Larry Ferris helps with a tree-planting project.
Submitted by Larry Ferris, Chair of the MNO Georgian Bay Métis Council
Thanks to Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Georgian Bay Traditional Territory Consultation Committee (GBTTCC), the Simcoe County Forest’s Millennium Tract and its significance to the Métis community remains protected.
In 2015, the County of Simcoe announced a short list of potential sites for an Organics Processing Facility and Materials Management Facility. MNO citizens who utilize the area were concerned about the potential impacts that the industrialization of a forested area would have on the local wildlife. One potential area to host these facilities included the Millennium Tract.
The Millennium Tract is a large parcel of land in Simcoe County and serves as a habitat for many species of local wildlife, some that are even endangered or threatened. The tract contains streams, wetlands and forest, part of which were planted by the MNO-Georgian Bay Métis Council’s youth and harvesters to ensure the continued growth of trees native to the area, such as cedar and walnut trees.
Through the MNO’s Regional Consultation Protocols, MNO communities are able to help preserve traditional Métis lands and lands that are of value to the Métis. Over 10,000 trees were planted in the Millennium Tract area and they continue to be protected thanks to the MNO GBTTCC.
Published on: March 21, 2016