Beres takes helm of LPRCA

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Tillsonburg Deputy Mayor Dave Beres is the new chairman of the Long Point Region Conservation Authority.

Beres takes over from Brant County Coun. Robert Chambers, who was chair for a year. Beres has been the Tillsonburg representative on the conservation authority board for 15 years of the 28 he has been on council.

The authority owns 11,000 acres of forest and 800 acres of marsh. Beres said it’s vital to maintain those holdings to keep global warming at bay.

“The big thing is about global warming, and with the number of trees we have, it’s important to maintain those,” he said.

Providing a local example, Beres said there were three flood warnings in 2024 and there aren’t any in a typical year.

LPRCA also owns four parks – Backus, Deer Creek, Norfolk and Waterford – that host 455 seasonal campers and 8,500 visitors. Revenue from the parks, along with fees and forestry management assists the authority in generating enough revenue to cover 63 per cent of its budget.

The authority also has an extensive tree-planting plan.

“We’re just doing our share,” Beres said. “Last year we planted 4,500 trees and are continuing to plant trees. We are very fortunate in this part of the province that forest fires aren’t a threat. Trees stop erosion and help with fresh air.”

He said one of the largest challenges is the 13 dams it owns that are aging.

“These are 50 to 70 years old and we can’t afford it on our $6-million budget,” Beres said.

As chair of LPRCA, Beres will sit on the board of Conservation Ontario, the entity that represents the province’s 38 conservation authorities.