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The timber industry caused extensive deforestation in Whitchurch. Given the poor soil quality on top of the Oak Ridges Moraine and farming practices of the day, the loss of forest cover resulted in soil erosion and large areas of blow sand deserts were created. As early as the 1870s,  reforestation plans started to develop. It was not until the early 1900s though, that a group of politicians, foresters and farmers banded together to reforest the area. The passage of the provincial Reforestation Act in 1921 enabled counties to purchase barren land and put it under "management agreement" with the Ministry of Lands & Forests (now Ministry of Natural Resources). York County, now the Regional Municipality of York, signed a forestry agreement in 1924 to create Vivian Forest in Whitchurch Township.
The Hollidge Farm, located between Highway 48 and the Ninth Line south of Vivian Road, was the first purchase for the Vivian Forest. Ted Hollidge served as the first caretaker for the forest and the Hollidge's original barn is still an integral part of the present-day Vivian Forest Headquarters. Now owned and managed by York Region, the majority of the 5,000 acres of York Regional Forest is located in Whitchurch-Stouffville, providing wonderful outdoor recreational opportunities.
While the arrival of the railway first brought prosperity and growth to communities such as Stouffville, it ultimately caused their decline after the turn of the 20th century. Access to the larger market and manufacturers of Toronto was made much easier through the railway. Small, local industries simply couldn't compete against larger competitors in Toronto.
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