Dufferin County has released its annual report for the forest properties known as the Dufferin County Forest.

The county owns and manages over 2,500 acres of forest in the area, centred on a 1,500-acre "Main Tract" north of Mansfield in Mulmur Township.

"The annual report is an excellent way of letting Dufferin taxpayers know what the County is doing to manage the Forest on their behalf. I hope that people will take this opportunity to learn about what is happening in the Forest", said Darrell Keenie, Assistant Director/ General Manager of the Dufferin County Museum & Archives and Heritage Lands Department.

The report will be available to the public at all local municipal offices in Dufferin County; the Orangeville, Shelburne, and Grand Valley public libraries; the Dufferin County Museum and Archives; and the County Court House in Orangeville. It will also be posted on the Department's website at www.dufferinmuseum. com/forest.

Although the document is primarily a report of the activities conducted during 2006 it also includes a work plan for 2007. The activities planned for 2007 follow the outline given in the new operating plan for 2005- 2010.

Caroline Mach, County Forest Manager, commented on the need for an annual report. "The nature of forestry means that longterm planning is needed. However, a lot of things may change in the course of a 20- year plan. The annual report and work schedule are a way of fine tuning what has been outlined broadly in the twenty-year management plan and the five-year operating plan. The annual report also serves as a tool for letting the public know what is going on in the Forest, and giving them an opportunity to comment on the County's management of the Forest."

Residents with questions regarding either the annual report or the County Forest in general should contact Caroline Mach, County Forest Manager at 705-435- 1881 or 877-941-7787 or by e-mail at forestmanager@dufferinmuseum. com.