives that guide how we conserve and manage our lands, including our eight conservation parks. The strategy is informed by feedback from the public, partners and stakeholders.

Our goals and objectives will lead to actions and outcomes that are administrative, visionary, or foundational.

Administrative: outcomes may include the implementation of operational policies and procedures that guide our day-to-day work.

Visionary: outcomes may include the development of land management plans involving public consultation and partner engagement.

Foundational: outcomes will reflect the core principles we apply to all aspects of land management.

Our Conservation Area Strategy will be formally reviewed every five years. If this formal review results in significant changes, we will again seek feedback from the public, partners and stakeholders.

Minor revisions may be made to update the strategy within the five-year periods.