Contact Number:  705-457-8780 

Email Address: info@haliburtonatv.com  

Website: https://haliburtonatv.com/

While the statement includes perspectives from several organizations — such as the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), Ontario Trails Protection Alliance (OTPA), and others — HATVA’s position has not been publicly included.

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) has expressed a broader commitment to engaging with motorized trail users, and references collaboration with the off-road community in general. However, there is currently no direct comment or endorsement from HATVA included in the official statement.

As discussions around Crown land designations continue, it's important to ensure clarity around which organizations are actively participating — and which are not — in shaping or endorsing these proposals.

Contact Number: 705-328-0931/705-328-4482  

Website: https://katva.ca/

Mailing Address: PO Box 21, Lindsay, ON  K9V 4R8 

In the Joint Statement supporting the proposed Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve (MKCR), Carolyn Richards, President of the Kawartha ATV Association (KATVA), says:

“By working together with HHLT, the off-road community can build a sustainable model that can be used across the province to protect trail access as Crown land designations change and conservation efforts evolve.”

At first glance, it sounds cooperative — even optimistic.

But read it again. Carefully.

This isn’t just about one reserve. This is about building a model — a framework meant to be replicated across Ontario. A model built not by the public, but by land trusts, external funders, and conservation strategists.

“As Crown land designations change…”

That single phrase should set off alarms.

It’s an open admission that land use is already shifting — and instead of defending long-standing access rights, we’re helping usher in a system that accepts those changes as inevitable.

And not just accepts them — endorses them.

This is how trail systems — yours, mine, and everyone else's — become test cases in a province-wide rollout of “cooperative” conservation. Once implemented, these models can lock in new land use policies with minimal local oversight, guided instead by well-funded external players and evolving provincial frameworks.

This isn’t the protection of what we have.
It’s the quiet restructuring of how land use is decided — and who gets a seat at that table.

Let’s be honest: if this was about safeguarding access, it would be about standing firm as policy changes, not adapting to fit within them.

Contact info: info@oftr.ca
Website: https://oftr.ca
Phone: 1-855-637-6387
Address: 246372 Hockley Road, Mono, ON L9W 6K4

Lisa Thomson, OTPA Chair
Email: Lisa.thompson@oftr.ca
Phone: 705-466-2747 

In the Joint Statement on the proposed Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve (MKCR), Joel Castonguay, OFTR President, stated:

“We certainly had some initial concerns... but after a really good exchange, it’s clear we’ve got a tremendous opportunity to protect and grow our access.”

The quote reflects a shift in tone — from concern to optimism. But this message was shared publicly on behalf of Ontario’s trail riders, without any clear indication that the broader riding community was consulted.

When permanent Crown land designations are being proposed, riders deserve more than a statement.
They deserve to be asked.

Contact information: https://www.of4wd.com

President: Peter Wood

Email: info@of4wd.com

Address: 420 Main Street East, Unit 720, Milton, ON L9T 5G3 

In the Joint Statement regarding the proposed Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve (MKCR), Peter Wood, President of OF4WD, stated:

“This is a great and ground-breaking opportunity to work together with the conservation community on what we hope will be a long-term, collaborative effort.”

The tone is optimistic, highlighting the potential for partnership. But it also raises an important question: who is this collaboration actually with?

OF4WD’s quote refers to working with the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) — but HHLT will not manage the land if MKCR is designated.

Conservation Reserves in Ontario are managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) — not by land trusts, not by trail groups, and not by partner organizations.

Once designated, decisions about permitted uses, restrictions, and land access are made by the Province, through a Conservation Reserve Manager. Neither HHLT nor OF4WD will have authority over those decisions.

So while the word “collaborative” appears in the statement, the reality is that final control does not rest with the people sitting around the table today.

Real collaboration includes decision-making power.
In this case, that power resides entirely with the Province.

Website: https://www.ofahfoundation.org

Address: 4601 Guthrie Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 6Y3

Phone: (705) 748-6324 | Fax: (705) 748-9577

Contact: Matt Robbins – Fish & Wildlife Biologist, OFAH 

In the Joint Statement, Matt Robbins, Fish & Wildlife Biologist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), stated:

“A collaborative approach to protecting and enhancing our natural resources is not only necessary but critical to ensure our respective interests are represented and that conservation efforts are broadly supported.”

In a clarification issued on April 1, 2025, OFAH further stated:

“Since 2023, the OFAH has worked in collaboration with the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) to ensure there is no loss of opportunity for hunters, anglers, and trappers as a result of this initiative.”

This presents two notable admissions:

1. If OFAH is working to “ensure” opportunities are not lost, then there is a recognized risk that they could be. You do not work to protect what is already guaranteed.

