b'TOARCWHERE DOES THE AGGREGATE LEVY MONEY GO? 61% to the localmunicipality in which the site is locatedTOARC is not only responsible for the rehabilitation of former15% to the upper-tieraggregate sites, it also collects and publishes aggregate statistics municipality in which the site is located servicesofamaturenaturalmixedwoodquarries and the disturbed land in Ontario forest within a 30- to 40-year timeframe (thehas essentially remained the same for the last21% to the Crowntypical lifespan of an aggregate operation in24 years.southernOntario)rapidly,completelyand (minimum)cost-effectively.EDUCATION AND TRAINING TheRERASexperimentusedtwoEducatingandtrainingpeoplewhoare3% to the Aggregateinterestedintheindustryisanother approaches to determine methods that may Resources Trust forbe capable of overcoming habitat constraintsimportant responsibility of TOARC as part using progressive and natural regenerationofanefforttobridgethecommunication rehabilitation andgap between industry and the public as well strategies.Theresearchersdeterminedasprovideanon-biasedcommunication research thattranslocatinglivingmulchfroma maturedonordeciduousforest,suchasforum. The program is funded by income onerequiringremovalinpreparationforfrom theTrust. REHABILITATIONquarrying, to nearby afforested lands rapidlyTwopopularTOARCcommunication TOARChasbeenresponsiblefortheadvanced the state of understory successionresources are the MAAP Online Reporting rehabilitation of legacy pits and quarries forat the recipient experimental sites. The fullTool and eSurrender, an electronic database. qualifying landowners, at no cost, since 1992study can be found at toarc.com. The first covers the status of more than 8,000 (whereextractionwascompletedpriortoThestudywasledbytheUniversitylegacy sites in Ontario, while the electronic todaysrigorousstandards).RehabilitationofWaterloo,SchoolofEnvironment,database lists surrendered aggregate licences of these sites is funded by a portion of theResources&Sustainabilityandsupportedand permits and provides information on the aggregatelevythatisplacedinaspecialby TOARC, Walker Industrial Holdings Ltdend-useofrestoredaggregatesites.These RehabilitationFund.(via its subsidiary, Walker Aggregates Inc.),rehabilitationresourceshelpthepublic andtheNaturalSciencesandEngineeringunderstandrehabilitationandappreciate TheManagementofAbandonedResearch Council of Canada. effortsbeingmadebyTOARCandthe Properties(MAAP)programisrunbyindustry in thisarea.TOARC.Thesesiteswerecreatedfrom small-scaleoperationsandmainlyutilizedSTATISTICSInsummary,sinceitsinceptionin1997 bymunicipalitiestocreatetheirownThecollectionandpublicationofrelevantTOARChasplayedanimportantrolein infrastructure,explainsDanielleSolondz,aggregate statistics about the industry is alsotheaggregateindustry.Itsresearchand programmanageratTOARC.ThefundanimportantTOARCresponsibility.Theeducationeffortshavehelpedadvance also supports research into mining, deliveryannual statistics are collective numbers forthesciencearoundrehabilitation,while ofaggregateandnewrehabilitationcurrent licences, permits, hectares licensedthestewardshiproleitplaysincollecting, approachesforthedifficultenvironmentsand permitted, as well as hectares disturbeddisbursing and auditing the aggregate levy associated with these sites. Rehabilitation ofin areas covered by the ARA. ensures a transparent and efficient system. revoked licences and permits also falls under TOARCs mandate. TOARCstatisticshaverecentlybeenTOARCs mandate to help educate anyone misinterpretedbyinterestgroupslookingwithaninterestinaggregateisimportant As an example of TOARCs work in thisto oppose the industry.As a result of newsowecanallgainabetterunderstanding RestorationforAggregateSites(RERAS)ARA over the years, it is difficult to look atmaterials to build Ontario. area, in 2021 the four-year Rapid EcologicalareasofOntariobecomingsubjecttotheof the industry that provides such essential study was completed. The main goal of theyear-to-year comparisons. But as the analysis research was to determine if it was possibleoutlinedinthesidebaronthepreviousFormoreinformationonTOARC,goto todevelopstrategiestorestoreecosystempage demonstrates, the number of pits andhttps://toarc.com/.14 AVENUESWINTER 2023'