President’s Report
January 2014-December 2015
Board of Directors:
Executive Members
Dann Michols – President John Ambrose
Ed Lowans – Vice President David Warner
Yolande LaPointe/Dann Michols – Treasurer Don Ross
Marnie Ross – Secretary Mary Jane Lamb
Advisory Board
Mike Capello (2015)
Jeff Leggo
Irene Ireland (2015)
Martin Streit (2014)
Sarah Matheson (moved July 2015)
Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust (TIWLT) is managed by a wholly volunteer board. That said, we have a very talented, hard working Board of Directors. It includes a former federal assistant deputy minister, biologists, foresters, park superintendents, graphic designers, and people with organization skills who just want to help keep our wonderful area as natural as possible. In the Frontenac Arch Natural Area, we work with lake associations, Leeds Grenville Stewardship Council, MNR, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Nature, the Algonquin to Adirondack Collaborative, the EcoGifts Program of Canada, American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts, the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, Ducks Unlimited and various Friends groups to maintain the ecological health of the Frontenac Arch.
The Thousand Islands Watershed area is one of the smallest, most diverse forest regions in North America with the largest number of Species at Risk. Because of its natural beauty, it is also under great pressure for development. TIWLT seeks to preserve this natural beauty and the environmental health of the region through its goals of education and responsible stewardship. Here are some of the things we’ve done towards addressing those goals in 2014-2015:
- Education: On July 25, 2015 at Hen Island, Charleston Lake, we presented a workshop with American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts at the cottage of John and Rachelle Ross. We hosted Canadians, Americans and other representatives of other Land Trusts. Grant Thornton tax specialists made a presentation. Everyone was comfortable, asking many questions and we are grateful to American Friends for coming here and John and Rachelle for hosting us in their historic Doctor’s cottage. Dwayne Struthers took attendees on an eco-adventure tour to Old Baldy after the meeting. We also sent a member to each OLTA Gathering held in the fall. We are a founding member of this umbrella group for Ontario Land Trusts.
- Stewardship – Easement Management: We monitored all our easement properties: Mackintosh, Ross, Shire/McKillop, and Bell and engaged the public as much as possible to walk the woods and learn about nature.
- Stewardship – Land Acquisition:
- Bostwick Island: Bob Street has been a tireless proponent of the EcoGift Program which he involved in the donation of his 8- acre lot in order to eliminate Capital Gains Tax on all his cottage lots in preparation for the transferring the cottage lots to the next generation. It is gratifying that the entire family was a part of this decision and they are happy with it.
- Old Baldy: We were asked by the Nature Conservancy of Canada to help buy Indian Head aka Old Baldy on Charleston Lake. we started our campaign in November 2014 and by June 3, 2015 were able to pay the first installment of $75,000 towards its purchase. That meant all but 8 acres of the 130-acre property transferred to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Now, we believe we are able to finish the project altogether. The property is owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. They will include any donors of $10,000 from our fundraising, who wish to be mentioned, on the sign when they erect it.
- Griswold Island: The four Peach brothers donated Griswold/Gull Island near Mallorytown Landing to TIWLT and the process was complete in October 2015. John Ambrose is currently working on a management plan (2016) for Griswold and Ice Islands, which are adjacent.
- Huck: Ice Island: Mr. Huck approached us to take his little island near Mallorytown Landing. It is in a good waterfowl shoal area. Much of the background work for the EcoGift was done in the fall of 2015. The transfer was completed in July 2016. He is now selling his cottage property.
- Doctor Island: The Klein/Malloy family decided to sell Buck Island with it’s large, beautifully maintained, historic cottage. They found the price for their two-island property was daunting for most people and they were concerned about the Capital Gains Tax. Their solution was to give Doctor Island, a smaller, totally unspoiled property, to TIWLT through EcoGifts. That process is on-going and in July 2016, Buck Island was sold. Now they will be able to use the charitable receipt from EcoGifts on Doctor Island against their Capital Gains Tax on Buck Island. Doctor is in a difficult location for boat landing and for animals to swim to due to the swiftness of the current. Therefore, it represents an ecology of what naturally grows on the islands. Even the Pitch Pine is regenerating very well.
- Bostwick Island: The process started in 2015 to assist the Marshall family to donate their portion of the Bostwick marsh and forest to add to the Street portion by donating it to TIWLT, again through the Eco-Gift programme.
We are grateful to the donors and volunteers that make this work possible. We have not recognized many of our wonderful donors simply at their request. However, they are deeply appreciated.
Marnie Ross
President of TIWLT as of June 2016
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2014-2015
FINANCIAL SUMMARY REPORT
For the Fiscal Year ending 31 December 2015
Fundraising for Old Baldy was the main campaign this year. A total of $107,043.62 was raised in this year of which $53,807.11 came through the American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts. A first instalment of $75,000 towards the acquisition of the Old Baldy property was paid.
The net income of 2015 was $251,812.28 of which $237,000 is the value of land donations: Griswold Island and Bostwick Island lot. Therefore, the usable net income is $14,812.28.
The Conservation Fund bank account has been closed and consolidated with the Chequing account. You will notice separate headings of Operating and Conservation in the reports. Conservation income and expenses occur with regard to the acquisition and management of land and easements.
Membership fees were increased by $5.00 this year. Increased revenues topped 2014 by $700.
Appraisals and legal fees for Ice, Doctor and Griswold/Gull Islands were substantial i this year.
A further donation of $5,000 was made to Ontario Nature towards the upkeep of the Lost Bay property.
Three GIC’s were due to be renewed this year. The decision was made to combine them into the one GIC . The BMO Rate-Optimizer Plus was the preferred option offering a better rate, plus access to 25% of the outstanding balance once each anniversary year.
Yolande LaPointe
Treasurer
