 | This 50-foot bridge is one of the improvements recently made to the Two Creeks Conservation Area east of Iroquois. Although not yet fully developed, the park is open to the public and offers about 4 ½ kilometers of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing.
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Finch - November 28, 2011 - Work continues on the latest addition to South Nation Conservation’s network of natural parks and hiking trails dotting the 4,000 square-km. watershed.
Set on 457 acres of land along County Road 2 between Morrisburg and Iroquois, Two Creeks Conservation Area was acquired by SNC after Cornwall’s Domtar Inc. ceased operations.
"The property was the jewel of Domtar’s Eastern Ontario holdings and inevitably would have been cleared for other uses had SNC not agreed to purchase it," said Martin Streit, formerly with Domtar and now a regional stewardship council coordinator.
Streit noted that when Domtar agreed to keep the parcel in its natural state under jurisdiction of a conservation agency, the primary goal was to ensure that the new owner would preserve it for the enjoyment of local residents.
That’s exactly the approach SNC has taken in rehabilitating the property, said Lawrence Levere, an area resident and chairman of the Conservation Authority.
"Two Creeks is indeed a jewel," Levere said, adding that the main entrance will soon be marked with Two Creeks Conservation Area signs. "It offers endless recreational possibilities both to local families and to visitors… as do all of our natural spaces."
SNC credits Don Graham, of the DIAMONDS Conservation Land Trust, with helping to get the project started. Graham has said publicly the future now looks "rosy" for Two Creeks which he called a boost for South Dundas Township.
Among improvements undertaken by SNC are a parking lot expansion with addition of 120 tonnes of gravel; 4.5 kms of marked trail with addition of 150 tonnes of gravel; and two new foot bridges. Hunting and motorized vehicles are prohibited but hiking and cross-country skiing are welcome.
As the name suggests, there are two creeks running through the property which will be accessible by trail in future phases of improvements to be undertaken depending on usage. Eventually, there could be more than 10 km of trails.
The site is graced with forest “compartments”, from plantations, to natural lowland hardwoods, to grassland flood plains, making it unique and diverse. The property, said Senior Forestry Technician Chris Craig, is home to many bird species, animals and plants.
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