Caring For The Land
Natural Resource Management and Infrastructure Planning
Once the area has been fully mapped with GPS, we can decide on the best locations for homes, where to harvest trees for lumber, where the best soil is for planting, appropriate locations for wells, and where the easiest and least damaging locations for roads will be in the future. We will do our best to be good stewards of the land.
Other Activities
Fishing may be done on the property provided fish are cleaned and scraps disposed of without polluting or attracting scavengers. You are responsible for cleanup. There are long-term plans for a stocked fish pond on the property.
Hunting will not be allowed on the property for the safety of all Villagers.
However, we are surrounded by Crown Land which is for anyone’s legal use.
Please use caution near the village.
All firearms are to be stored, transported and used safely and in accordance with applicable laws.
Be Respectful
Noise - Please keep music volume at a level that will not disturb your neighbours and wildlife.
Light Pollution - Keep outdoor lighting to a necessary minimum and use downward-directing light fixtures to avoid disturbing neighbours and wildlife.
EMF and Radio Waves - Hydro lines will not extend to the inner part of the property. Sattelite internet dishes must be shielded to prevent lateral pollution.
Keeping it Real - We will do our best to leave as much untouched, natural land on the property as possible. This includes how we treat our own plots. It would be wise to leave a natural buffer at the edge of your plot for privacy and for use by wildlife.
Waste Management
These are some of the ways we clean up after ourselves:
Greywater Treatment - Each villager will be responsible for researching and installing their own greywater treatment system, with guidance from experienced sources, or be properly hooked up to an approved shared greywater treatment/storage system. Any soaps and other cleaners should be environmentally safe and approved for use in natural greywater treatment systems to avoid environmental contamination.
Solid Waste and Sewage - Each villager will be responsible for researching, installing, operating and maintaining their own composting toilets, solid waste/sewage systems, or be properly hooked up to an approved shared solid waste/sewage treatment system.
Composting structures must be built to not create effluence or attract animals. Even fully composted humanure is not to be used in any shared food gardening.
Recycling - Eventually, we will have a central sorting depot for recyclables, or villagers will take their own recycling off site to depots.
Combustibles - These will be burned in a controlled manner in a contained area, when conditions allow (when forest fire risk is low), and on a schedule to get it all done at once. Do not burn plastic, treated or painted wood, synthetic fabric, or any other materials that may release unacceptable toxins or odour. Acceptable combustibles include natural wood, paper (including tissues), and natural fibers. Please compost leaves and weeds rather than burning.
Garbage Containers must be bear proof, kept reasonably clean, and sealed to prevent leakage.
It is recommended not to bring potential waste onto the property that will be difficult to deal with.
All waste is to be disposed of properly and not left as litter.
It's all about personal responsibility.
Some things may or may not appear obvious, but they are worth mentioning:
Pets
Members will be responsible for any damage or injury caused by their pet.
All pet animals must be spayed or neutered AND properly vaccinated.
Pets shall be kept in a humane manner.
Remeber that pets left outside may fall prey to wolves, coyotes or bears.
Dogs - Valuable companions who are alert to danger and can help protect livestock, however:
Neighbours are welcome to file a complaint about any unreasonable superfluous noise including barking dogs. They must not be allowed to bark constantly and annoy neighbours.
They must not be allowed to harass wildlife.
They must be kept on a leash or in a fenced yard, with reasonable supervision.
They must not leave your Plot alone or off of a lead.
They must be vaccinated against rabies and bear an identifying tag for the protection of the Community.
Dog waste is to be collected and disposed of in compost not used for human food production.
Cats – Valuable as a natural solution to pests in the agricultural process, however:
In many places, there are bylaws against letting cats roam freely for the following reasons.
Domestic cats are an unnatural predator in Canada.
They hunt birds and other wildlife species for enjoyment and seldom eat what they catch.
They are at risk for harm from confrontations with wild animals.
People seldom vaccinate their cats in a responsible manner in the case that they should come in contact with disease-carrying wildlife, which puts humans who come in contact with the cat at risk for serious illness and parasitic infection.
Cats are natural carriers of Toxoplasmosis, a blood parasite particularly dangerous to pregnancies.
They leave their waste in gardens and other places where they can contaminate the soil with fecal bacteria and parasites.
If you choose to keep a cat on the property, it must be indoors at all times, or on a leash and supervised.
The exception to this is cats used as pest reduction for agricultural purposes, which still must be fixed and vaccinated.
Cat litter and waste must be disposed of with the garbage collection.