The first European settlers arrived in what is now Simcoe County to find lush forests of both hardwood and softwood species. The logging that followed for the next hundred years left the county quite bare.

E.C. Drury, a resident of Simcoe County, became Premier of Ontario in 1919. He helped establish the Agreement Forest program which saw local governments purchase lands and give them to the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests for protection and forestry development. Simcoe County was the first to take advantage of this program.

Over the last 90 years, many forests have been regenerated and protected. Simcoe Country forests now cover over 31 000 acres “and counting”.

For more on the interesting history of our forests, CLICK HERE.

When exploring Simcoe County, watch along the side of the road for signs like this:

You can pull into a little parking area and take walk in a lovely forest.

…just a little taste of just one of the many Simcoe County forests.

(Shot May 2, 2012 with an iPhone 4S)