SAM Newsletter #12 Fall 2017

Lewisporte signs Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement! Pictured above From left, standing, Betty Clarke, mayor-elect; Derek Bennett, MHA, Lewisporte-Twillingate; Brian Sceviour, outgoing mayor, (seated) and the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources, signed a Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement today in Lewisporte that will help protect valuable wetland and coastal habitats located in the community.

Lewisporte signs Stewardship Agreement In September of 2017, The Town of Lewisporte became the newest member to sign a Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement. Outgoing Mayor, Brian Sceviour, was on hand to sign the agreement with Minister Gerry Byrne. MHA, Derek Bennett and incoming Mayor, Betty Clarke were also in attendance to witness the signing of the agreement. After a light lunch the Minister Byrne, MHA Bennett, and Mayor Sceviour addressed the attendees and spoke of the importance of habitat and wildlife stewardship in the province. The area protected by the agreement includes the Bottom Brook Estuary, an area known for excellent waterfowl and shorebird habitat. Currently the estuary has an existing trail system which is very popular with residents. The Town plans to expand the trail system with more interpretative signage in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada. SAM extends a warm welcome to the Town of Lewisporte as the newest SAM Community Member! SAM Network: News and Updates SAM would like to welcome Diane Pelley, in the position of SAM Outreach Coordinator, a shared position with Ducks Unlimited Canada. Diane is a native of Corner Brook and a graduate of Memorial University's Environmental Science Masters Program. She has also worked with many environmental non-profits in the Province. We would also like to say Thank You to Emma Bocking for all her work with SAM in the role of SAM Outreach Coordinator. Emma is currently fulfilling a parental leave contract with Ducks Unlimited Canada.  Get your binoculars ready and visit samnl.org/members for a new addition to our Community Profile pages, "Wildlife Watching". Choose your community and find the eBird hotspot closest to you!

Fall Meeting Oct 20th - 21st: Grand Falls-Windsor We would like to thank The Town of Grand Falls-Windsor for hosting the Fall SAM Meeting on October 20th and 21st. The meeting was held in the new Corduroy Brook Enhancement Association (CBEA) building at 2 Conservation Place. In attendance were representatives of 18 SAM Communities and several associated EHJV partners. There were many new faces at the meeting that brought a new inquisitive energy to the group! Round table discussions included topics such as the "Ban the Bag" movement and the "Tidy Towns" initiative. Attendees were also invited to take a interpretative walk on the CBEA's trail system with our guide Barry Manuel, Executive Director of the CBEA and the Mayor of The Town of Grand Falls - Windsor.  20 Years of Stewardship: Carmanville In October 1997, the Town of Carmanvillesigned their Habitat Stewardship Agreement protecting 2,492 acres of habitat in their community including Carmanville Pond, Middle Arm, and Cynthia Pond. Over the past 20 years Carmanville has been a champion of stewardship in the province.  The Carmanville Habitat Committee was formed from a group of hardworking volunteers, and they currently operate the Carmanville Wetland Nature Trails and Interpretation Center. (pictured below). Congratulations on 20 years of stewardship and here is to many more years of amazing stewardship initiatives!  Turning over a New (Fall Meeting) Leaf: SAM Executive Members are Up to the Task!  This Fall Meeting saw Linda Bailet finish her 2 year term as SAM President and Tony Chubbs finish his 2 year term as Vice President. Linda has been working with SAM via The Town of Carmanville for over 20 years and Tony has been a champion for stewardship in his community of Happy Valley Goose Bay. Both Linda and Tony will be missed on the SAM Executive but we wish them luck in the future and are sure they will advocate for stewardship in the years to come. John Norman has moved from the position of Secretary to SAM President. John is currently the Mayor of The Town of Bonavista and is dedicated to enhancement and educational projects in the town. The SAM executive team welcomes both Kathleen Blanchard in the role of Vice President and Pat Woodford in the role of Secretary. Rounding out the team is Cynthia Downey of the Town of Stephenville Crossing in her second term as Treasurer for SAM. To learn more about our executive visit the website at http://www.samnl.org/our-team.