McFarland Park

Fred Fisher · **Posted:** Sat Aug 24, 2013 9:40 pm

I took a drive into McFarland Park tonight and I could not believe my eyes. The parking is just about gone. Some one made the decision to haul tones of fill in there and plant grass closing off almost the entire lot going toward the boat launch. When you pull in now you are forced way over to the east side " Were all the trucks and trailers used to park along the edge by the woods " and there is a very small parking area to the west of the launch with a bunch of big boulders keeping you off the grass. The only other place to park is up by the picnic area. Also the roadway going in now is not very wide and might make it a bit hard for big rigs to pass each other. Launching now will also be more difficult as there is not the room to swing you truck and trailer like there used to be and if guys are parked in the area they have by the launch it will be a trick for sure. I know the lot used to wash out there at times from heavy rains but nothing some course shale rock and big gravel would not fix. This is going to ruin it for many guys that used to launch and park there during the opening weekend and fall fish.

adventure · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 5:29 am

and yet another one down...

Sites and letters like this are a great place to inform many people who this type of thing effects, like mainly us fishermen and hunters. But it is up to all of us to write to the people who are making these decisions to have something done about it. I know I do, but my one letter is not enough.

Simply writing about it in this, or any other forum will not change anything. The only thing that will change is soon we will all be crammed into a few government launches paying through our teeth to launch our boats and no where else to take our kids fishing.

Maybe if a letter was written to address these problems, pasted here and agreed upon, then everyone simply copies and sends it to the same appropriate person who might have something to say on the matter. MP's, OFAH, city councils etc.

Grizzly · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 10:14 am

United we stand, devided we fall!! ....... unfortunatly we have become a devided society you see this all the time . people care once its become too late like the case of this park. who knew? who had any idea this was about to happen? they dont even have a perposal and bring it to the public attention, just like the stream in wellington...... its already a done deal before people even know what happened... in my oppinion this is why clubs and orginations are inportiant they can carry a collective vote not just a single vote, but clubs are no longer, simply a thing of the past or a broken tradition fish and game clubs are in serious trouble now days. maybe we should all send letters to OFHA they seem to have the most power but even they look the other way when the plight dont seem big enough for there involvement......... the world is becoming a sad state of affairs and i fear its gonna get alot worse before it ever gets better .

Fred Fisher · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 11:13 am

Well I went back down this morning to get some pictures of the stupidity that has been allowed to happen there. This is no way to control wash out from rain. When I look at it all they had to do is run 2 drainage tiles to a low lying ditch in the grass west of the ramp and then connect them to another in the low spot on the grass to discharge the rainwater into the bay. Spread a bit of coarse gravel and your done. The wing nut that thought this up should stick to designing pools and back yards. I agree united we stand and we should take a stand on this. I would love to see this board used for more that fish reports and bragging. Lets start a petition on here that we can all sign and get it off to Quinte Conservation demanding that they undo this disaster and fix it right. I don't understand why this kind of thing never gets any public input and Is left up to an individual who claims to know everything when obviously they don't as the proof is in the pictures.

Fred Fisher · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 11:22 am

And a few more shots to show how messed up this is. I spoke with a few anglers while I was there and they were not impressed about the change and some even stated that they would not be back. Hats off to Quinte Conservation for deterring people to come visit and fish our waters.

Fred Fisher · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 11:54 am

I just took this off the Quinte Conservation Website. David Smallwood decided that this action was needed to stop the rain water from washing debris into the bay after it rained. Does this not occur all around a body of water and also is it not how a body of water if formed and fed. I would say that this would be more like a natural runoff as they spread no salt or chemical there. I think it is great that Quinte Conservation has decided to give this some attention as something needed to be done but I believe that they have done it all wrong and that they should have asked the guys that use it what there thoughts were.

H.J. MCFARLAND CONSERVATION AREA GETTING MUCH NEEDED UPGRADES

The H.J. McFarland Conservation Area near Picton is getting some upgrades that will prevent runoff from going into the Bay of Quinte. "We were concerned because every time it would rain, debris from the parking lot would slide down the hill right into the water," says Forestry and Field Operations Manager, David Smallwood. "Upgrades were needed to prevent this process from continually happening."

These upgrades will not only improve the area cosmetically and environmentally, but also improve its overall functionality. "We've relocated the parking lot, created extra ditching, planted trees, shrubs and added hydro seed to the site to prevent debris from running into the bay," explained Smallwood.

The HJ McFarland Conservation Area is located on Highway 33. It features a boat launch and a sheltered picnic area. Most of Quinte Conservation's properties are free to use and are open to the public seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
◾

adventure · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:40 pm

I have to admit, I like those pictures better than the barbed wire fences and barricades I see. But your point is well taken. I have written to the OFAH regarding all the small closures going on in our area and did not receive any reply.

