History of East Cross Forest Conservation Area

In 2002, the Township of Scugog established the Test Hill Task Force to develop a long-term strategy to address illegal activity taking place in the southeastern area of the Township near the headwaters of the East Cross Creek.

In November 2003, the task force released a report entitled "Proposal for the Protection of East Cross Forest," which recommended that a comprehensive acquisition strategy be developed. A working group, the East Cross Forest Implementation Team, was established to act on the recommendations, one of which was to seek funding to undertake and sustain restoration and management activities. A large grant was subsequently secured through the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation.

In December 2005, the team turned over leadership of the initiative to Kawartha Conservation, which agreed to hold title to future properties and manage them as a conservation area. The team assumed the role of an advisory committee to provide input into the management plan.

In 2005, the Nature Conservancy of Canada approached Kawartha Conservation with regard to a significant tract of land that was available as a donation. The property was within the targeted acquisition area of East Cross Forest, and discussions began.

In October 2006, Mr. Erast Huculak donated 552 acres of property to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, who then transferred title to Kawartha Conservation. For many years, the unoccupied property, and the properties surrounding it, had been subject to unauthorized motorized vehicle use and other illegal activity, which caused considerable environmental damage.

A security group was immediately contracted to patrol the property and enforce the Trespass to Property Act. This patrolling will continue until the trespassing and illegal dumping is brought under control.

A community clean-up event was held in June of 2007 and resulted in over 75 volunteers collecting over 60 cubic yards of garbage, in addition to a number of abandoned cars and hazardous wastes.

In the spring of 2007, Kawartha Conservation purchased an additional 5 acres within the area of interest.

In October of 2007, another 250 acres of vacant land was purchased adjacent to the original 552 acres.

In December of 2007, Kawartha Conservation finalized a donation of 24.5 acres of wetland, forest and savannah by Ms. Leslie Beauchamp through Environment Canada's Ecological Gifts Program (www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/egp-pde/).