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2. BIODIVERSITY TASK FORCE – INTERIM
REPORT AND APPROVAL OF TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY GROUPE DE TRAVAIL SUR LA BIODIVERSITÉ – RAPPORT PROVISOIRE ET
APPROBATION DU CADRE DE RÉFÉRENCE DE LA STRATÉGIE SUR LA BIODIVERSITÉ |
That Council:
1. Approve the draft Terms of Reference for the Biodiversity
Strategy, as outlined in Document 1.
2. Receive for information a status report from the
Biodiversity Task Force, as outlined in this report and Document 2.
3. Extend the duration of the Task Force for an additional
eight months.
RecommandationS du Comité
Que le Conseil :
1.
approuve le projet de cadre de
référence pour l’élaboration de la Stratégie sur la biodiversité, qui est
énoncé au document 1.
2.
prenne connaissance d’un rapport
provisoire du Groupe de travail sur la biodiversité, contenu dans le présent
rapport et dans le document 2.
3. prolonge
de huit mois la durée du Groupe de travail.
FOR THE INFORMATION OF COUNCIL
That the estimated value of
a 50-year-old tree be sent to the Public Works and Services Department for
comment back to the Planning and Environment Committee as an Information
Previously Distributed Memorandum (IPD).
Pour la gouverne du Conseil
Que la valeur estimative d’un arbre vieux de 50 ans soit transmise à Services et Travaux publics afin qu’ils puissent faire parrt de leurs commentaires au Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement sous la forme d’une information distribuée auparavant (IDA).
Documentation
1.
Biodiversity Task Force, Environmental Advisory
Committee’s report dated 8 January 2008 (ACS2008-CCV-EAC-0001).
2. Extract of Draft Minutes, 22 January 2008.
Report
to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l’urbanisme et de
l’environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
8 January 2008 / le 8 janvier 2008
Biodiversity Task Force,
Environmental Advisory Committee/
Groupe de travail sur la biodiversité, Comité consultatif sur l’environnement
Contact
Person/Personne ressource: Stephanie Brown Bellefeuille,
Coordinator/Coordonnatrice
City Clerk’s Branch/Direction du greffe
(613) 580-2424 x16760,
stephanie.brown@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Approve the draft
Terms of Reference for the Biodiversity Strategy, as outlined in Document 1.
2.
Receive for information a status report from the Biodiversity Task
Force, as outlined in this report and Document 2.
3.
Extend the duration of the Task Force for an additional eight
months.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité
consultatif sur l’environnement recommande au Comité de l’urbanisme et de
l’environnement de recommander à son tour au Conseil :
1.
d’approuver le projet de cadre de
référence pour l’élaboration de la Stratégie sur la biodiversité, qui est
énoncé au document 1.
2.
de prendre connaissance d’un rapport
provisoire du Groupe de travail sur la biodiversité, contenu dans le présent
rapport et dans le document 2.
3.
de prolonger de huit mois la durée
du Groupe de travail.
BACKGROUND
The mandate of the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) is to promote the protection, maintenance and enhancement of the environment, in the City of Ottawa, to safeguard and improve the quality of life of those who live and work in the City of Ottawa, both now and in the future.
To that end, the Environmental Advisory Committee recommended to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee and Council that a Biodiversity Task Force be formed to prepare a Biodiversity Strategy for the City of Ottawa. Standing Committee and Council approved the recommendation in October 2006.
The Task Force was tasked at that time to:
·
Write
the draft Terms of Reference for the Biodiversity Strategy, with community
input;
·
Submit
the draft Terms of Reference to City Council for approval;
·
Conduct
research to identify and obtain copies of biodiversity strategies and
implementation plans developed by other cities both in Canada and
internationally;
·
Work
with staff to organize a biodiversity workshop to gain input from the Ottawa
community; and,
· Write the draft Biodiversity Strategy and Implementation Plan for the City of Ottawa.
