• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Springwater Safeguarding Agricultural Land

By
In Agriculture
Jul 23rd, 2015
1 Comment
1354 Views
No Farms - No Food

News release from Springwater Township

Protection of Agricultural Land is a top priority in Springwater Township.

In an effort to safeguard Agricultural Land for future generations, Deputy Mayor Don Allen introduced a motion on June 22 which reiterates the importance of Agricultural Land in the community. The motion was referred to staff for review and to obtain a legal opinion, and on July 20, 2015 the motion was amended and approved by Council.

The motion recognizes that agriculture is the largest single land use sector in Springwater; is the number one value added sector in Ontario; and acknowledges that multiple land use planning policies including the Province of Ontario – Provincial Policy Statement, Places to Grow Act, County of Simcoe Official Plan, and the Township of Springwater Official Plan recognize the importance of protecting Prime Agricultural Land.

As a result of the approved motion, staff were directed to give particular consideration to the need for new or additional policies with the following objectives:

(i) protecting and promoting Prime Agricultural Land for long-term use for agriculture;

(ii) ensuring that new land uses are compatible with, and do not hinder, agricultural operations on Prime Agricultural Land; and

(iii) ensuring that any identification of settlement areas or expansion of a settlement area boundary fully complies with applicable Provincial policies aimed at protecting Prime Agricultural Land for the long term.

“I wanted to pass a motion that codifies Council’s unequivocal support for preserving Prime Agricultural Land in all that we do moving forward.” says Deputy Mayor Don Allen. “This motion will ensure that we safeguard this precious resource and continue to enjoy the bounty of its crops for years to come.”

“Springwater is blessed with some of the best farmland in Ontario and protecting it is a priority for this Council,” says Mayor Bill French. “By passing this motion we are endeavouring to ensure generations to come have the opportunity to farm the land, provide for their families and enjoy the natural rural landscape of our Township.”

One Response to “Springwater Safeguarding Agricultural Land”

  1. Donna McPherson says:

    Bravo!

    Your council deserves praise for recognizing the importance of prime agricultural land and taking action to protect it. You are setting a standard for all municipalities to follow.

    “I wanted to pass a motion that codifies Council’s unequivocal support for preserving Prime Agricultural Land in all that we do moving forward.” says Deputy Mayor Don Allen. “This motion will ensure that we safeguard this precious resource and continue to enjoy the bounty of its crops for years to come.”

    Regards,
    Donna McPherson
    Belleville, Ontario (a former Toronto resident who lived for some time in rural Eastern Ontario)

Leave a Reply

Commenters must post under real names. AWARE Simcoe reserves the right to edit or not publish comments. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *