PERL has been instrumental in re-classifying North Burlington’s Mount Nemo area as ‘Escarpment Protected.’
Protecting Escarpment Rural Land (PERL) is a non-profit citizens group dedicated to promoting ecological, social and economic sustainability, especially as it relates to North Burlington’s Mount Nemo area. PERL has brought meaningful public debate to the complex discussion of aggregate development on the Niagara Escarpment and mobilized a diverse group of citizens to enhance the understanding of local issues such as species at risk, wetland health, groundwater protection and active private land stewardship.
With hard work, dedication and help from local government and environmental organizations, PERL was able to influence the development of a Joint Agency Review Team Report (2009), which found inherent problems with the Nelson Aggregate Burlington quarry proposal. As a direct result, government and conversation groups all voted against the quarry proposal. PERL executives have also delegated to have municipal government pass resolutions successfully requesting the Provincial Government to re-classify the Mount Nemo plateau as ‘Escarpment Protected.’
PERL has also engaged stakeholders in the community to formulate a new future model for the area and initiated a visioning exercise, developed as the Mount Nemo Declaration. PERL has sought and obtained support from over 25 local and national organizations, as well as hundreds of supportive citizens, to create sustainable seven-generation vision for the area in the future.