The membership of the Task Force includes the following:
Ann Coffey, Chair, EAC member
Paul Koch, P.Eng., EAC member and former Chair
Ric Dagenais, EAC member
Edelweiss D’Andrea, EAC member (to June 2007)
Martha Copestake, OFGAC (to August 2007)
Peter Hall, Forester, OFGAC member (starting September 2007)
Richard Fraser, RIAC Chair, Farmer
Cheryl Doran, Save Our Greenspace
Nancy Doubleday, Associate Professor, Geography & Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Donna DuBreuil, President, Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre
Brian Finch, Friends of the Jock River
Anthony Friend,
Ecological Economist, OIKO (Economy for a Sustainable Planet)
Theresa Whalen-Ruiter, Farmer, former President of the Ottawa Federation of Agriculture, Communications Consultant, and Farm Safety Specialist.
Amy MacPherson,
Planner II, staff support
The
preliminary Terms of Reference were reviewed and approved in principle by the
Environmental Advisory Committee, which is leading this initiative, on July 12,
2007.
DISCUSSION
Biological diversity, often referred to as `biodiversity', means "the diversity of all life on Earth including genetic diversity, species, ecosystems, and the natural cycles and processes that are essential to life on Earth such as oxygen and soil production and water purification”.
PURPOSE
The Biodiversity Task
Force is to develop the City of Ottawa Biodiversity Strategy (COBS) that is
consistent with the United Nations, the Canadian, and the Ontario Biodiversity
Strategies. The objective is to develop a decision-making framework for: (a)
the conservation, protection and restoration of ecosystem functions within the
jurisdictional boundaries of the City, (b) ensuring that the objectives of
biodiversity are embedded in all long-term land-use planning decisions, (c)
ensuring public accountability of decisions that may affect the quality and
enjoyment of the bio-physical environment of the day-to-day life of its
Citizens, and (d) engaging rural and urban communities in developing the
strategy.
Document 2 (attached) provides a detailed account of the work done by the Task Force since its inception and the importance and structure of a future Strategy, notably:
· Development of the biodiversity strategy
· Definition of biodiversity
· Context, Purpose and Key Objectives
· Social and economic principles underpinning the Biodiversity Decision-Making
· Draft table of contents for the Strategy.
CONSULTATION
Following Council’s approval of the
Biodiversity Terms of Reference, the Task Force will consult with the public in
urban, rural and suburban parts of the city. Due to the size of Ottawa and the
difficulties some residents have in attending workshops, we plan to invite
comment by mail and electronically as well as by holding a workshop.
To the extent possible,
consultation on the biodiversity strategy will be coordinated with related
elements of the Official Plan review, particularly the discussions of the
system of natural areas protected in the OP, and of compensation. The Task Force will target to have a basis
for discussion in May and June.
The Environmental Sustainability Division shares the Task Force’s concern with preserving biodiversity in the City of Ottawa.
Although the City has not to date developed a “Biodiversity Strategy,” it has approved several policies, plans and strategies in support of environmental sustainability, which includes biodiversity. Many of these initiatives are documented in the recent directory entitled “Getting Greener: On the Path of Environmental Sustainability.” For example, environmental land use designations and policies in the Official Plan limit development in areas of known environmental significance, which is in part based on and supportive of the biodiversity of these areas and of the City as a whole. The City has invested considerable resources in acquiring significant environmental lands to ensure their protection, and has committed to continue this investment through the recently approved Urban Natural Features Strategy. The Official Plan also contains policies dealing with the preservation of endangered and threatened species, aquatic environments and vegetation cover. The City is also implementing an Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan.
The 2008 Official Plan Review process currently under way provides an excellent opportunity for staff and the members of the Task Force to examine how our existing policies work to preserve biodiversity, and whether there is an opportunity to improve them. Several issues in the OP Review are directly related to biodiversity. Staff therefore recommend that the Task Force’s proposed workshop and consultation should be integrated into the Official Plan Review process. One possibility is that the workshop could focus on examining each of the OP Review and rural settlement discussion papers from a biodiversity perspective, with the Task Force then able to present staff with consolidated comments and strategic recommendations that could be more readily taken into account under the framework of the Official Plan Review.
The Consultation Strategy for the review of these plans
addresses numerous Council-adopted Strategic Directions including the
following:
Sustainable Healthy and Active Priority
Objective 3: Expand the amount
of City-owned green space in Ottawa
Expanding the City’s green space provides an opportunity to enhance the
quality of parks and green spaces and to protect significant natural features.
