The Ferguson Forest Centre (FFC) Corporation is hoping to use its own rent dollars. CEO Ed Patchell and board director Carl Doucette delivered a presentation to council on Tuesday.
The FFC is seeking the creation of a reserve fund to offset the costs of maintaining infrastructure, developing new programs and improving lands for recreation, environmental and heritage purposes.
The FFC pays about $50,000 to the municipality annually for rent, which goes into general revenue for North Grenville. If the ask is approved through the budget process, those dollars would go into the reserve fund instead.
Doucette says the corporation maintains all leased municipal owned facilities and non-municipal roads in the FFC and commits to keeping the lands open and maintained for community use.
He says the corporation is currently facing many challenges, including declining sales in bareroot and container stock for reforestation and afforestation programs, climate change, government decisions, stiffer competition on bids, hiring of seasonal workers and seed collection and processing.
The FFC was purchased by the municipality in 2000 for $500,000. The FFC has paid almost $800,000 in rent since that time.