Climate Change Action

The County of Huron is committed to taking action to address climate change. In 2020, the County developed a Corporate Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCCAP), which outlines actions the County is taking to reduce, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change, on the corporation and local communities.

As employees and community members, it is important to understand what climate change is, how it might affect our work, and how we can support the County’s climate efforts through our projects and decisions.

Some of the ways that climate change could impact Huron County in the future include:

• Rising temperatures,
• More rain and snow,
• Higher wind speeds, and
• More extreme weather events – including floods and ice storms

If you are interested in learning more about these trends, see the summary of Climate Projections for Huron County or learn more through our Climate Change 101 Guide.

Through the CCCAP, the County is working to develop and implement corporate initiatives to address climate change. The goals and actions of the CCCAP have been organized into priority areas. The priority areas reflect common themes among the impacts that were identified for the corporation. By taking action to improve resiliency in these areas, the County of Huron will be better prepared for the future impacts of climate change.

The following priority areas have been established:

• Infrastructure & Assets - relating to the County’s built infrastructure (ie. facilities, roads, etc.) & natural assets (ie. County forests)
• Health & Safety - relating to the wellbeing of County staff & the community
• Engagement & Partnerships - relating to the County raising awareness within the corporation & opportunities to collaborate with other organizations/levels of government
• Resilience & Continuity - relating to the County’s ability to continue operating in an effective & financially feasible manner
• Innovation & Growth - relating to opportunities for the County to be innovative in our approach to adaptation

In order to ensure that the actions of the CCCAP are prioritized and implemented, a timeline, cost, responsibility, and goal were assigned to each action.

Here are some of the County’s recent accomplishments:

• Climate Lens Tool – developed for staff to consider climate change in projects and decisions. Watch the tutorial for more information!
• High Performance Building Standard – outlines ways the County is improving the efficiency and resiliency of our facilities
• Green Fleet Strategy – a phase in approach to improve environmental performance of the County’s vehicles
• Greenhouse Gas Inventory – allows us to understand and reduce corporate emissions
• Implementing an energy monitoring system to track energy use and greenhouse gas emissions
• In a partnership with the County of Huron, Huron East, and Goderich, 22 new EV chargers have be installed throughout Huron County with funding from Natural Resource Canada and Bruce Power

The Rural Roadside Strategy Pilot project will focus on the beautification of Huron County rural roads by creating pollinator habitats through the planting of native flowering species, and the removal of invasive species within and adjacent to the road's right-of-way. The Rural Roadside Strategy Pilot project will help the County:

• Gain insight and expertise on the best management strategies to control invasive species and establish pollinator habitat in the region.
• Determine which control measures are most effective for the invasive species present along County roads.
• Experiment with native seed mixes and help develop a more comprehensive roadside management strategy.

Pollinator species are declining in North America due to climate change, the use of pesticides/herbicide, the spread of diseases and land use changes that lead to a loss of habitat. This decline in pollinator species can have adverse impacts on native ecosystems and agricultural production throughout Ontario. Pollinators and the creation of pollinator habitat provide a diverse range of economic and environmental benefits to a community.

The Huron Clean Water Project (HCWP) provides financial and technical assistance to Huron County residents to improve and protect water quality in Huron County. It is funded by the County of Huron and service delivery is provided by Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley conservation authorities.

• Clean Water Projects help protect the health of soil, water, and people.
• Clean Water Projects help keep bacteria, chemicals, and nutrients out of creeks, rivers, and Lake Huron.
• Clean Water Projects help to protect the water underground in aquifers.
• Groundwater is the source of water for private wells and municipal wells for many of our homes, farms, villages and towns, and businesses.
• Funding from the County of Huron is combined with other cost-share programs and landowner contributions and used to protect water quality on Huron County farms and rural properties.
• The total value of past projects completed is more than $14.5 million. That’s good for the environment and the economy!

The Regional EV Charging Network Strategy: Feasibility Study was a project spearheaded by Wellington County. The partners in this regional project included:

• County of Bruce
• County of Dufferin
• County of Grey
• City of Guelph
• County of Huron
• County of Perth (City of Stratford and Town of St. Marys)
• County of Wellington

The goal of the project was to ensure that residents and businesses in the region had access to Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations. Recognizing they had a shared objective, this project was initiated as the partners applied and received funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Using a collaborative approach, the partners developed a Regional EV Charging Network Strategy with the help of consultants from Community Energy Association.

The feasibility study drafted has already led to tangible actions. Some of the partners, including the County of Huron, County of Dufferin, County of Perth, Bruce County and County of Grey, have initiated the installation phase for the recommended EV chargers through a third-party implementation partner.

By working together and taking a regional approach, this strategy will ensure that EV drivers can travel seamlessly throughout the region. It will also help ensure that the region has the infrastructure necessary to continue transitioning to a low-carbon future.

The fourteen Forest Tracts owned, and maintained, by the County of Huron are a legacy of a massive reforestation effort that took place across southern Ontario, beginning in the 1900s. The project was undertaken by local municipalities in partnership with the province. Today, these properties total more than 1600 acres.

These forests are symbolic of a province-wide effort to reverse serious problems including soil erosion, flooding and water pollution that resulted from non-strategic clearing and a lack of forest management by the early settlers of Ontario. With proper management and community partnerships, these forest tracts can serve as valuable sources of environmental protection, education, and recreation for current and future generations in Huron County.

Many of these properties are currently available to Huron County residents and visitors for passive recreation. Explore these properties, and more, in the Ontario's West Coast Hiking Guide.

The Huronview Demo Farm is owned by the County of Huron, operated by Huron Soil & Crop Improvement Association and monitored by Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority.

The farm, located just south of Clinton, is used to demonstrate sustainability in action. The farmer-led board of directors takes responsibility for the field operations. Since 2015, they have planted grassed waterways over the gullies that were forming down slopes and have planted cover crops that overwinter and keep soil in place until planting. They are transitioning to a continuous no-till system in order to build soil health and aggregate stability in order to reduce erosion and nutrient loss to the Bayfield River and to Lake Huron.

Ausable Bayfied Conservation Authority
www.abca.ca

Huron Stewardship Council
www.huronstewardship.ca

Maitland Valley Conservation Authority
www.mvca.on.ca