Green spaces have many benefits, including development of a strong sense of
community, provision of a safe and easily accessible play space for children,
higher property values, cooling of surrounding communities, a reduction in
storm water runoff, and maintaining habitat for native plants and animals.
Planning and Growth Management Priority
Objective 2: Respect the
existing urban fabric, neighbourhood form and the limits of existing hard
services, so that new growth is integrated seamlessly with established
communities
The City wants to protect the qualities and characteristics that define
what is unique and special about each community while accommodating new growth.
Objective 5: The City is
committed to preserving rural villages and ensuring that all decisions
affecting rural communities will be
made with input from rural residents.
The City is committed to preserving rural villages and ensuring that
all decisions affecting rural communities will be made with input from rural
residents
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
The decline in biodiversity is a global phenomenon requiring a worldwide effort first to stabilize, and ultimately, to reverse this trend. A local strategy to ensure that biodiversity is conserved, protected, and restored in the Ottawa region’s ecosystems is required.
Such a strategy is
consistent with Ottawa’s 20/20 vision for the 21st Century of a human-scale,
livable and sustainable city.
A large rural area (including the Greenbelt) comprises 90% of the landmass of the City of Ottawa. The Rural Issues Advisory Committee was asked to take part in the Task Force. This Committee’s primary concerns are that the Biodiversity Strategy includes compensation for biodiversity conservation lands, and rural consultation. Future consultation with the Rural Issues Advisory Committee will include efforts and initiatives to reach rural residents.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Council approved $5,000 in funding for research
and community consultation. To date,
the cost of research and associated expenses such as mailing, materials and
photocopying amounts to approximately $2,200.
The remaining $2,800 is for public consultation following Council’s
approval of the Terms of Reference. Public consultations will take place in
Winter 2008.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 2 Status Report – Biodiversity Task Force
Document 3 Biodiversity Background
Document 4 Partial List of Biodiversity Strategies Reviewed by Biodiversity Task Force
Document 5 Helping Ourselves: The Role of Local Government in Biodiversity – GVRD Background Paper – March 1999
DISPOSITION
The Biodiversity Task Force, led by the Environmental Advisory Committee, will pursue the next phase of its work within the timeframe and funds available. It will report back to the Planning and Environment Committee, through the Environmental Advisory Committee, to present a draft Biodiversity Strategy for consideration.
Biological diversity, often referred to as `biodiversity', means "the diversity of all life on Earth including genetic diversity, species, ecosystems, and the natural cycles and processes that are essential to life on Earth such as oxygen and soil production and water purification”.
The causes, both direct and indirect, of biodiversity loss are expanding cities (sprawl), habitat loss, climate change, pollution, population growth, over-exploitation of resources, deforestation, wetland loss, introduction of invasive alien species, and nutrient loading.
CONTEXT
“The human species
depends on biodiversity for its survival. The Earth’s ecosphere cleans the air
we breathe, recycles and purifies the water we drink, absorbs the waste we
produce, provides us with food and fuel and shelter, stabilizes and moderates
climate and generally nurtures our bodies and feeds our spirits with nature’s
beauty, both serene and wild.” (From the United Nations Convention on
Biodiversity.)
Stemming the tide of biodiversity
loss cannot be accomplished by the conservation of natural areas alone but must
also be accompanied by reducing the human activities that are the direct causes
of biodiversity loss. By incorporating the biodiversity strategy into
the existing city planning framework, the city will be part of biodiversity conservation, biodiversity
stewardship and the sustainable use of biodiversity in Canada and throughout
the world.
The Biodiversity Task
Force is mandated to develop the City of Ottawa Biodiversity Strategy (COBS)
that is consistent with the United Nations, the Canadian, and the Ontario
Biodiversity Strategies. The objective is to develop a decision-making
framework for: (a) the conservation, protection and restoration of ecosystem
functions within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City, (b) ensuring that
the objectives of biodiversity are embedded in all long-term land-use planning
decisions, (c) ensuring public accountability of decisions that may effect the
quality and enjoyment of the bio-physical environment of the day-to-day life of
its citizens, and (d) engaging rural and urban communities in developing the
strategy.
COBS will take into
account causal relationships beyond those of the City boundary and beyond those
of the time horizon of the capital investment in the built-environment. In
other words, COBS is designed to enable decision-makers to “think globally but
act locally.”
