New Provincial Parks Act Our parks are supposed to be wilderness sanctuaries, yet the trees are logged, the waterways polluted and the trucks keep rolling through. So, will the new Provincial Parks Act really put ecological integrity, first asks Lake Superior based freelance writer Conor Mihell? . . .

Stone-cold economy Times are tough in Northern Ontario. But is blasting the Lake Superior shoreline to produce gravel for Michigan highways really the answer? . . .

Great lakes AOCs ignored Attention to Ontario's worst sites of toxic pollution on the Great Lakes has steadily fallen from the public and governent radar over the past several decades. Federal Environment Commissioner slams government for inaction. . . .

IJC Water Level Report IJS reports water levels up in all Great Lakes except Superior. Read More...

Univeristy of Michigan Michigan researchers study ballast free cargo ship design as a way to stem flow of new aquatic alien invasive species in to and out of Great Lakes watershed Read More...

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Home > Land Protection

Land Protection

“Conservation is the foresighted utilization, preservation
and/or renewal of forests, waters, lands and minerals,
for the greatest good of the greatest number for the longest time.”
--Gifford Pinchot

The Lake Superior Conservancy and Watershed Council – Who we are!

LSCWC is two organizations in one body; a Land Trust or Conservancy and a Watershed Council.  LSCWC is a bi-national non profit organization with charitable status and was incorporated in Canada and the United States in 2004. The Board of Directors is comprised of both U.S. and Canadian citizens. LSCWC is a member of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance and the Land Trust Alliance in the U.S. Our founding members, among others include The Nature Conservancy (U.S.) and Nature Conservancy Canada.

What is a Conservancy?

The following description draws on the research of Stewart Hilt and Ron Reid in their book,
“Creative Conservation, A Handbook For Ontario Land Trusts”.

In the North American context a Conservancy like a Land Trust might be seen to share these common characteristics:

        They are non-governmental, but operate for the public good;

        They are usually incorporated as not-for-profit organizations
        with registered charitable status;

        Depending on their focus they can be dedicated to the protection and
        management of natural areas, open space, agricultural landscapes, or
        affordable housing communities;

        They work directly with specific parcels of land, through purchase, donation,
        or cooperative landowner programs;

        They are community-supported through memberships, donations, and volunteer involvement.

What is Our Goal as a Conservancy?

As a Conservancy our goal is to protect, through land acquisition and management, natural areas of significance within the Lake Superior basin. Natural areas of significance include: wetlands, wildlife habitats and critical corridors, “Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest” (ANSI’s), large intact tracts of natural area within the boreal forest, headwater areas, river and stream corridors, and areas with educational, recreational and scenic value.

The Conservancy pursues this goal through the acquisition, ownership and management of land, creation of conservation easements, through a range of land stewardship initiatives with private land owners, and by working with landowners and partner organizations who share a common goal to protect the Lake Superior basin. 

How will we Achieve Our Goal?

LSCWC will develop and implement a land acquisition program in support of conservation and
preservation goals for the watershed.

LSCWC will contribute to land acquisition and conservation programs,using Land Trust Alliance
Standards and Practices.

LSCWC will undertake to identify significant parcels of private lands comprising ecological
corridors, scenic landscapes, areas of natural diversity,endangered species habitats, and
recreational and cultural interpretive significance.

LSCWC will help its partners such as; The Land Trust Alliance (LTA),
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) where possible,
to acquire important parcels of  land in both the United States and Canada.