Areas no longer being studied

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network continues with stewardship activities

Tractor

Don Farrell, long-time board member at the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network (PRWIN), planted over 6,000 seedlings with a machine planter in lieu of PRWIN’s annual 4H tree planting day

June 1, 2020

Ripley, Ont.

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Tractor

Don Farrell, long-time board member at the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network (PRWIN), planted over 6,000 seedlings with a machine planter in lieu of PRWIN’s annual 4H tree planting day

For the past 12 years, the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network (PRWIN) has hosted 4H Conservation Clubs from around the area for their annual tree planting day. Typically, 4H members and volunteers gather together the first Saturday in May to plant close to 5,000 seedlings on a 3-5 acre parcel located on the watershed.

 “At the Pine River Watershed Initiative Network, one of our major focuses is planting more trees in our watershed,” said Don Farrell, long-time board member for PRIWN. “We had to make the difficult decision to postpone our event this year given physical distancing to keep our community safe but we are grateful we were still able to plant over 6,000 seedlings in the watershed with machine planting.”

In the Pine River Watershed, less than 10 per cent of the land is forested, well below the recommended minimum of 30 per cent set by Environment Canada for the support of a healthy wildlife habitat. “Through the cooperation of local landowners and the continued support of our sponsors, including the NWMO, we have been returning pieces of our landscape to forest,” added Farrell. “Since 2000, we have planted over 300,000 trees in the watershed.”

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has been a proud sponsor of this event for the past couple years. “We’re happy to support PRWIN’s vision of clean water and a healthy ecosystem within the Pine River watershed” said Paul Austin, Relationship Manager at the NWMO. “Their great work will create a healthier environment by improving both the local habitat and the water quality in Lake Huron.”

A key requirement of the NWMO’s Adaptive Phased Management program – Canada’s approach for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel – is to protect people and the environment.


About the NWMO

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is a not-for-profit organization tasked with the safe, long-term management of Canada’s used nuclear fuel inside a deep geological repository, in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come.

Founded in 2002, the NWMO has been guided for more than 20 years by a dedicated team of world-class scientists, engineers and Indigenous Knowledge Holders that are developing innovative and collaborative solutions for nuclear waste management. Canada’s plan will only proceed in an area with informed and willing hosts, where the municipality, First Nation and Métis communities, and others in the area are working together to implement it. The NWMO plans to select a site in 2024, and two areas remain in our site selection process: the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area in northwestern Ontario and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario.

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