Frequently Asked Questions

Generally, conservation areas are the properties that the public are invited to visit, and have infrastructure on them such as trails, signage and parking lots. Conservation lands are the properties that are not publicly available, and do not have any infrastructure to support visitation. This Strategy will focus on both conservation areas and conservation lands, as it is focused on all the lands owned by the Conservation Authority.

All the properties that are owned by LSRCA- including both the ones we invite the public to, and the ones that are not publicly accessible that are focused on preservation and protection of sensitive features.

The Lake Simcoe watershed is a large region, about 3,400 square kilometres in size. It is situated in our municipal communities of York Region, Durham Region, Simcoe County, Barrie, Orillia, and Kawartha Lakes. Its surface area is 722 square kilometres and if you walked around its shoreline, you would travel 240 kilometres!

Conservation authorities are responsible for management of watershed health. Conservation lands and areas are critically important for preserving and restoring the ecological health of the watershed, managing natural heritage features, and providing opportunities for passive outdoor recreation and nature appreciation.

The development of a Conservation Area Strategy has been mandated for all Conservation Authorities through the updated Conservation Authorities Act. Previously, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority has had other guiding documents to manage and maintain its landholdings, but has not had a formalized Strategy for all its lands.

Your comments and survey answers will be received and reviewed by the Conservation Authority staff and may be incorporated into the strategy as part of the consultation process.

The platform will be open for comments for 30 days from May 15 – June 15, 2024

The Strategy must be finalized and approved by the Board of Directors prior to December 31, 2024. However, the implementation of the Strategy will take many years.