PREFACE The Ministry of Natural Resources has three broad programs: outdoor recreation, resource products and land management. l The achievement of the objectives of these programs requires the use of large areas of land and water. The Ministry normally achieves a large part of its 2 objectives through the use of Crown lands. In Ontario, the Ministry of Natural Resources is the official custodian and manager of Crown land which covers some 87 percent of the Province. In the Cornwall District however, less than 2 percent of the land base is Crown; an additional 2 percent is directly managed by the Ministry. The Ministry must therefore achieve a significant portion of its objectives by encouraging appropriate uses of private land. As a result of the foregoing conditions, the potential for land use conflicts and inefficiencies is very high in'the Cornwall District. The need for land use planning to avoid these problems is urgently required. An overall planning approach has been established to co- ordinate all the land using programs of the Ministry. This concept finds expression in a strategic land use plan, which is a document stating in general terms how the Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to use or inFluence the use of land and water in Ontario. The strategic land use plan will be prepared at two levels --- for the province as a whole and for each of three regional areas, northwestern, northeastern and southern Ontario. 1 I Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources, A Guide to Organization and Management System, Ministry of Natural Resources, 1972. 2~heneverthe term Crown I1landlt is used it refers to lands both above and below water. At the district level, a third level of planning, local in nature, I involves a series of more detailed local or district strategies which will be developed consistent with provincial and regional I strategic land use plans. This report contains information useful for the development of a district land use plan1 for Cornwall District. 1. Twc) terms, "plan" and "strategy", have been used interchangeably in Ministry planning literature to date. All future planning doc:uments will use the term "strategyttto avoid possible confusion. CORNWALL DISTRICT LAND use PLAN, BACKGROUND INFORMATION' Page Preface 1.1 Plan Procedure 1.2 Data Description 1.3 Plan Revision 2.0 Gerieral Description 2.1 Regional Setting 2.2 Climate 2.3 Lar..dscapeDescription 2.3.1 Relief 2.3.2 Bedrock Geology 2.3.3 Surficial Geology 2.3.4 Soils 2.4 Vegetation 2.4.1 Woodlands 2.4.2 Cleared Agricultural Lands 2.4.3 Wetlands 2.5 Drainage Basins 2.6 Fish and Wildlife 2.7 Early History 2.8 Population & Employment 2.8.1 Population 2.8.2 Employment 2.9 Land Tenure 2.10 Trar~sportationFacilities 2.10.1 Roads 2.10.2 Railways 2.10.3 Air Service 2.1C .4 Water 2.11 Utilities 2.11.1 Power Generation & Transmission 2.11.2 Pipelines 2.11.3 Water Supplies & Sewage Treatment 2.12 Present ~e~$eeof Development Page 3.0 Itesource Analysis 3.1 Minerals and Aggregates 3.1.1 Mineral Potential & Occurrences 3.1.2 Aggregate Potential 3.1.3 Historical Development 3.1.4 Present Activities 3.1.5 Resource Analysis and Trends 3.2 Forest Lands 3.2.1 Timber Use Capability 3.2.2 Historical Development 3.2.3 Present Activities 3.2.4 Resource Analysis and Trends 3.3 Agricultural Lands 3.3.1 Agricultural Land Capability 3.3.2 Historical Development 3.3.3 Present Activities 3.3.4 Resource Analysis and Trends 3.4 Fisheries 3.4.1 Hisborical Development 3.4.2 Fish Productivity 3.4.3 Fish Species, Occurence and Habitat 3.4.4 Sport Fishery 3.4.5 Commercial Fishery 3.4.6 Resource Analysis and Trends 3.5 Wildlife I 3.5.1 Habitat Status 3.5.2 Wildlife Capability 3.5.3 Current Status and Use a) White Tailed Deer h) Moose :) Waterfowl d) Srn:~llGame 3.5.4 Present Commercial Activities a) Trapping 3.5.5 Non-Consumptive Wildlife-Oriented Activities 3.5.6 Resource Analysis & Trends 3.6 Tourism and Outdoor Recreation 3.6.1 Outdoor Recreation Capability 3.6.2 Historical Development 3.6.3 Present Recreation Activity a) Public (i) Provincial Parks (ii) Park Reserves (iii) Crown Lands (iv) Agreement Forests (v) St. Lawrence Parks Commission (vi) Travelling & Viewing b) Private (i) Cottages (ii) Commercial Facilities 3.6.4 Resource Analysis and Trends 4.0 Land Use Constraints and Planning 4.1 Sensitive Areas 4.2 Environmental Constraints 4.3 Disposition Controls 4.4 Ministry Plans 4.4.1 Outdoor Recreation Group 4.4.2 Forest Resources Group 4.4.3 Lands and Waters Group 4.4.4 Mineral Resources Group 4.5 Other Plans 4.5.1 Ministry of Treasury, Economics and Intergovernmental Affairs 4.5.2 Municipal Official ~lans/Ministryof Housing 4.5.3 Ministry of Agriculture and Food 4.5.4 Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Planning Study ( TORPS ) 4.5.5 Ministry of Industry and Tourism 4.5.6 Conservation Authorities 4.5.7 Ontario Hydro 