Land Securement

The Foundation helped its partners to obtain land according to its Land Securement Strategy. ORMF activities complemented and benefited the various parties involved in land securement along the Moraine. The Foundation worked with other partners to set mutual goals for land securement, and sought agreements with partners on multi-property and multi-year securement projects. Securement was undertaken in the form of fee simple purchase, donations or easements.

Securement activities that were given priority for ORMF funding included those that helped in:

• securing a route for the Oak Ridges Trail System; securing critical natural areas that enhance or strengthen existing holdings; restoring natural linkages where it can be demonstrated that resulting connections improve ecological integrity; and
• protecting key water resources, such as wetlands, kettle lakes or buffers for cold-water streams.

The Foundation applied a series of criteria to all proposals for securing land on the Moraine:

• Partnership support of at least 2:1 in matching funds; Viability or condition of habitat and the potential for restoration; Properties containing proportionally higher amounts of desired features will be favoured; Degree of threat to the values of a property; Potential for synergy through multiple benefits or by enhancing adjacent values;
• Provision for the long term management or stewardship of property.

Further reading: Land Securement Strategy (PDF:426 KB)