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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Lake Superior Conservancy

What is a Conservancy?

The following discussion draws heavily on the research of Stewart Hilt and Ron Reid as compiled in their book "Creative Conservation, A Handbook for Ontario Land Trusts."

In varying jurisdictions a Conservancy and a Land Trust might be viewed as similar in organization and intent.
As such they can be described as having a few common characteristics:

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

       They are usually incorporated as non-for-profit corporations with registered charitable status.

       They are dedicated to the protection and management of natural areas, open spaces,
       agricultural landscapes or land for cooperative housing development.

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

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

What does the Lake Superior Conservancy and Watershed Council do?

LSCWC in its role as a Conservancy is dedicated to obtaining and manageing natural land in trust for the public good. As a bi-national conservancy, incorporated in Canada and the United States we are members of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance and the Land Trust Alliance in the U.S. Among others, our founding partners include The Nature Conservancy (U.S.) and Nature Conservancy Canada.

Our goal is to protect significant natural areas, ecological resources including wildlife habitat critical wildlife corridors, wetlands, and recognized Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI's) within  the Lake Superior basin and watershed. We will undertake to protect large intact natural area within the boreal forest, headwater areas and other critical watershed elements including river and stream corridors. In addition, LSCWC will undertake protection of natural areas containing education, recreation or scenic value i.e. vistas, and portions of the watershed that may be under threat.

 LSCWC will undertake to achieve this goal through ownership and management of land units,