Ottawa Forests & Greenspace Advisory
Committee
Outreach Sub-Committee
Minutes
Present: Danielle Fremes, Frances Coates
(Host), Mark Rowsell (Chair)
Regrets: Deborah
Ironside, Evy Boucher, Martha Copestake, Jeff Blackadar, Nicole Parent
McCarthy Woods Walk Wrap-up
We discussed the May Walk in the Woods at
McCarthy Woods. There were some lessons
learned and many successes.
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Who
came: 55+ people, families (turned back when terrain got rough), older people,
local residents (some new), 50% local residents (mostly families), 6 ofgac
members
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Timing:
2 hours exactly as advertised
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Communications:
battery-operated speaker to help carry weak speakers voices, ACTION Frances to follow up on Rona
contact and Danielle to look at Radio Shack for megaphone donation.
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Should
survey those in attendance regarding how people heard of us to see which
avenues reached most people
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when
the speaker / lead of the tour stops to address the crowd, they should
encourage people to encircle him instead of the tendency for people to crowd
only in front of him/her
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bring
OFGAC brochures, OFGAC event brochures
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on
woodsy-walks, bring a simple first aid kit, sunscreen, bug repellent, etc (just
some basics, I'm not suggesting we become a portable pharmacy)
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When
appropriate, do a safety talk with the group to flag any hazards and cover what
to dos in the event you are separated from the group, encounter a bear, poison
ivy.
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Localized
advertising works according to locals posters
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Limit
speaker time at opening. Inviting local
councilor was a good idea.
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Provide
thank-you gifts for speakers at end of day (last years forum prizes)
Next Walk - The Distinguished and the
Distressed
Sunday July 16 2006
Learn the history of some of Ottawas oldest and most notable
trees, and the effects of urban stressors on trees in the city on this urban
walk.
We talked
about a locations
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The Glebe
with stops along Bank Street and along the Canal.
o
Pro large
elm heritage tree along Canal with known history (D. Ironside)
o
Pro -
Established neighbourhood with old trees, good and bad landscaping examples
o
Pro Bank
Street would likely have some trees stressed by pavement, air pollution,
vandals, etc.
o
Con Bank
Street may be a difficult venue to control and speak to 50+ people.
ACTION
Mark Rowsell to find out if insurance is an issue for a walk like this
o
Con Parking
-
Rockcliffe
Park Area
o
Pro Iola
knows the area
o
Pro old
trees and nice landscaping
o
Con
stressed trees? Some invasives
o
Pro Parking
ACTION Mark Rowsell to ask rest
of OFGAC Outreach if they know of a good spot for the walk
We talked
about speakers
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Craig huff,
City of Ottawa Tree Stress
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ACTION:
Frances Coates to ask Craig if he would do the walk
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CFS Rep for
Urban Forestry Tree Stress
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ACTION: Mark Rowsell to ask Peter Hall
for CFS contact
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Joanna Dean,
Carleton Univeristy Heritage Trees
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Deborah
Ironside/Guy Brassard Heritage Trees
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Justin
Peters, NCC Heritage Trees
We talked about local partner
Once a location is determined we should partner with the local community
Association
Media Relations
Strategy
After good discussion the members in attendance decided that the role of the Outreach committee is to develop tools and procedures that can facilitate proper liaison with the media. This may include the following:
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Develop
a FAQ about OFGAC that can be used during interviews
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Invite
a speaker trained in media relations to teach OFGAC members how to effectively
communicate with the media
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Develop
a policy that identifies the procedure to be followed when the media contacts a
member
o Our preliminary idea for written
letters or rebuttals is that whomever is responding to the media draft there
piece and ALWAYS email it to all members of OFGAC for review. A period of 24-48 hours should suffice. Compile comments and revise letter. This ensures that OFGAC members understand
the issue and position in case there are asked to represent OFGAC and all
members will essentially own the response back to the media given the chance to
comment.Our group develops answers specific to issue
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Develop
guidelines on how to deal with tough questions?
