$1.8 million dollars is generated in user fees. They claim to manage any where between 8000 and 12000 acres depending on what document you read. I'm not sure that they actually know themselves since every report I've read is different.
In 2011, the LPRCA sold the 875 acre Backus Woods to The Nature Conservancy of Canada for $5.25 million.
This money is claimed to have been put into an endowment fund where it will collect interest for the future. The LPRCA still lists the Backus Woods as one of their holdings, so I'm not sure if they actually sold it or just haven't updated their website in a couple of years. I see that they have also listed the Anderson Tract and the South Walsingham Sand Ridge property but I thought I read somewhere that NCC claimed ownership of those properties. Were they also sold to The NCC? We will likely never know since they are very careful in hiding their financial documents. I've never been able to locate a balance sheet for LPRCA. How's that for transparency? More like the invisible man.
Let's analyze the Backus Woods sale.
875 acres of prime forest sold at $6000 per acre. The purchases that NCC made using their Trust accounts clearly shows that they are buying land in Norfolk for $9,600 on average per acre (4-5 years previously). Using their average buying rates the sale of Backus Woods was short sold by $2.4 million and should have went for at least $8,400,000. Did other companies have the option to buy Backus in a competitive situation or was this a closed door sale?
LPRCA netted $4,933,909 on the sale. At 4% interest the ROI would be $197,356.36 per year.
This assumes that you can get 4% in these economic times and with no managements fees.
An investment of $8 million would net you $320,000 per year so this under market price sale is losing $120,000 per year. Since tax payers have been funding the LPRCA for years it was actually the tax payers property and the directors of the company did not look after their best interests in the sale. I would guess that other properties have been sold but were just never mentioned publicly.
The LPRCA is in a precarious financial situation but the $5 million certainly buys them some breathing room. Since the Board of Directors are the same people in charge of the Norfolk County's finances is there any wonder that both are losing money rapidly? The usual suspects bleeding us dry.
http://genforum.genealogy.com/backhouse/messages/302.html
Let's assume that LPRCA actually owns 8000 acres with 2400 of that being Parks. 5600 acres for sale at $6000 would be a net of $33,600,000. I'd drive a hard bargain and for the mere price of $9,500 per acre NCC could have all of LPRCA's holdings except for the Parks for a cool $53.2 million. I'd sell off the prestigious Head Office building in Tilsonburg, and build a new building closer to their main holdings in Norfolk County. Norfolk is getting 52% of the bill so why shouldn't there be an opportunity to recoup some of that back with the property tax on the new commercial building?
You didn't see The Nature Conservancy of Canada using commercial space in Simcoe now did you? Of course not, they just winked at the County and had the Bylaw changed so that they could rezone an Agricultural / Hazard Land area for their office. Who would question them? The LPRCA? Do as we say not do what we do. The rules only apply to citizens, not those creating the laws.
Here's some more information and statistics for your enjoyment :
Financial Details as of 2011. 2012 is not updated as of yet.
http://www.opencharity.ca/charity/107642670RR0001/2011-12-31
Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA) is a community-based
environmental agency that works closely with municipal, provincial
and federal government partners, landowners and community organizations
to manage the water and other natural resources in the watershed for
everyone’s benefit.
One of the particular highlights of 2011 was establishing a perpetual
fund to support LPRCA’s conservation education programs. This
was made possible with the sale of Backus Woods to the Nature
Conservancy of Canada for $5.25 million, thanks to the generosity
of the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. The majority of the proceeds
of the sale were placed into two endowment funds with the interest
generated to be used to fund conservation education programs and
acquire future properties.
The Long Point Region Conservation Authority
welcomed a new Board of Directors in 2011 – made up
entirely of elected municipal representatives from across
the watershed.
Norfolk County
Councillor Betty Chanyi
Councillor Michael Columbus
Councillor Roger Geysens, Vice Chair
Mayor Dennis Travale
Haldimand County
Councillor Leroy Bartlett
Councillor Craig Grice
County of Brant &
Township of Norwich
Councillor Robert Chambers
Municipality of Bayham &
Township of Malahide
Councillor Ed Ketchabaw
Oxford County
Councillor Dave Beres
Town of Tillsonburg
Councillor Ron Sackrider, Chair
Township of South West Oxford
----------------------------------------------------
High lights for 2011
This year 103,060 trees and shrubs were planted on private land.
Forestry Sales of $648,908
MNR rules curtail logging for LPRCA
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2012/02/01/mnr-rules-curtail-logging-for-lprca-2-----------------------------------------------------
Lands Secured (in Acres)
Municipality of Bayham 75
County of Brant 1501.5
Haldimand County 177
Township of Malahide 0
Norfolk County 8051.60 ***sold 875 acres (6000 per acre)
Township of Norwich 750.00
Township of SW Oxford 381.00
Township of Tillsonburg 22.50
Total 10,958.60
The Long Point Region Conservation Authority owns and manages more
than 2,400 acres of conservation areas, including 5 parks.
The Authority is often best known for operating Backus Heritage (Port Rowan),
Deer Creek (Langton), Haldimand (Selkirk), Norfolk (Port Ryerse) and
Waterford North (Waterford).
In 2011,there were 278,250 visitors.
------------------------------------------------------------
Expenditures $3,576,923 (2013)
Corporate Services $842,090 (or $44,320 for each Admin staff)
19 Administration Staff
4 Staff at Backus Heritage CA
1 Staff at Waterfowl Mgmt Area
Parks $547,890
Backus Heritage $457,632
Watershed Management $612,211
------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue $8,516,358 (2011)
Backus Woods Sale Profit $4,933,909
After Sale Revenue $3,582,449
Fees collected $1,795,716
Provincial Funding $68,240
Municipal Levy $1,069,585
52% of the Municipal Levy comes from Norfolk.
22% Oxford
15% Haldimand
6% Brant
4% Bayham
1% Malahide
-----------------------------------------------------------
2013 Budget Levy
% $ Cost per acre
Norfolk 52.77% $595,070 $73.91
Oxford 21.58% $243,303 $210.93
Haldimand 14.84% $167,283 $945.10
Brant 5.92% $61,785 $41.15
Bayham 4.15% $46,743 $623.24
Malahide 0.68% $7,630 $7,630
Total $327.20 cost per acre.
Total expenses for 2013 $3,585,693
I feel sorry for Malahide. They don't have any property there but still get a bill for $7,630 every year. Then again after seeing how much Norfolk pays, I'd like to thank Malahide for helping us out with the tab.
------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/2012/01/16/geysens-elected-lprca-chair
According to their website LPRCA claims they own these properties :
Natural Heritage Woodland Properties.
1. Anderson Tract- 35 ac - 14 ha
2. Backus Woods- 788 ac - 319 ha
3. Harris, Harris, Floyd Tract- 150 ac - 61 ha
4. Carr Tract - 50 ac - 20 ha
5. Earl, Danylevich Tract - 35 ac - 14 ha
6. Mackay, Baker, Lipsett, Penner Tract - 105 ac - 43 ha
7. Hepburn Tract - 78 ac - 32 ha
8. Harvey Tract - 90 ac - 36 ha
9 . South Walsingham Sand Ridges - 195 ac - 79ha
10 . Watson CA - 307 ac - 124 ac
11. Burwell Tract - 100 ac - 41 ha
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