Consulting with both rural and urban communities will be a key process in the development of the Biodiversity Strategy to ensure the integration of social and economic values with environmental values.
The final Biodiversity Strategy will be an important information piece that will have implications related to the need for:
The key objectives for the City of Ottawa
Biodiversity Strategy are to:
1.
Work with the
existing City of Ottawa policies, plans, and strategies to ensure that
biodiversity considerations are integrated into all facets of city planning and
operations.
2.
Investigate the
causes and impacts of biodiversity loss in Ottawa and identify
Ottawa-appropriate solutions for the conservation, protection, and restoration
of ecosystem functions within the city.
3.
Assess the
natural capital of biodiversity in Ottawa.
a.
Factor the cost
of biodiversity loss into the City’s decision-making framework.
b.
Investigate
compensation options for private landowners who contribute to biodiversity
conservation through the maintenance of natural lands.
The City of Ottawa already has a
number of policies and programmes that contribute to the protection of
biodiversity. Some habitat is protected through the natural area designations
in the Official Plan and related policies for the protection of watercourses
and habitat of endangered and threatened species. These designated areas were
identified by a study in the mid-90s that placed a high emphasis on the
protection of biodiversity. The City acquires land designated Natural
Environment Area (and more recently Urban Natural Feature) when approached by a
willing seller. The City also has an Air Quality and Climate Change Management
Plan that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to reduce the
impacts of climate change. The preparation of a climate change adaptation
strategy will provide another opportunity to consider how to protect
biodiversity from the impacts of climate change. One of the six commitments in the City’s Environmental Strategy
is to “take an ecosystem management approach to new and existing land
development and in the protection of the City’s natural resource
features.”
Council has approved a
stewardship position. Apart from the initial priority of education on the value
of wetlands and roles and responsibilities re municipal drains, there is
opportunity for the stewardship program to include ideas such as outreach to
landowners adjacent to City-owned natural areas on how to protect and enhance
these areas. The City has begun the preparation of management plans for
City-owned community forests, starting with a plan for the South March
Highlands. These plans will balance the protection of biodiversity with public
access.
Social and Economic Principles Underpinning the
Biodiversity Decision-Making:
The Ottawa
community will be consulted on mechanisms to address:
1. The
integration of social and economic values with environmental values;
2. The
integration of policies, by-laws and long-term planning (e.g., Official Plan,
Environment Strategy, etc.) with the biodiversity objectives;
3. The integration of Biodiversity
Decision-Making with the guiding principles for a Green and Environmentally
Sensitive City, with particular emphasis on: (a) the Official Plan,
(b) Transportation Master Plan, (c) Infrastructure Master Plan, (d) Urban Greenspace
Master Plan, and programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The
Biodiversity Strategy Draft Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
a. What is Biodiversity?
b. What are the main threats to Biodiversity?
c. What are the main challenges to biodiversity in
the City of Ottawa?
d. What are the economic costs of biodiversity
loss?
e. How does biodiversity loss threaten human
health?
f. Why does it matter in the City of Ottawa?
g. Why do we need a Biodiversity Strategy?
h. Ecosystems within the City of Ottawa
g. The potential for enhancing biodiversity in
biologically impoverished urban areas
2. Using the past to look towards the future
a. Setting the historical context for the City
of Ottawa in terms of biodiversity
b. A vision for the future of biodiversity in
the City of Ottawa
c. More details on biodiversity and the
principles of biodiversity preservation and our strategy (long term,
ecosystem-based, science, economics, social, partnerships)
d. Brief outline of the objectives
3. Biodiversity Elements
a. Species & Habitats
b. Landscapes & Ecosystems
i.
Watercourses and Wetlands
ii. Trees
and Woodlands
iii. Grasslands
and scrublands
iv.
