4th Annual

Renfrew County Stewardship Forum

Join us for the 4th annual Renfrew County Stewardship Forum

November 30, 2015

“Towards Watershed Planning”

Draft Outline

8:30 – 9:00 Registration and Coffee/Tea

9:00 – 9:05 Welcome

Kathryn Lindsay, Bonnechere River Watershed Project
Ole Hendrickson, Ottawa River Institute
Kristina Inrig, Sustainable Eastern Ontario

9:05 - 9:10 Opening Invocation

Morning Session moderator: Kathryn Lindsay

9:10 – 9:30 Background of the Forum/Participant Introductions

9:30 – 9:35 Introduction to AM Session

9:35 – 10:35 Feature topic: Review of the County of Renfrew Official Plan

Presenters: Charles Cheesman and Paul Moreau, County of Renfrew

10:35 – 10:50 Coffee/Tea Break

10:50 – 11:40 Table Discussions

11:40 – 12:00 Report-backs from Table Discussions

12:00 – 12:45 Lunch/Networking

Afternoon Session moderator: Ole Hendrickson

12:50 Introduction to PM Session

13:00 – 13:20 Capacity-Building Support for Local Groups

Kristina Inrig, Sustainable Eastern Ontario

13:20 - 14:40 Panel: Engaging the Agricultural Community in Freshwater Stewardship

Panelists: Kathryn Lindsay, Bonnechere River Watershed Project;
Karen and Rene Coulas, Muskrat Watershed Council Agriculture Committee;
Gerry Richards, Renfrew County Soil & Crop Improvement Association;
Lynn Clelland, Renfrew County South District Women's Institute

14:40 – 15:00 Wrap-up, Next Steps and Thanks

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The County of Renfrew is reviewing and updating its Official Plan http://tinyurl.com/oam86jx. This will be the topic of discussions during the morning session of this year's Renfrew County Stewardship Forum. The County is inviting the public to review and comment on this document, which "describes how land should be used and manages the physical changes to the built environment and the effects on the natural, social and economic environment."

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The Renfrew County Stewardship Forum is about connecting people and organizations with a strong sense of place and future possibilities. The Forum is needed because tackling our environmental, social and economic challenges requires collaborative action among a diversity of people and organizations with strong convictions and the courage to act on them. To be effective will require adopting innovative partnerships and approaches.

The forum aims to foster intense interaction, networking and information exchange to explore how to inform people about what’s happening to our communities and environment in a way that they can relate to, understand and take action.

Now is the time.

Together we can shape our future to sustain our collective values and communities.

History

The inaugural Renfrew County Stewardship Forum “Fostering Adaptive Collaboration” was held at Algonquin College in Pembroke on April 24th, 2012, with a focus on our changing climate and the collaborative, non-regulatory approach used by Muskoka Watershed Council to advance stewardship and to foster innovation.

The second Renfrew County Stewardship Forum “Fostering Shoreline Conservation” was held on February 7th, 2013 at the Marguerite Centre in Pembroke. Discussions focused on the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds (now Watersheds Canada) 2012 shoreline surveys, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority research on implications of changing climate on water management, and proposed community collaboration on Renfrew County environmental issues, in particular, hyper-eutrophication of Muskrat Lake.

The third Renfrew County Stewardship Forum “Celebrating Our Watersheds: Trails and Tributaries” was held May 9th, 2014 at the Marguerite Centre in Pembroke. Over 40 participants from around the County contributed to lively discussions on a range of topics including active transportation, the County’s efforts and plans for trail development, the Algonquin’s of Pikwakangan interest in trails development along the abandoned CP rail line and water quality concerns in County watersheds, in particular the Bonnechere and the Muskrat watersheds.

The registration fee is $20 and includes lunch.