4.5.8 Federal Department o:f Regional Economic Expansion ( DREE ) 5.0 Problems and Issues 5.1 Ministry Programs 5.1.1 Unauthorized Occupation 5.1.2 Fish and Wildlife 5.1.3 Timber 5.1.4 Parks and Recreation 5.1.5 Hazard Lands 5.1.6 Sensitive Areas 5.2 Ministry - Other Agency 5.2.1 Interprovincial Boundary Negotiations 5.2.2 Water Management 5.2.3 Water Quality 5.2.4 Conservation Authorities 5.2.5 Other Agencies 5.3, Ministry - Private Sector 5.3.1 St. Regis Indian Reserve 5.3.2 Aggregates and Soils 5.3.3 Urban - Rural Dichotolny Following LIST OF MAPS Page Regional Setting Topography Bedrock Geology Surficial ~eology Watersheds Location of Dams Land Tenure Transportation Facilities Utilities Generalized Degree of Development Mineral Potential Aggregate Mining Operations Generalized Timber Capabi.Lity Woodlands Improvement Act Agreements Forest Industries and Wood Flow Future Timber Production Areas Generalized Agriculture Capability Fish Spawning Areas General Wildlife Habitat Generalized Wildlife Capability Wintering Areas for Deer Commercial Fur Industry Outdoor Recreation Capability Provincial Recreation Fac.ilities Distribution of Private Cottages ~ommercialRecreation Facilities Recreation Oriented AccommodationEstablishments Sensitive Areas Planning Areas LIST OF TABLES Page Tab 1e Population by Official Language 15 Urban - Rural Population (1976) 15 Population 15 Employment 17 Land Tenure 18 Community Water Supply 22 Sewage Treatment Facilities 23 Active Aggregate Extraction Operations 26 Estimated Employment - Wood:; Industry (1977) 32 Areas for Agriculture by Soil Capability 39 Relative Sport Fish Catch Per Unit Effort From Districtwaters 47 Annual Catch and Value of Commercial Fish Harvest 50 Hunting Oriented Recreation 57 Fur Production 1976-1977 61 Provincial Parks Facilities and Use 66 Recreation Oriented Accommoclation 71 Number of Person-Visits to Clntario and Related 72 Travel Expenditure Official Plans 82 Wood Movement into Cornwall District Mills 90 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Plan Procedure The Cornwall District Land Use Plan will deal with the means of achieving objectives and targets for Ministry of Natural Resourcest programs at the local level. The purpose of a district land use plan is to: . provide a framework for efficient resource management; . promote good land use practices through Ministry programs; . aid in the avoidance and resolution of conflicts; . provide assistance to municipalities in the preparation of official plans and for making land use decisions; . provide assistance to other agencies and ministries involved in planning. Additional planning for resource management purposes on individual sites will be required and will be carried out by the appropriate operational units of the Ministry. A planning procedure, based upon the Ministry of Natural Resources Guidelines for Land Use Planning, will be followed for the preparation of loci31 plans. The process is grouped into seven steps: First - ESTABLISH THE TEIWS OF REFERENCE Second - COLLECT AND ANALYSE INFORMATION Third - DEVELOP THE POLIC!Y (OBJECTIVES AM1 TARGETS) Fourth - DEVELOP THE CONCEPTUAL LAND USE PLAN Fifth - DEVELOP THE LAND USE PLAN Sixth - DEVELOP THE REVIEW PROCEDURE Seventh - PLAN APPROVAL AND IMPLEMENTATION It is important to note that a continuous program of public participation is an integral part of this planning process. 1.2 Data Description All of the information included in the report is readily available in Ministry of Natural Resources files, Statistics Canada publications and other standard reference sources. The information displayed is selective in nature, and has frequently been conso1idat;ed for presentation so as to give the reader a generalized overview of the district and its resources. New information will be incorporated into the planning process as it becomes available. 1.3 Plan Revision It is possible that revision of this plan will be necessary even in the short term. The need for revision may result from significant changes in physical state, public wishes or Ministry policy. Revisions, when required, will be undertaken upon the decision and direction of the District Manager. The p,lanning procedure, including public participation, should be repeated for any revision. -3- 2.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION 2.1 Regional Setting The Cornwall District is one of six administrative Districts in the Eastern Region (Map 1) and covers an area of 5,594 square kilometers. The district includes 22 townships within the United Counties of Prescott and Russell and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. It is bounded to the north by the Ottawa River, to the east by the Province of Quebec, to the south by the St. Lawrence River and ,to the west by the Brockville and Ottawa Districts. The major urban centres in the district are Cornwall and Hawkesbury.