Skootamatta District Ratepayers Association

S.D.R.A.


Junior Rangers Returning For Another 'Clean-Up', Thursday, July 22nd

Thanks to Machesney Lake Camp Ranger Aaron Wilson and the MNR Junior Rangers, who will be returning this year for another co-operative effort with the SDRA, to groom campsites and beaches on Crown Land sites around the lakes. The Rangers did a tremendous job last year, with several truckloads of accumulated trash hauled away. They even provide their own boat!

More boat transportation is still required to ferry teams to sites and return trash back to road access points for later pickup. If you have a powerboat and can lend a hand, please get in touch with Kent Farrow or Gary Evans, or just idle up the Trail's End Boat Launch at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.


Busy AGM !

We now have an updated constitution and a new team of Directors in place to look after things for the coming year! The Association will also be moving to a committee structure to be more effective in addressing an increasing number of important issues.

Thanks to all Members who attended, especially new Directors Debbie Awde, Paul Lindsay and Gwennth Morais, who will be joining the slate of nominees put forward by the Board. Treasurer Hermann Balon reported that our finances are in good shape to go forward with the programs that are underway or upcoming. FOSSP committee member, John Coulter secured his place in history as 'the guy with the little green boat' announcing the 'Explore the Lake' event, and we received excellent presentations from our three speakers on issues relevant to all property owners in the district. View photos from the meeting.

Of particular interest this year has been the greater visibility of logging operations in the area. (Many Members and other area residents have remained largely unaware of forestry operations in the district until changes were recently made to MNR regulations that require public involvement in their forest management planning process.) Tom Richardson, General Manager of Mazinaw Lanark Forest Inc., (MLFI - the company licensed to cut timber on Crown Lands across many area municipalities, including Addington Highlands and North Frontenac), presented a general overview, (16 Mb) of MLFI operations. The company will be submitting its long term, (2011-2021), plan to the MNR for approval in November.

MLFI has subsequently announced a 'Forest Information Day', scheduled for August 13th. The event is open to members of local lake associations and will include visits to several selected forest sites. REGISTRATION, (by August 6th), IS REQUIRED. Contact Pat Duncan, (613)-336-0816, at the MLFI office, (north side of the Barrie Meeting Hall), in Cloyne.

Members interested / concerned about logging around the lakes can submit written concerns and questions directly to MLFI using their Comment Form, and may wish to be further involved with the recently formed, multiple-township, Logging Committee. Contact:

See the ARCHIVES for previous information about MFLI and forestry on Crown Lands in the area.


 2010 Photo Contest

We need the sound of more shutters clicking, (or whatever noise a digital camera is allowed to make), if we're going to equal the terrific response to the 2009 contest. First prize this year is a beautiful, hand-carved Inuit loon, (donated by Director Jim Oborne). $25 and $10 cash rewards go to 2nd and 3rd place winners. Thanks also to professional photographer Cynthia Shay for agreeing to judge 2010 submissions.

Keep your camera handy and get your best shots off to photocontest@skootamatta.ca or you can use the ! Submit Stuff ! upload link.


FOSSP Volunteers Required - August 14th

The Friends of Skootamatta, Sheldrake & Pringle, (FOSSP), are looking for some additional help to run the mid-August 'Explore the Lake' event. This event is designed to appeal to kids of all ages - sending teams off to explore specific shoreline areas - to discover and share interesting features of our precious lake environment. If you can help out, please contact:

The FOSSP committee is also always on the lookout for volunteer assistance in developing a comprehensive Lake Management Plan

.

More ... (previous items - now in the ARCHIVES) ...

Search Skoot

Quick Links

Marketplace

Weather

Please Support
Local Business