Stewardship Agreements & Plans 

Agreements: Stewardship agreements are used by various organizations as an informal way for landowners to have a simple and generally non-binding way of carrying out personal conservation activities, perhaps with the assistance of the organization, on their land. Some land trusts enter into such agreements with landowners. The stewardship agreement activity is more active with Stewardship Councils, a county –level program of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

Stewardship Councils, with community volunteer councilors, undertake many types of conservation program activities. These may include stream bank restoration, tree planting, nesting platform construction or nest box programs, among others. Such activities are sometimes done on Crown Lands, but most often on private lands. In this case, the projects are only entered into with the agreement and permission of landowners. Visit the websites of the Leeds County Stewardship Council and Grenville Land Stewardship Council.

Plans: A property may have many uses, in the eyes of the owner. The land might be a source of income from timber, a home for wildlife, recreation or any number of uses and combinations of use. Stewardship Councils have a template for planning for landowner stewardship programs at the individual landowner level, designed to help each landowner realize the values that are important to each property. The booklet A Guide to Stewardship Planning for Natural Areas; second edition available at Stewardship Council offices; or through:

The Ministry of Natural Resources
300 Water Street
Peterborough  ON K9J 8M5