2. In the same clarification, OFAH noted:
   
   “Conservation Reserves are managed by the provincial government, not land trusts, the OFAH, or any other non-government entity.”

This confirms that once the proposed Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve (MKCR) is designated, neither OFAH nor HHLT will have a role in land management. Responsibility will rest entirely with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006.

The Schad Foundation, a Toronto-based environmental foundation, is a well-known supporter of conservation efforts across Ontario. Through its program, the Ontario Conservation Accelerator (OCA), the Foundation has provided key funding and coordination for the Highlands Corridor initiative, including the proposed Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve (MKCR).

In the Joint Statement, the Schad Foundation is credited for its support, and Peter Kendall, Executive Director, is quoted directly:

“The dedicated efforts of this community are responsible for many of the world-class trails we have in Ontario. We look forward to working with the motorized trail use community and leveraging their wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise to advocate for greater protection and expansion of Ontario’s trails.”
— Peter Kendall, Executive Director, Schad Foundation

It’s a strong statement of support for motorized trail users — and it’s encouraging to see recognition of their contributions. But for a proposal that affects tens of thousands of hectares of Crown land, the absence of any mention of hunting, angling, or trapping stands out. Peter Kendall says nothing in his blurb about supporting hunting. Nothing about preserving access for Ontario’s longstanding outdoors traditions.
And that silence? Feels like Spring Bear Hunt déjà vu. For many in the hunting community, that’s not just a red flag — it’s a familiar pattern.

This isn’t a criticism — it’s about awareness. The public deserves to understand who’s involved, what their role is, and how initiatives like MKCR are developed.

• The financial and in-kind support to BMFC for signing off on MKCR? From the Schad Foundation. 

• The “Ontario Conservation Accelerator” mentioned in the Joint Statement? That’s their program. 

The Ontario Trails Protection Alliance (OTPA) is listed as a supporter in the Joint Statement promoting the Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve (MKCR). It is represented by Lisa Thomson, who is also affiliated with the Ontario Federation of Trail Riders (OFTR).

While the name suggests a broad coalition advocating for trail access, there is no public record of OTPA existing prior to this initiative. It has no website, no documented member organizations, and no track record of public advocacy.

Based on the timing and lack of visibility, OTPA appears to have been formed specifically to support or participate in the MKCR process — not as an established voice for Ontario trail users.

It’s referred to as a “collaborative organization” — but that raises a simple, important question:

Collaborating with who?

Not with local riders.
Not with the broader public.
Not with landowners, hunters, or long-time trail users in this region.

OTPA may appear in a Joint Statement, but there's no evidence it was built from the ground up, with input from the communities it now claims to represent.

If an alliance forms in the middle of a policy change — with no clear base, no transparency, and no consultation — is it really representing the public interest?

Administered by: Schad Foundation 

Located at: 273 CHARLOTTE STREET. PETERBOROUGH, ON K9J2V3  

Website: https://theoca.ca/

Key staff: Peter Kendall (Board Member), Luke Ridgway (Manager, OCA) Mike Hendren (Executive Director)

The Joint Statement refers to the Ontario Conservation Accelerator (OCA) and acknowledges its role, but the broader public may not immediately connect the dots between this program and the more familiar Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) or the Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve (MKCR) proposal. Raising awareness of OCA’s involvement simply provides more transparency around how these conservation initiatives are developed, funded, and coordinated.

Notably, Peter Kendall (Executive Director of the Schad Foundation) and Mike Hendren (Ontario Conservation Accelerator) are both named in the Ontario government’s “Working with Conservation Experts to Protect More Natural Areas” announcement — a provincial initiative focused on increasing protected areas through strategic partnerships.

This places both individuals, and by extension their organizations, in influential roles not just locally, but within Ontario’s broader strategy for land conservation. 

Svetlana Zeran, RPF – General Manager

Box 1509, 51 Hastings Street North, Bancroft, Ontario K0L 1C0

Phone: 613-332-6890

Website: www.bmfci.ca 

BMFC has publicly stated its support for the proposed Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve (MKCR) because the area is considered “low-value forest” with “no economic use.” In practical terms, this is land they weren’t logging — and weren’t going to.

They’ve also said:

“We prefer to work collaboratively rather than risk losing more productive lands without our input.”

Translation: Give up the land that doesn’t generate profit, to secure continued access to the land that does.

In return for their cooperation, BMFC acknowledged receiving:

“financial and in-kind support” — reportedly from the Schad Foundation and/or the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT).

No details. No transparency.
Just support — and money.

Enough said.