Private Stewardship in Haliburton County: an Overview of Options and Techniques

Much of the beauty and diversity of the Haliburton region is privately held and this paper looks at the importance of private stewardship efforts, detailing the various techniques and measures available to concerned citizens.  Reference is made to the University of Waterloo Heritage Resources Centre's study of volunteer environmental stewardship (VES) and the various private conservation mechanisms such as landowner contact programs, conservation easements, land trusts, and government-sponsored stewardship initiatives available to the landowner.

The loss of biodiversity and the corresponding need for private conservation efforts in natural areas such as Haliburton is explored as well as the connection between the concept of bioregionalism and private stewardship. It is concluded that private stewardship initiatives are an integral part of a comprehensive conservation measure to protect and enhance the biodiversity of a region such as Haliburton.