Perth County Stewardship Program

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The Perth County Stewardship Program is back for a second year to support tree planting projects and forest management plans across the region. Following the success of the inaugural year, the County has pledged $100,000 to the 2025 program intake.

The 2025 Stewardship Program Grant Guide details the grant streams offered for 2025, as well as eligibility criteria and details on how to apply. The fall application intake opens July 2^nd 2025. Eligible applicants including private landowners and community groups, can apply for grant funding for tree planting projects and forest management plans, on this webpage.

Tree planting links existing natural habitats, supports native species migrations, protects agricultural lands, and provides ecosystem services to rural communities. Tree planting initiatives can help adapt to changes in weather patterns and climactic shifts by sequestering carbon, and adding to the resiliency of our landscape to extreme weather events.

In agricultural lands, windbreaks and treed buffers reduce soil erosion, improve soil quality, and slow water down before entering creeks and rivers. Surrounding rural communities, trees reduce the impact of noise pollution and wind damage, and improve the aesthetic value of the area.

The Perth County Stewardship Program hopes to grow and adapt to the needs of Perth County’s residents and environments.

2025 Forms and Guide

Application Forms

Forest Management Plans: The Fall Application Period opens July 2, 2025

Landowner Planting Stream: The Fall Application Period opens July 2, 2025

Community Planting Stream: The Fall Application Period opens July 2, 2025

The 2025 Perth County Stewardship Program Guide includes detailed information about three grant streams, eligibility requirements, and how to apply. Click the image below to access the guide.

Timeline:

July 2, 2025: Fall application period opens.
August 30, 2025: Spring applicants final project reports due.
September 15, 2025: Fall application period closes.
October 2025: Fall applications awarded.
November 2025: Fall final project reports due.

2024 Stewardship Program Final Results

The inaugural year of the Stewardship Program has been a huge success with an overwhelming demand for the program! To view the infographic summarizing the 2024 Program, click the image below. To view the map showing the distribution of projects across Perth County, click the image of the map below.

Final Report for Applicants

Final Project Report Form:

Final Project Report Forms must be submitted through the Online Form, or by mailing a filled in copy to the County of Perth c.o. Hannah Cann (Resiliency and Stewardship Coordinator) before June 30th, 2024 in order for the grant funds to be released.

Please complete the forms:

Online Form (preferred) -or- PDF form (print and mail in)

Stewardship Checklist: For the conscientious landowner

Things you can do to ensure your property is resilient and cared for:

Learn more about your land: take notice of the natural features, how quickly they return to ‘normal’ after extreme weather, what species are seen there throughout the four seasons.
Preserve trees around your property: check their health, replace when older trees are no longer healthy; let natural debris like fallen trees and leaves decompose to create habitat and improve organic matter in soils.
Prune trees and shrubs instead of removing them for views or access paths.
Control invasive species: like buckthorn, garlic mustard, spotted knapweed, and other ‘garden escapees’
Avoid using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides to control unwanted plant growth. Physical removal or alternate treatments will reduce impacts to other species such as salamanders, frogs, and birds.
Protect and restore vegetation along streams: Healthy wide buffers reduce topsoil loss during rain and snow storms, improve water quality in the creeks by reducing sedimentation and thermal pollution, and provide habitat corridors for native and migratory species.
Adding bird or bat boxes, and decaying logs for small mammals and amphibians help increase valuable habitat on property lines and natural corridors.
Consider welcoming bees onto your property. Consult your local apiary or bee keeping club to improve presence of pollinators to assist native species of plants to have successful fruit-bearing seasons.

Other Resources

Tree Planting and Tree Orders in Perth County:

Registered Professional Foresters for Forest Management Plans

Find out more about Registered Professional Foresters in Ontario on the Ontario Professional Foresters Association Website
Find a RPF in your area through the Ontario Professional Forests Association's Directory Here.

Other Resources:

Recommended Native Trees and Shrubs
(Upper Thames River Conservation Authority)
Grow me instead Guide - Beautiful Non-Invasive Plants for your Garden
(Ontario Invasive Plant Council)
The Landowner’s Guide to Controlling Invasive Woodland Plants
(Ontario Invasive Plant Council)
Best Management Practices Agroforestry Series Volume 1: Woodlot Management
(OFA, Ontario Stewardship, Eastern Ontario Model Forest)
Infosheet #23: Woodlands and Wildlife
(Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition, Growing Forward 2, Govn't of Ontario, Govn't of Canada)
Forest Conservation By-Laws in Ontario
(Province of Ontario, Extension Notes)

Stewardship Program Development

The Perth County Stewardship Program Guide will be made available and applications to spring tree planting and forest check-ups plan to open the first week of December 2023. Further information about the Stewardship Program will be published to this page when it becomes available.

The research and proposed Stewardship Plan was endorsed by Perth County's Agricultural Working Group on May 24, 2023. At a meeting on July 6, 2023, County Council received the report and Stewardship Program recommendations. A total of $75,000 will be allocated in the County's 2024 budget for the launch and implementation of a Stewardship Program. You can view the Council Report here.

The development of this program engaged with over 270 residents and stakeholders. Below is a brief summary of the program development efforts. For a complete overview, view the Council Report here.

Community Survey

Thank you to everyone who took time to complete the Community Survey! The survey closed on March 15, 2023 and received 160 responses. In addition to the survey, many one-on-one interviews were held with local stakeholders.

Community Engagement Sessions

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend! We hosted five community input sessions booked to gather your thoughts about the development of a new Stewardship Program for Perth County.

Friday, Feb 17 from 1-3pm - Perth East Recreation Complex, Milverton (Perth East)
Wednesday, Feb 22 from 7-9pm - Mitchell, West Perth Municipal Office, Mitchell (West Perth)
Thursday, Feb 23 from 1-3pm - Downie Optimist Hall, St.Pauls (Perth South)
Tuesday, Feb 28 from 1-3pm - Listowel Agricultural Hall, Listowel (North Perth)
Wednesday, March 1 from 7-9pm - Online
Thursday, March 2 from 7-9pm - West Perth Community Centre, Mitchell (West Perth)

What We Heard

Thank you to everyone who had the opportunity to watch the presentation and provide feedback.

Following the survey and community engagement sessions, we shared what we heard so far in the video below. This included a summary of some of the input received through the survey as well as the emerging priorities. There was an opportunity to provide further feedback and let us know if we captured everything accurately by submitting any further input to an online form (now closed). Below is a brief video about what we've heard.: