Town of Collingwood

Natural Heritage System Update and Review

Steering Committee Meeting

August 12, 2010
 Presentation Outline

• Natural heritage system – what is it?

• Town of Collingwood context – why is this update
and review needed?
• Proposed
p work scope
p (Phase
( 1))
• Development of the system (Phase 2)
• Official Plan policy and schedule updates
(Phase 3)
Provincial Policy Statement (2005)
• Policy 2.1.1
2 1 1 “Natural
Natural features and areas shall be
protected for the long term.”
• Policy 22.1.2
1 2 “The
The diversity and connectivity of
natural features in an area, and the long-term
ecological
g function and biodiversityy of natural
heritage systems, should be maintained, restored or,
where possible, improved, recognizing linkages
between and among natural heritage features and
areas, surface water features and ground water
features ”
features.
 Natural Heritage Features
• Significant wetlands (MNR)
• Significant habitat – threatened and endangered species
(MNR)
• Fish habitat
• Significant woodlands
• Significant wildlife habitat
• Significant areas of natural and scientific interest
• Any other areas deemed by the planning authority as
“important for their environmental and social values as a
legacy of the natural landscapes of an area”
Wetlands and Shorelines
Watercourses/Valleylands
Woodlands/Terrestrial Features
 Natural Heritage System
• “a system made up of natural heritage features and areas,
li k d by
linked b natural
t l corridors
id whichhi h are necessary to
t maintain
i t i
biological and geological diversity, natural functions,
viable populations of indigenous species and ecosystems.
Th
These systems
t can include
i l d lands
l d that
th t have
h been
b restored
t d
and areas with the potential to be restored to a natural
state.”

• Includes core areas and connecting links

• Supports fish and wildlife habitat
• Supports (and is supported by) groundwater and surface
water systems
• Supports human amenities – recreation, drinking water,
clean air, aesthetics
Historical Efforts in Collingwood
(pieces of the puzzle)
• Provincially Significant Wetland mapping (1980s-
1990s and 2005 boundary update; MNR)
• Simcoe County Greenlands (1996 and 2009)
• Black Ash Creek Subwatershed Study (NVCA,
2000)
• Background Environmental Study (Gartner Lee,
2004)
• NVCA wetland mapping updates (2005 to present)
• Private sector studies (Environmental Impact
Studies)
Why a Natural Heritage System Now?
• Significant new information to consider i.e.
NVCA wetlands, Simcoe County
Greenlands update
• Need for a holistic, function-oriented
((systems)
y ) approach
pp building
g on historical
work
• New direction from updated Natural
Heritage Reference Manual (MNR, 2010)
 Natural Heritage Reference
Manual (MNR, 2010)
• technical guidance for implementing the
natural heritage policies of the PPS, 2005
• recommended d d technical
h i l criteria
i i andd
approaches for being consistent with the
PPSS iin protection
i naturall heritage
h i features
f
and area and natural heritage systems in
O
Ontarioi
• reference tool for municipalities, planning
boards and other approval authorities
 NHRM – Settlement Areas
• unique considerations in planning for
natural heritage systems
• integration
g of NHS with other planning
p g
considerations as an iterative process
(balance)
• Need to ensure that NHS is not identified in
isolation (broader landscape context
important)
 NHRM – Settlement Areas
• Existingg built-upp areas – focus on pprotectingg remainingg
significant features and their functions and connecting
features or improving them wherever possible
• Growth areas – identify and protect a system of connected
natural features that will retain the long-term ecological
function, once development has been established around
the system
• Final NHS should be designated and zoned in municipal
documents; in contrast to non-settlement areas,
areas may need
to be implemented with more prescriptive or restrictive
land use designations and zones
 Natural Heritage Reference
Manual (MNR, 2010)
• “natural heritage planning can be
communityi based
b d activity
i i involving
i l i
multiple stakeholders working
cooperatively
i l withi h the
h planning
l i authority
h i
and its expert advisors on natural heritage to
id if andd protect naturall heritage
identify h i
systems, features and areas”
 Town of Collingwood NHS –
Committee Structure
• A steering committee to direct project and policy
development. This committee will meet every
other month (more frequently, if required) to
discuss study progress.
• A technical advisoryy committee which will meet
on an ad-hoc basis to discuss technical, science-
based issues as they arise during project
development.
• Purpose – to ensure full range of stakeholder
participation in study process
Town of Collingwood NHS – Phase 1
• Classification of all natural heritage features in the Town of
Collingwood to Vegetation Type using an Ecological Land
Classification (ELC) approximation approach.
• Use of ELC mapping from various development applications
will be combined with classification of previously unmapped
areas. Unmapped area classification will be undertaken using a
combination of roadside surveys,
surveys trail walks,
walks orthophoto
interpretation and field surveys (where access is available on
public lands only).
• shoreline features (natural and anthropogenic) will be mapped to
better understand these features and their functions.
y
Watercourses and associated valleylands and fish habitat will
also be identified.
ELC Community Typing and
T
Topographic
hi Relationships
R l i hi
 Town of Collingwood NHS – Phase 2
• Feature evaluation and natural heritage system development will
be based on accepted natural heritage theory embodied within
the PPS and associated support documents (and supported by
EIS and other inventory data)
• The fine resolution of vegetation community mapping
combined with functional knowledge of interactions between
these communities and watercourses/valleylands and the
Georgian Bay shoreline will allow for a functional assessment
that goes beyond most municipal natural heritage approaches
which tend to focus on landscape-scale
p associations.
• A draft Natural Heritage System report documenting the results
of the natural heritage feature assessment and development of a
proposedd naturall heritage
h i system will
ill be
b provided
id d at the
h endd off
Phase 2.
 Town of Collingwood NHS – Phase 3
• Following preparation of the Natural Heritage System report,
th final
the fi l step
t willill be
b to
t workk with
ith Town
T staff
t ff andd council
il to
t
develop updated natural heritage schedules and policies to
protect and enhance the Town Natural Heritage System. This
will be a consultative process with the Town and the public.
• The Natural Heritage Strategy is intended to be incorporated
into the Town Official Plan as part of its ongoing review and
update processes. Through appropriate policy, the NHS can be
used to facilitate: protection of identified significant natural
areas, development application review, stewardship initiatives
involving restoration and rehabilitation, and long-term land
securement decision-making. g
 TASK 2010 2011
July/ Sept/ Nov/ Jan/ Mar/ May/ July/
Aug Oct Dec Feb Apr June Aug
NH STRATEGY
Background Info. Coll.
Air Photo Interp
Interp. (Phase 1)
Ground Truthing (Phase 1)
Digitizing (Phase 2)
Assessment/Ranking (Phase 2)

Draft Report
Policy Development (P3)

MEETINGS
Steering Committee
Technical Committee

Committee Presentation
Public Open House (1)