Piece of South Frontenac now UN Biosphere
-Wilma Kenny

A bit of South Frontenac township became part of a new UN Biosphere Reserve earlier this month. The triangle of land from the St. Lawrence Islands Park up to Westport and curving down around Frontenac Park has been designated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) as the Thousand Islands Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve.

It recognizes the unusual nature of the lower part of the Canadian Shield known as the Frontenac Arch, where the St. Lawrence spills over it, forming the Thousand Islands.

Biosphere reserves have three functions: conservation in the core areas, development in the surrounding areas that is sustainable, and support for research, monitoring, communication and education. The designation is symbolic and completely non-regulatory. It places no restrictions on private property rights or any level of government, nor does it affect the tax base.

The two core protected natural areas are the St. Lawrence Islands National Park and Charleston Lake Provincial Park. Also within the biosphere are Queen's University Biological Station, several conservation areas, part of the lower Rideau Canal, and the City of Brockville. An estimated 50,000 people live and work in the area. Residents aren't likely to notice any immediate effects of this program, although long-range benefits may include increased local employment and international tourism.

A background study notes that although "the natural landscape of this area has been altered to meet economic and social development needs sine the arrival of the earliest settlers, remarkably, semi-wilderness areas persist." Oral histories and personal observation suggest that although the human population in South Frontenac has increased over the 20th century, so have the wildlife populations. There are more forests now than 100 years ago. Perhaps the biosphere recognition will help us continue to learn new ways to live here without destroying our surroundings.