Farmland
v. Urban
vi. Villages
vii Municipal
drains
4. Process Elements
a. Partners
b. Integration & Coordination
c. Knowledge (partnerships, policy-makers,
practitioners)
d. Consultation, including with municipalities that have already embarked on their biodiversity strategy such as Vancouver
5. Implementation
a. Education and community
participation programming
b. Official Plan
c. Bylaws
d. Monitoring
e. Leadership
f. Additional tools for implementing the strategy (marketing, case studies, leadership, coordination with other initiatives, compensation, funding)
STATUS REPORT – BIODIVERSITY TASK
FORCE DOCUMENT 2
Members:
Ann Coffey, Chair, EAC member
Paul Koch, P.Eng., EAC member and former Chair
Ric Dagenais, EAC member
Edelweiss D’Andrea, EAC member (to June 2007)
Martha Copestake, OFGAC, (to August 2007)
Peter Hall, Forester, OFGAC member (starting September 2007)
Richard Fraser, RIAC Chair, Farmer
Cheryl Doran, Save Our Greenspace
Nancy Doubleday, Associate Professor, Geography & Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Donna DuBreuil, President, Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre
Brian Finch, Friends of the Jock River
Anthony Friend, Ecological
Economist, OIKO (Economy for a Sustainable Planet)
Theresa Whalen-Ruiter, Farmer, former President of the Ottawa Federation of Agriculture, Communications Consultant, and Farm Safety Specialist
Amy MacPherson, Planner II, staff
support
Biodiversity
Task Force Activities: Work accomplished to date:
October
2006: City Council
approved EAC’s motion for EAC to establish a Biodiversity Task
Force to
develop a draft biodiversity strategy for the city.
December:
Engaged two
University of Waterloo students to:
• Obtain copies of biodiversity strategies
and implementation plans that have been developed by other cities in Canada and
worldwide.
• Compare the strategies obtained with the
Ontario Biodiversity Strategy and identify any differences and gaps.
• Identify different cities’ / countries’
processes for developing local strategies and for consulting with the public.
• Determine whether any cities have included
in their strategies the need to take local action on the direct causes of
biodiversity loss that were listed in the March 2006 U.N. Millennium Report on
Global Biodiversity (pollution, expanding cities, over-exploitation of
resources, deforestation, habitat change, introduction of invasive alien
species, nutrient loading, population growth).
• Write a brief report on the strategies
obtained.
January: Held a working group meeting to review work
plan. Contacted the Rural Issues
Advisory Committee, Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee and the
three Conservation Authorities. Dennis
O’Grady of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority said the conservation
authorities would most likely not each send a representative and planned to
meet with Rideau Valley and South Nation Conservation Authority Managers to decide
on who would represent all three conservation authorities on the Task
Force. They decided not to send anyone,
but offered to give a presentation on their work.
January:
Contacted
Scott Findlay, Professor of Biology at the University of Ottawa, who gave his
Conservation Biology students a term project to do group projects under his
direct supervision that will contribute to the Task Force’s work. The projects include: the effects on
biodiversity of climate change, evaluating the economic costs of regional
biodiversity loss, the economic value of biodiversity goods and services,
threats to biodiversity such as those listed in the March 2006 United Nations
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report, urbanization and biodiversity loss, and
community involvement and engagement for the protection of biodiversity.
February:
The first
Biodiversity Task Force meeting was held to present to members the results of
the research. Copies of all the
biodiversity strategies, the Ontario Biodiversity Strategy, and the
international climate change action plans linked to biodiversity protection
were mailed to members for review.
February to April: Members
reviewed approximately 40 biodiversity strategies in preparation for writing
the Draft.
April: Work began to develop the Draft
Terms of Reference for the Strategy.
Contact was made with the Chair of Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy
Committee who said he would welcome working together and sharing information. Three Task Force meetings were held to pool
results of members’ findings from their review of national and international
biodiversity strategies, select best practices for inclusion in Ottawa’s
Biodiversity Strategy, and to discuss and work on drafting the Terms of
Reference.
June and July:
The Draft
Terms of Reference were finalized and sent for review and comment to members of
the Biodiversity Task Force, EAC and OFGAC. At the meeting in late June we
agreed to work electronically on incorporating reviewers’ comments and refining
the TOR.
August: Incorporated reviewers’ comments and distributed the updated draft to staff, and to OFGAC, RIAC and EAC for their review and comment.
September to November: Incorporated comments and additional
input from staff, advisory committees and Task Force members. Held a final
meeting (November 28th) of the Task Force to review and approve the
final Draft Terms of Reference.
1992: Canada
was the first industrialized country to sign the Convention on Biodiversity at
the Rio Earth Summit (1992). 167 other countries have also signed the Treaty.
