Welcome to the Copeland Forest Stewardship Initiative
“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” — Edward Abbey
For many residents of Oro-Medonte, the Copeland Forest represents a way of life. From mountain biking to cross-country skiing, from fishing to horseback riding, the appeal of the Copeland is undeniable and attracts people to the area to live and work.
When the forest first opened to the public in 1979, it was reported that 1,000 people visited that year to hunt, fish, hike, ski, and snowshoe. Today it would not be unheard of for that many people to visit the forest every week. The Copeland Forest is enjoying unprecedented use, and there is no reason to believe that it won’t continue to increase.
Copeland Forest is managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) as a resource management area, but this year they entered into an agreement with the Couchiching Conservancy to try something new: bring all the people who love and use the forest together to help take care of Copeland at the community level. While MNR is responsible for management decisions, a stewardship committee, built by the community, will assist the MNR in the care of the forest and the community will have an opportunity to actively participate in management activities.
What is Land Stewardship?
Simply put, it is to care for the land. This involves conserving the ecological integrity of natural areas, using the land responsibly, and ensuring that other species and future generations are always taken into consideration.
Thanks to a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Couchiching Conservancy will facilitate a process over the next three years that will result in a Copeland Forest Stewardship Committee, and a Stewardship Plan. Information needed to make sound stewardship decisions will be made available, such as the four-season science inventory currently underway. In the first phase of the project, we will hold workshops on topics such as “wetlands and watersheds” and “identifying animal tracks”, and we will speak to as many users of the Copeland Forest as possible about how they use the forest, and what they value about it most.
If you would like to speak with us about the Copeland Forest and what you value about it most, please contact Dorthea Hangaard dorthea@couchconservancy.ca (705) 326-1620. Fill out the email form on the right and we will add you to our Copeland Forest mailing list, so you won’t miss any meetings or workshops.