The point about divided we fall rings all too true, but I will keep at it anyway and hope others start following soon. I'm sure Grizzly has similar letters regarding the stream. And for another point to hopefully get attention of others:

I wrote a letter to the LTRCA about Bain park and the point that juts out into the Bay. I went mudcat fishing to Bain park this year with my boys only to find they clear cut the point that juts out into the Bay. As is in early April, the wind was blowing and cold and straight across the point. WHere we used to go to one side or the other to be protected by trees, there was none there anymore so my boys and I left to try and find another spot. I wrote a letter to the LTRCA. Here's their response:

From: glenda.rodgers@ltc.on.ca
Subject: RE: Bain Park
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:26:57 -0400

Dear Dave:

Thank you for your e-mail. We too are disappointed about the removal of trees, shrubs and vegetation from the shoreline. Bain Park is owned by the City of Quinte West, and we have no authority to prevent vegetation removal.

Lower Trent Conservation promotes the establishment and maintenance of vegetative buffers along shorelines, for all the reasons you have identified and more: wildlife habitat, shoreline protection, water quality protection, erosion prevention, shelter, shade and food for fish, and aesthetics. We have in place a program called Healthy Shorelines – Clean Water whereby we provide information, advice, and financial incentives to landowners to establish shoreline buffers as well as demonstration projects on public lands.

You may want to contact the City to voice your concern.
-------------------------------------------------------

Glenda J. Rodgers
Chief Administrative Officer
Lower Trent Conservation
Phone: 613-394-3915 x 212
Fax: 613-394-5226

Grizzly · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:44 pm

And there you have it. proof the cities, towns, villages are not held to the same laws, and standards set forth against the tax paying citizens.. could you imagin if you take it upon yourself (Without asking) to improve your road, or driveway or shore line ? how long would it take for the wheels of justace to come knocking on your door with a injunction to stop........ yet we see the same standards are totally ignored when our polititions cry the betterment of mankind. I myself can think of at least 10 places than could use a little addressing for the betterment of man kind in the way of parks, fishing launches or lack there of . look at quick short road as an example the road is shut down to parking no water access as it once was........ this im sure is brought on by people who live there yet they still demand the road to be plowed.. i ask is it public or is it not? ..... why do they not plow the road into mcfarlins?? no winter access. is it public or is it not? maybe we can form a new group (Friends of fishing) . a group with a voice by the people for the people

sunrisecottageresort · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 4:39 pm

Disappointing is the only polite word I can use. Spent a lot of time last fall in meetings over County launches and how to make improvements and partnering with the Conservation authority. Really productive!!! :oops:

Fred Fisher · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:36 pm

I can imagine how you feel Dave as I know you were quite involved with the conservation as to making improvements to our launch sites. I think Grizz is right and we need to start a club so that we can voice our concerns with more clout. I would be the first to join. A few years back I posted a subject on here about Us, the anglers being on the endangered species list and it drew a lot of interest some good some not good but this again just goes to prove that what I said is right on the money and if we don't unite and start to fight to protect our rights and heritage we will lose our great sport of fishing as it is pretty far to cast from the Freaking Road..

The Fishing/UFC Girl · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:41 pm

I am sadden by the changes - we used the park to launch the boat before buying the cottage and it was great a lots of room to turn and park. Like everyone knows get a politician involved and they will F--- it up for sure. They should concentrate on the things that are needed like filling in the end of the launches so your boat don't drop off into the holes. This weekend we launched at Sherman's Point and we were scared to go back to far because of the big drop off and man, it was very hard to get the boat off. Like grizzly said you try and improve your land or shoreline and they are on you like a duck on a june bug. Anyway, we can bitch all we want but nothing will ever change and it is not just with local government it goes right up to Federal and you can vote anywway you want but it is just different pigs in the trough.

adventure · **Posted:** Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:48 am

Now I like where this is going. I just hope it keeps up.

Does anyone here have any experience getting something like this started?

polliwogg · **Posted:** Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:25 am

They did all that and we can,t get a half hour with a hoe at West Lake

Fred Fisher · **Posted:** Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:23 am

adventure wrote:

Now I like where this is going. I just hope it keeps up.

Does anyone here have any experience getting something like this started?

If my health were better I would take this on as we need a voice in these kind of decisions. I can see what they tried to do here but in my opinion they went about it all wrong. The did not take into consideration the launching of large boats and big crowds and the result is loss of parking and more difficult launching. I was back the other day and watched a guy launch his tinny and then park right by the rocks. About a half hour later a couple of guys pull in with an 18 ft and they could not swing around to line up with the ramp and had to do the shuffle to get it line. I called Quinte Conservation but have not received a call back.

rtkman · **Joined:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:28 am **Posts:** 528

polliwogg wrote:

They did all that and we can,t get a half hour with a hoe at West Lake

I'm not sure the county shold be involved with that lol

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McFarland Park

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