East Lake plan to council Thursday

Quinte Conservation General Manager Terry Murphy present the East Lake Plan to Prince Edward County’s Committee of the Whole on Thursday, Aug. 13th at 9:30 a.m.

Terry Murphy

“This presentation will inform council about the contents of this plan and we hope it will assist in future planning decisions,” said Murphy.

Quinte Conservation and Friends of East Lake announced the publication of the East Lake Plan in March of this year.

“We’re proud of the hard work that has gone into this plan and we are looking forward to working with other groups who are interested in this process,” said Murphy. “The purpose of a stewardship plan is to identify, protect, preserve and enhance the unique environmental and social features of a lake and its watershed for present and future generations.”

In 2012 the County of Prince Edward, Quinte Conservation, and Friends of East Lake formed a collaborative to create the plan and hired French Planning Services as consultants.  The plan is the result of two years of public workshops with various groups including farmers, resort and campground owners, full time residents and seasonal users of East Lake.

Murphy said the plans are developed through a community-based process that considers all stakeholders on the lake and in the watershed.  Numerous workshops engage members of the community to identify values and issues as well as to develop stewardship actions and land use recommendations.

The completed East Lake Plan contains 58 recommended actions.  It reflects and builds upon background materials collected for a State of the Lake Report completed in 2013 and from public consultations. The State of the Lake Report is a document containing all the information available on East Lake.  It includes information on land use, development, environmentally sensitive areas, wetlands, water quality, water quantity, and species in the area.  This document will be a valuable tool for Prince Edward County council to use a resource document when reviewing future development proposals.

“This is the first comprehensive study carried out on any of the Prince Edward County’s inland lakes, and will lead the way for additional studies on the other lakes in the future,” said Murphy. “The preparation of this plan is just the first step.  The important work has yet to be undertaken and we encourage everyone to engage in the recommended activities.”

The plan can be downloaded and reviewed from the website www.eastlakeplan.ca.

A copy of the State of the Lake Report and notes from all public meetings and steering committee meetings from the last two years can also be found on the website.