What is the Lands Strategy?

The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is inviting comments on its new Conservation Areas and Lands Strategy (or Lands Strategy).

The strategy outlines our guiding principles, goals, and objectives for the lands the UTRCA owns and/or manages, and sets the direction for our lands for the next 10 years.

The Lands Strategy is mandated by the Province, which requires all Conservation Authorities to complete a strategy by the end of 2024.

About our Lands

The UTRCA owns and/or manages approximately 6,000 hectares (14,700 acres) of land and water in the Upper Thames River watershed. Most of this property is within the three large multi-use Conservation Areas (Fanshawe, Pittock, and Wildwood), or in wetlands, floodplains and other natural areas. The lands were acquired under various flood protection and water management projects since the UTRCA was created in 1947.

Find more information about the UTRCA's lands on the UTRCA website under the Links heading on this page.

The Lands Strategy groups all the lands we own and/or manage into four categories:

• Fanshawe, Pittock and Wildwood Conservation Areas - these "active recreation lands" offer a wide range of recreational opportunities, with fees for public access.
• Day-use conservation areas - these "passive recreation lands" offer fewer activities, with no fees charged for public access.
• "Management areas" are lands with limited public access. They include everything from wetlands and natural areas to floodplains and flood control-related properties, as well as agricultural lands.
• "Administration areas" are the small parcels where the UTRCA offices are located.

Guiding Principles of the Lands Strategy

The UTRCA will:

• Protect life and property from flooding and erosion, and develop sustainability and resilience in the natural heritage assets within our conservation lands,
• Develop and nurture relationships with all who seek to connect with the lands and water,
• Offer visitors to our public spaces a wide range of recreational opportunities, health benefits, and tourism options, and
• Inspire future generations through educational experiences at our conservation areas.

The complete, draft Lands Strategy is available under the "Document Library" heading.

Now it's your turn! There are two ways for you to give feedback:

• Complete a brief survey about the draft Lands Strategy and our Guiding Principles,
• Provide your input on specific properties through the interactive map below.

Your feedback is important and will be considered as we develop the final draft of the Lands Strategy, which will be available online this fall.