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Land Donation

Wednesday, 12 March 2014 at 15:11

UTRCA gifted ten acres of swamp land

The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority is adding ten acres of land to their collection.

The Conservation Authority received the donation from Willis Blair to add to the 363 acres of land the Authority already owns. 

Lands and Facilities Coordinator Alex Shivas says this is the first donation they have received in many years for Golspie Swamp in Zorra Township.

"This is significant in a number of ways, it was ten acres that split land that we owned on either side so it was great to have a continuous piece of land that we own and manage within the swamp."

The UTRCA says the donated property is an important site for biodiversity in the region and the standing water throughout the year provides habitat for many unique wetland-dependent plants and animals. 

Shivas says the land had been in the Blair family for more than 100 years. 

"Really nothing can be done with the land and it is provincially significant. There are several reasons why people donate it, they want to make sure the land is protected in the future and I'm sure they want to stop paying taxes on a piece of property that's very difficult to even know where it is within the swamp."

Golspie Swamp is located in Zorra Township just west of Woodstock on Road 74 and east of Line 43 and is also known as Critter Line due to the number of wildlife sightings. 

"We went through Eco Gifts through Environment Canada and we needed to obtain an appraisal and a survey, etc. so it does take quite a few years to complete the process and the land was valued at $2000 an acre so we acquired $20,000 worth of property."

Shivas says the Blair family was issued a tax receipt for the donation. 

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