Further discussion is necessary with the
whole Outreach Committee
Next Meeting
ACTION: Mark Rowsell
to give advance notice of upcoming meetings
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No. |
Date |
Time |
Location |
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4 |
July 14, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Nicole |
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5 |
August 11, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Frances |
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6 |
September 15, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Nicole |
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7 |
October 13, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Frances |
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8 |
November 13, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Nicole |
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9 |
December 8, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Frances |
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10 |
January 12, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Nicole |
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11 |
February 9, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Frances |
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12 |
March 12, 2006 |
6:30 PM |
Nicole |
Wetland Stakeholder Group Some
Goulbourn Wetlands Provincially Significant or Not?
One outcome of the Rural Summit was a decision to re-evaluate what to do about 20 wetlands shown by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to be Provincially Significant because they were within 750 m (complexed) of a Provincially Significant Wetland in the former Goulbourn Township. The City had started the process of formally identifying them in the Official Plan but some of the landowners objected and some land was cleared of vegetation.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approved the formation of a Wetland Stakeholder Group to resolve the issue. OFGAC appeared before ARAC in March to comment on the draft workplan (which ARAC adopted without changes). Representatives of the Rural Task Force, Goulbourn Landowners Group, Ottawa Carleton Rural Council, Carleton Landowners Association, the Conservation Authorities (usually just RVCA), the Rural Council of Ottawa, Councillors Stavinga and Brooks, the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, OFGAC, EAC and Friends of the Jock River were members. City staff support was provided by Public Works and Services (Drainage Services), the Planning and Growth Management Department and others as needed. The WSG was to report to ARAC on June 22.
Cynthia Levesque of the Sustainable Development Division chaired the group through six meetings and wrote the draft final report, with input from the WSG. Issues raised included the role of beavers in creating these wetlands, the maintenance of private and municipal drains, vegetation analysis (what species are wetlands indicators), the legitimacy of the OMNR Wetland Evaluation system, landowners rights vs public good, work now underway by MNR to revise the wetland evaluation system, aerial surveys when permission to enter land is denied, among others. The outcome was clear from the beginning the landowners would not accept anything but a withdrawal, by the city, of its intent to designate their lands as provincially significant wetlands.
The group had presentations by a professional drainage engineer on the history and function of existing drains on Flowing Creek and the MNR ecologist who explained how the wetland evaluation system worked (how points are awarded and for what attribute).
The report to ARAC will recommend: continued beaver control; work to designate Flowing Creek a Municipal Drain; refinement of the process for notification of landowners; landowner involvement in identification and application of conservation measures for newly identified environmental areas as part of the 2008 Official Plan review; development of a compensation policy to accompany conservation measures; development of an education program that addresses the value of wetlands; land use implications and the responsibilities of landowners with regard to drains; continued feedback to OMNR and Municipal Affairs and Housing on the wetland evaluation system and the social implications as well as clarification of the Provincial Policy Statement interpretation when dealing with conflicting resource protection (aggregate and wetlands), no change to OIP designation of lands already designated limestone resource.
There was agreement on these points but not full agreement on the issue of cancellation of the Official Plan wetland designation process for those areas under review within the Flewellyn Road area of Goulbourn, including those areas subject to the completion of new drainage works. For these lands, there will be no re-evaluation any sooner than 5 years after the undertaking of the drainage works (expected in 2007). There is an Official Plan Review in 2008 and another in 2013. It is possible that no wetlands evaluations and/or designations would take place in Goulbourn until 2013 because staff and the landowners want sufficient time for the impact of beaver control and changes to the municipal drains to take effect. In the interim, the lands remain zone as they are today unless the owners apply for changes themselves. For lands outside these areas, there will be no further wetland re-evaluation until the OMNR has completed its review of the Wetland Evaluation System.
Next Steps
The report will be taken to a public meeting to be held June 19 in Goulbourn. A verbal report on that event will be given at the OFGAC meeting. The report and recommendations will be tabled at the June 22 meeting of ARAC.
Iola Price
June 18 2006