The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority has launched ‘Get Involved NPCA’, an online engagement portal that will allow residents of the Niagara Peninsula Watershed to stay up to date with their local conservation authority.
Recognizing that there is significant concern around COVID-19, the portal has been set up to provide information on how the pandemic has and could potentially continue to impact NPCA operations, programs, services, and events.
“We are pleased to make this portal available to our stakeholders, where they will find up-to-date and relevant information in one central place,” says Adam Christie, Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives. “The cancellation of our educational programs and community outreach events and closure of our conservation areas have affected many, and we want to ensure everyone feels informed and most importantly, heard.”
Since the announcement of COVID-19 as a pandemic, the conservation authority has ensured it maintains constant contact with impacted stakeholders such as seasonal campers and wedding and event organizers via emails and phone calls. The creation of an online engagement portal is an extension of this important two-way communication between members of the public and the NPCA.
The portal, available at https://getinvolved.npca.ca/npca-operations-covid19, contains:
- Frequently Asked Questions relating to conservation area use, flood warnings, planning and permits, camping, hunting, and weddings and events;
- A ‘who is listening’ widget with information on three key contacts for the above mentioned topics;
- Links to media releases from March to present;
- Public Health and other pandemic related links and resources;
- A detailed timeline outlining important dates and actions taken by the organization;
- A Question and Answer tool where residents can ask questions that have not been answered in FAQs; and
- A Survey tool to gage success of the online engagement portal.
“The NPCA remains committed to delivering the services that the community relies upon, such as flood watch and warnings, conservation area management, planning and permitting, and enforcement and compliance,” says Chandra Sharma, NPCA CAO. “As we adjust to the new realities, we are working diligently with our Board of Directors and staff to manage this evolving crisis while helping to reduce the spread of the virus. We hope our stakeholders will take advantage of this new great resource.”
In addition to information relating to the pandemic, the portal is also home to a variety of past projects undertaken by the conservation authority, including floodplain mapping consultation, and surveys relating to weddings, educational programs, and seasonal camping, among others.
For more information about the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, please visit www.npca.ca. Follow on Get Involved NPCA, or Facebook and Twitter for updates.
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About NPCA:
The NPCA manages the impact of human activities, urban growth, and rural activities on the Niagara Peninsula watershed with programs and services that help keep people and their property safe from flooding and erosion, while retaining the safety of our drinking water.
NPCA manages 42 Conservation Areas, including Ball’s Falls, Binbrook, Long Beach and Chippawa Creek. These lands are held in public trust for recreation, heritage preservation, conservation, and education. NPCA’s Conservation Areas marry nature, culture and adventure to create limitless opportunities for discovery.
Questions related to the above release should be directed to:
Erika Navarro, Communications Specialist
905.788.3135 ext.262
Mobile: 905-650-4027
enavarro@npca.ca