Indicate how and to what extent local people living within or near the Biosphere Reserve.
Have been associated with the biosphere reserve nomination:
The idea of a biosphere reserve was first raised informally in 1981 by an inter-university group studying "Great Lakes Ecosystem Rehabilitation" during a meeting attended by local staff of several government agencies. There were several informal expressions of interest. This was followed up by a series of meetings and correspondance through the Canada/MAB Working Group on Biosphere Reserves with officials at different administrative levels in agencies having management responsibilities over much of the area, and with representatives of private sector organizations of property owners in the area. This process was continued over a three year period until sufficient support for a biosphere reserve nomination was obtained to the satisfaction of the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources which had major management responsibilties for the area. The nomination went forward in 1985 and was approved by UNESCO in April 1986.
Initially, organizational arrangements for a biosphere reserve were being thought of in terms of inter-agency cooperation among authorities over different components of the biosphere reserve, guided by a shared understanding of the larger ecosystem in which they operated. At public meetings to explain the concept and this interpretation of it, it became clear that people from local community groups were interested in being involved, and the agencies saw considerable merit in cultivating this kind of public support.
From late 1985 to early 1990, there were several attempts initiated by people associated with community organizations to design an effective model for a biosphere reserve organization that would be inclusive of the range of interests that the community groups had in it. Options considered at different times included an informal "Friends of Long Point", a Steering Committee drawn from major agencies and other organizations, through to a rather complex 40 member Working Group with special advisory committees. These options were brought before specially convened community meetings for debate. All the while, a number of the functions of a biosphere reserve were being carried out by existing agencies and non-governmental groups in the area.
The format finally decided upon in 1989 was a non-profit corporation with membership open to whoever wanted to join, and a 15 member executive committee elected for three year terms, once renewable. One-third of the executive committee is elected at each annual meeting in order to give an orderly turnover of expertise. This organization was incorporated and received charitable status under provincial law in 1993 as "The Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation", and these arrangements have worked quite smoothly throughout the past decade.
Participate in the decision process and management resources:
Compared to the situation when the biosphere reserve was designated in 1986, the relative role of governmental conservation and resource management agencies has declined because of reductions in budget and staff. The number of local NGOs involved in conservation and wildlife; hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation; local land use and development; environmental protection; and local cultural heritage and tourism, has increased to at least 40, and the LPBR activities are carried out in cooperation with various sub-sets of these groups.
The LPBR is run by volunteers from among its members. Members of the Executive Committee act in their own capacity, not as "representatives' of particular interests. Nominating committees have sought to maintain a diverse range of experience associated with the occupations of people elected to the Executive. Local business people, farmers, foresters, biologists, engineers, teachers, writers, and civil servants (acting in their own capacity) from federal, provincial, regional and local muncipal bodies have all at various times served on this committee. A significant minority of them have been retirees. In the process, this array of expertise has helped link the LPBR within larger community networks. There are now over 50 people in the community who at some point have served on the Executive Committee of the LPBR, and with the other organizational affiliations many of them retain, there is considerable acceptance of the biosphere reserve within the community. The potential for the LPBR to foster informal communication and cooperation through horizontal networks has been recognized, and is seen by some in the community to be the most important role for the the biosphere reserve.
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