Land tenure of each zone
Percentage of ownership in terms of national, state/provincial, local government, private, etc...
Core Area(s): National ~50%; ~private 50%.
Buffer Zone(s): "Open access" water ~72%; private ~15%; national 5%; provincial 6%
Transition Area(s): Private 55%; provincial 45%.
Foreseen changes in land tenure.
Continuing pressures are expected to promote the expansion of marinas and associated service facilities along the Inner Bay of Long Point. The Ontario government passed legislation in December 1999 to disband the Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk as of January 2001, and have the land use planning and other responsibilities revert to the former Counties of Haldimand and Norfolk. The latter would have to deal with various ad hoc private development initiatives in the area of the biosphere reserve.
Is there a land acquisition programme, to purchase private lands, or plans for privatisation of public lands?
Government agencies have experienced considerable budget reductions over the past decade. The St. Williams Forestry Station was "privatized" in 1998. At the same time, some fiscal and legal restrictions on the donation of conservation lands and holding of easements have encouraged more private land stewardship. A local Long Point Basin Land Trust was established in 1995 and is a trustee for forest tracts acquired by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in the transition area / zone of cooperation. NCC has also acquired some lands that serve as a buffer on the mainland side of the Big Creek marsh.
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