NPCA's initiatives in

1. OURWATERS
OURLANDS
OURLEGACY
OURLIFE

2. INNPCAHISTORY
BIGGEST,BOLDEST,MOSTROBUSTINITIATIVES

3. 100-YEAR LAND PLAN
OBJECTIVE:
Acquire 25,000-40,000 acres over the next 100 years.
• NPCA currently manages 7,500 acres
• The 100-Year Land Plan sees us acquiring approximately 250 acres/year
• The plan will require involvement from all levels of government, various
foundations and community partners, as well as donations.
• Master Plans for all acquired lands will be prepared, with a focus on
acquiring:
• Wildlife Migration Corridors
• Quality Habitat
• Unique lands, many of which will require massive restoration
• High value ecological lands
• Enhanced Bio-Diversity
• Recreational Uses

4. 100-YEAR WATER QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT PLAN
OBJECTIVE:
Incrementally improve ground water and surface water health throughout the
watershed.
By committing to undertake a program to improve the quality of the water
within our local watercourses, the NPCA is also committing to improve
the quality and health of the associated ecosystems. The benefits of
implementing a 100-year water quality improvement strategy are numerous.
They include:
• Addressing the risks to human health, wildlife, and aquatic organisms
posed by on-going environmental degradation.
• Ensuring that the Niagara Peninsula Watershed is a source of safe, high-
quality drinking, irrigation, and well water.
• Promoting clean water within our creeks and rivers free from harmful
nutrients, chemicals, and bacteria.
• Supporting healthy and productive aquatic habitats that sustain resilient
populations of native species.
• Allowing for swimming, boating, fishing, and other recreational uses
unrestricted by environmental concerns.
Some primary indicators to determine if this 100-year water quality
improvement strategy is succeeding can be taken as:
• The reduction and eventual elimination of beach closures on both Lake
Ontario and Lake Erie.
• The improved water quality results for each subwatershed (over 10 year
increments) in the NPCA’s annual Water Quality Monitoring report.
• An improved variety, quality, and number of aquatic insects, minnows,
and fish within our local creeks and rivers.
• The improved colour, clarity, and odour of the water within our local
creeks, rivers, and Great Lakes shorelines.
• The reduction and eventual elimination of algae blooms within our local
creeks, rivers, and Great Lakes Shorelines.

5. 1 MILLION TREES &
3 MILLION NATIVE SPECIES PLANTS
OBJECTIVE:
Plant 1,000,000 trees and 3,000,000 million native species plants throughout
the watershed.
Thank Ernest Grimo (Grimm Oh) of Grimo Nut Nurseries who sourced the
native Shagbark Hickory seeds we are handing out today from a tree grown
on his property in NOTL
THE BENEFITS OF TREES:
• Improve water quality
• Improve air quality
• Improve Animal Habitat
• Helps reduce soil erosion
• Helps hold soil moisture
• Help increase groundwater recharging.
• Helps moderate temperature
• Trees and Contact with Nature, assist in human health and increased
mental health,
• Reduction of airborne pollutants and reducing cardia disease, stroke and
asthma
• Trees placed properly can reduce noise by 40%
THE BENEFIT OF NATIVE PLANT SPECIES:
• Help maintain biodiversity
• Benefit native wildlife, including insects (food source preferences)
• Conserve water (require less water)
• Require less maintenance to ensure survival
• High rate of survival/propagation

6. LEAD ROLE IN CLIMATE CHANGE
MITIGATION
OBJECTIVE:
To be a lead authority in government on climate change mitigation and a
local expert on direct affects to our watershed and lands.
• Climate change is a critical issue of our time.
• The NPCA is a local watershed management agency that delivers
programs to manage and protect water and other natural resources.
• Climate Change will threaten our water resources, these include:
decreased water quality and supply (quantity), increased flooding and
erosion due to more frequent extreme events, increased drought and
degraded biodiversity.
• Our water resources are at risk due to the diverse range of possible
impacts. This resource once impacted will affect the health of our
communities and businesses.
• Understanding of the NPCA’s watersheds are fundamental to
successfully addressing the various issues impacted by climate change.
• Through studies and data collection, enabled by partnerships, the NPCA
has the information and knowledge on which to base future adaptation
initiatives.
• Through flood plain mapping and modelling we can minimize risk to
communities while allowing us to monitor change over time.
• NPCA has strong networks: Water Level and Precipitation stations,
Water Quality Stations, Groundwater monitors. All these stations are
collecting the necessary data needed to make informed decisions on a
watershed scale.
• The NPCA is well positioned to be a lead within our jurisdiction to help
implement initiatives to address the impacts to watershed management
and our water resources under a changing climate
• We cannot do this by ourselves there will need to be many stakeholders
involved and willing to help push innovation and adaptation

7. NEW PARTNERSHIPS &
DIALOGUE WITH THE PEOPLE
OF THE WATERSHED
OBJECTIVE:
Work with all members of our community to engage in meaningful, open
dialogue that helps us all better serve our watershed and our lands.
The foundation of success, we will initiate, foster, and grow existing
relationships in order to empower everyone to engage with NPCA. We
will grow our volunteer base from 700 to 5,000+ over the next 4 years,
and expand partnerships with EOIs, other Conservation Authorities and
Conservation Ontario. Because the watershed affects everyone, we have a
myriad of partners. For example:
• Our neighbours
• People who use Conservation Areas
• Local school boards
• Brock University
• Niagara College
• The Niagara Bruce Trail Club
• local politicians
• municipalities
• First Nations and Métis,
• Local tourism associations and businesses
• The Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Fund
• Local nature clubs
• The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
• The Niagara Escarpment Commission
• Landowners
• Arts Communities
• All People of the Watershed

8. LEADING & LEARNING ORGANIZATION
OBJECTIVE:
To be continuously informed and educated in order to lead and share in best
practices with all members of our community.
A multifaceted approach which includes technological advancement, staff
training and career planning, educational partnerships, and community
engagement with those directly affected by best practices will support the
success of leading and learning.

9. INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY &
DATA INTEGRATION
OBJECTIVE:
Implement technology in order to maximize accuracy and efficiency in the
management of our watershed.
• NPCA manages technology to organize and store data so that it can be
rapidly discovered, analyzed and visualized in its day-to-day operations
so that staff have the best information available to them to perform their
roles.
• This means NPCA will make sure it develops the appropriate information
to perform its roles and responsibilities.
• This includes keeping inventories and assessments of the surface water
and natural area features in the watershed current for operational use
and the development of management recommendations.
• Natural hazard data will be refined to provide as transparent a picture as
possible as to the geographic footprint of the Authority’s regulation and
so that staff are prepared to answer more confidently to inquiries.
• Map based Common Operating Pictures will be developed for our Flood
Forecasting and Warning, and Conservation Areas Asset Inventory
responsibilities.
• As Niagara’s emerging local trusted science broker, the NPCA will
continue to make its data and information available to the public through
its own Open Data initiative.
• We look forward to selecting and implementing an Electronic Content
Management solution to assists with our records management and
retention needs. Customer Relationship Management will also be
integrated to help manage its valuable relationships
• Above all, NPCA will be looking to use technology innovatively to
improve its programs and services with superior decision-making
support.

10. ESTABLISH ANNUAL WATERSHED
CHAMPIONS AWARDS PROGRAM
OBJECTIVE:
Recognize and celebrate the members of our community who are
demonstrating excellence in watershed protection practices within their
specific sectors.
These sectors may include:
• Education (institutions or individuals)
• Industry
• Environmental organizations and groups
• Agriculture and farming
• Municipalities
• Home builders and developers