Welcome to www.lakeplan.com 

French Planning Services Inc is a consulting firm that specializes in facilitation and resource management planning. We have created this web site to assist lake associations, residents, business operators and other stakeholders in protecting and conserving the quality of life in their lake or river community through the preparation of a personalized action plan. 

The lake planning process identifies the significant social, natural and physical features that enhance your lake, and its surrounding area, and make it a desirable place for people to live, visit and earn a sustainable livelihood. The objective of the lake planning process is to decide upon a series of actions that recommends private and Crown land use planning policy, and identifies stewardship approaches that the whole lake community can initiate and participate in. It is the combination of these approaches that ensures the protection of those values that are important to sustaining the high quality of life in the lake’s community. 

The scope of this web site is to encourage, as well as enable local lake stewards to participate in, sustainable development planning and management of in-land lakes at the lake level (sub-watershed) and, eventually, at the watershed level. The lake plan web site is intended as an educational tool to assist local groups with understanding the lake planning process. It includes a lake plan template that provides you with links to additional resources and contacts, connects you with lake planning success stories and examples of other lake plan content, and introduces you to other products and services that will assist you with writing, implementing and monitoring your lake plan to success.
 
    
Introduction
Ontario is known as the “land of lakes”, and, over time, these lakes have become important water resources for ecological, public and economic health. Unfortunately, increasing changes to so many of Ontario’s in-land lakes by various natural occurrences and human activities have jeopardized the ecological integrity of these ecosystems. In many areas of the province, the changes are significant, whereas in others, it has only just begun to be noticed.

People are attracted to lakes because of their recreational opportunities, natural settings and social values. Once a pristine environment, untouched by human intervention, our lakes are now ringed with residential and commercial development, and the very reason why people want to be on the lake may be in jeopardy. Many changes threaten the quality of our lake experience: development, pollution, boat traffic, construction, noise and the loss of special places of natural, social or historical significance. The biggest single source of change to a lake is property development and the actions of property owners within the watershed or along the shoreline. 
    
Why Lake Planning?
There is a growing belief among many lake communities that the health of their lake is vested in those who use and have an interest in its future. With this in mind, communities and government agencies are both “buying-into” the concept of a community-based approach that identifies and realizes ecosystem health goals and objectives. Lake planning enables lake residents and stakeholders to contribute a positive influence on the health of their lake by participating in the identification and protection of important values and features of their lake and its watershed, as well as those of the local community.