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Home My WebLink AboutINS-2022-131 - Kitchener's Contribution to Canada's Target 1 Protected Areas Infrastructure Services Department www.kitchener.ca REPORT TO: Committee of the Whole DATE OF MEETING: April 11, 2022 SUBMITTED BY: Niall Lobley, Director, Parks & Cemeteries, 519-741-2600 ext. 4518 Rosa Bustamante, Director of Planning, 519-741-2200 ext. 7319 PREPARED BY: Carrie Musselman, Sr. Environmental Planner, 519-741-2200 ext. 7068 Josh Shea, Mgr. Forestry & Natural Areas Mgmt. 519-741-2600 ext. 4177 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: March 17, 2022 REPORT NO.: INS-2022-131 SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION: For Information. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: Twenty properties, comprising 585 hectares of land held and stewarded by the City of Kitchener, NHS (Natural Heritage System) have been recognized as contributing These sites are among the first municipal conservation lands confirmed to be managed to the national standards for protected and conserved areas. Kitchener was one of five municipalities (Kitchener, Toronto, Town of Ajax, Lambton County, Northumberland County) that responded to an invitation to submit properties for consideration Areas and saw the highest number of properties confirmed as meeting the OECM standard out of participating municipalities. Staff submitted spatial data (property boundary) and associated information (e.g., year of establishment, ownership, legislative mechanisms) to Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) in December 2021 and these lands now count towards the 10.7% of Ontario lands that are protected. This report supports the Strategic Plan theme of Environmental Leadership. BACKGROUND: In 2021, the City collaborated with Ontario Nature with the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada on a project related to the Pathway to Canada Target 1 initiative. This work involved assessing several City of Kitchener properties using a Decision Support Tool to determine if they meet the pan-- Sites that meet these standards were submitted to the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) and counted towards the total percentage area of protected and conserved areas in Ontario and Canada. Ontario Parks in the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. responsible for confirming these assessments and submitting areas that meet these standards to CPCAD. Twenty NHS (see list below) were found to meet the criteria for protected areas and were submitted to CPCAD in December 2021. All properties are held for community benefit by the City of Kitchener. 1. Borden Wetland 12. Topper Woods 2. Briarfield Park 13. Brigadoon Woods 3. Homer Watson Park 14. Carisbrook Drive Natural Area 4. Huron Natural Area 15. Doon South Creek 5. Idlewood Park 16. Grand River Natural Area - Sims Estate 6. Lackner Woods 17. Grand River - Pioneer Tower Natural 7. Lakeside Park Area 8. Laurentian Wetland 18. Kolb Park 9. Springmount Park-Idlewood Creek 19. Natchez Woods 10. Steckle Woods 20. Pinnacle Hill Natural Area 11. REPORT: Under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Canada is committed to protecting at least 17 percent of our lands and inland waters by 2020, with new targets set for 2025 (25 percent) and 2030 (30 percent). In collaboration with many partners, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is supporting the collection of information nationwide on places that meet the national standards for protecting biodiversity but are not currently being counted towards the target, known as Canada Target 1. One aspect of this initiative is to ensure that municipal governments are appropriately recognized for the role they are playing in protecting and conserving nature. ECCC has contracted Ontario Nature to work with interested municipalities in Ontario to assess and screen their municipal natural areas. Why and how does Kitchener protect important natural lands? maintain biophysical diversity and ecological functions, support viable populations of native species, and sustain local ecosystems. The City of Kitchener, as part of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, has a long history of planning communities around significant natural areas: - Regionally significant Environmentally Sensitive Policy Areas (ESPAs) were originally designated. 1980s/90s zoning,and planning to conserve natural features of provincial and regional significance in accordance with Regional policies (e.g., Regional Official Plans) and Provincial policies (Provincial Policy Statement). Current Regional and Kitchener Official Plans and zoning by-laws continue to protect such features and their functions, including locally significant natural features. 1980s were put in place and are implemented through the review of development applications to preserve the best of Tree Management Policy. 1980s-2000s Large portions of the Huron Natural Area was purchased by the City and subsequently rezoned from Industrial uses to protect the natural value of the lands. Today, the Huron Natural Area Area. In 2010 the Parks Strategic Plan identified more than 100 sites held and managed by the ,700 hectares held as parks and open space by the City, 52 percent is held as Natural Areas, more than 895 hectares or almost 1,300 soccer fields. 2020s Kitchener adopted the first Sustainable Urban Forest Strategy and in early 2022, adopted an ambitious Tree Canopy Target of 30 percent per ward by 2050. Land use designations and zoning followed by conveyance of land at no cost to the City through development applications has been the most commonly used mechanism to secure lands in public ownership. Having natural lands in public ownership provides the most certainty that such date this approach is how the City has secured much of its NHS at no cost to the City. Kitchener is committed to preserving, conserving, restoring, and enhancing its NHS that contributes to the character of the city and the quality of life of its citizens. This work is reflected through Kitchener Official Plan policies, and the work of various divisions and teams across the City as well as the vital input of communities and volunteers that support this work. It is because of long-standing history of preserving, conserving, restoring, and NHS that portions of it are now being recognized as contributing to 2020-2025. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports the Strategic Plan theme of Environmental Leadership. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: This report is for information only and therefore has no budget impacts. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Staff presented to Environmental Committee on March 24, 2022 to share information pertaining to Canada Target 1 Protected Areas and the connection to longstanding and strong planning and policy commitments contributing to system. On that same date, Ontario Nature also presented to Environmental Committee highlighting the significance of the achievement and how this benchmark is being used to engage other municipalities and Conservation Authorities in Southern Ontario. INFORM council / committee meeting. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter. REVIEWED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager, Policy and Research APPROVED BY: Denise McGoldrick, General Manager, Infrastructure Services Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A - Target 1 Protection Areas CARISBROOK DRIVE NATURAL AREA ER KOLB PARK NATCHEZ WOODS LACKNER WOODS SPRINGMOUNT PARK IDLEWOOD PARK BRIARFIELD NATURAL AREA GRAND RIVER PARK NATURAL AREA - SIMS ESTATE LAKESIDE PARK HOMER WATSON BORDEN PARK WETLANDS LAURENTIAN WETLAND GRAND RIVER NA STECKLE - PIONEER TOWER WOODS TILT'S BUSH HURON NATURAL BRIGADOON AREA WOODS TOPPER WOODS PINNACLE HILL NATURAL AREA DOON SOUTH CREEK NATURAL AREA