It is important to bring people together to work toward collective stewardship goals. It recognizes financial restraint and the importance of landowners rights and responsibilities - as well as the wider range of people who wish to support responsible stewardship that is driven from the community level. The Community Stewardship councils are to be an active group that share a strong commitment to the program purpose and represent landowners, land interests and resources in the area. They will be respected people who can provide a forum to recognize and influence community involvement and interest in private land stewardship. Representatives may also be sought from municipal governments and aboriginal communities, particularly where they are major landowners.
Councillors are to be apolitical and non-partisan.
They will provide a forum to foster stewardship, influence responsible land care by landowners and land interest, and seek funding opportunities to support their initiatives. The councils are to integrate with existing community groups - not duplicate or replace their efforts, but compliment their work and pursue opportunities for synergy. They are also to encourage cooperation among agencies and associations through their focus on projects that require shared efforts. It is intended that they not become another agency. This group will be comprised of representatives of the provincial level agencies and associations that support the purpose of the program.