Most of these countries have produced national biodiversity strategies. Some of
the signatories, and particularly EU countries, have required municipalities to
develop their own local strategies and action plans within two years following
the approval of national strategies and action plans. Many of the national,
regional and local strategies reviewed by Biodiversity Task Force members have
incorporated climate change action plans into their biodiversity
strategies.
1998: On 4th February 1998, the European
Commission adopted a Communication for the European Biodiversity Strategy,
which states: “This strategy aims to anticipate, prevent and attack the
causes of significant reduction or loss of biodiversity at the source. This
will help both to reverse present trends in biodiversity reduction or losses
and to place species and ecosystems, including agro-ecosystems, at a
satisfactory conservation status, both within and beyond the territory of the
European Union (EU). During the last
decades reduction and losses on biodiversity at a global scale has accelerated
dramatically. Existing measures have
proved to be insufficient to reverse present trends. The best way forward is for actors in the relevant policy areas
to assume the responsibility for the impacts of their policies on biodiversity.
With this strategy, the EU reinforces its leading role worldwide in the efforts
to find solutions for biodiversity within the framework of the United Nations
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).”
The Communication was presented by Environment
Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard, who characterised this initiative as "a
model case for integration of environmental policies into key policy
areas".
1999: Some Canadian cities have already embarked on
the process of developing a biodiversity strategy. Of these, Vancouver’s
strategy has been under development for about eight years, and is the most
advanced in Canada. It began with the March 1999 Background Paper “Helping
Ourselves: The Role of Local Government in Biodiversity” (attached). A year later, the Biodiversity
Conservation Strategy for the Greater Vancouver Region was initiated. The GVRD
stated that too often the value of ecosystem services and function are not
factored into urban planning and development decisions. It recognized that
collaboration and integration is the key to conserving natural features,
ecosystem services and functions and facilitated partnerships, provided
information and tools to help prioritize resources and conservation efforts for
biological diversity in the region. Due to extensive public consultation, numerous
groups and individuals are now working to protect biodiversity on the ground to
create regional benefits that maintain a resilient natural environment for
future generations.
2005: The Draft Ontario Biodiversity Strategy was
released for comment. The Ontario Biodiversity Committee has not yet produced
an action plan, but has singled out Scotland’s 2004 strategy “It’s In Your
Hands” as an example to follow.
NOTE: All municipalities in the UK are required
to produce biodiversity strategies and action plans.
2007: On 29 January 2007 in Montreal, the Executive
Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Ahmed Djoghlaf,
congratulated Japan on its decision to revise its national biodiversity
strategy and incorporate it with common global concerns, such as the 2010
target of achieving a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity
loss.
DOCUMENT 4
NOTE: Since climate change is one of the principle causes of biodiversity loss, many of the strategies listed below include a Climate Change Action Plan as a way of slowing biodiversity loss.
National Strategies:
(Not applicable to Ottawa, but interesting none-the-less)
Provincial Strategies:
Municipal Strategies:
European Union Strategies,
Policies and Action Plans
United Kingdom
National Biodiversity Strategies:
Regional Biodiversity Strategies:
Municipal Biodiversity Strategies:
NOTE: Local Biodiversity Action Plans have been released/are required to be released for each municipality within the UK. These local action plans all follow the same format and provide the same type of information, but vary according to the local environment.
http://www.ukbap.org.uk/GenPageText.aspx?id=57
Australia
National Biodiversity Strategies:
State Biodiversity Strategies:
Municipal Biodiversity Strategies:
New Zealand
National Strategies:
Municipal Strategies:
Africa
National Strategies:
Regional Strategies:
Municipal Strategies:
Other
DOCUMENT 5
GVRD Background Paper – March 1999
Background
Canadians see the conservation of biodiversity
as one of the two most important environmental issues of our time.1 Ninety-eight percent of Canadians
consider that “nature in all its variety is essential to human survival.” At
the same time, 62% of British Columbians are “very concerned” about the state
of wildlife and their habitat, citing destruction of habitat, pollution, and
increasing human population as the greatest contributors to the loss of
biodiversity.2 The Canadian Biodiversity Strategy
was developed by the federal, provincial and territorial governments as
Canada’s response to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.3 The goals of the Canadian
Biodiversity Strategy, formally endorsed in 1996, include:
The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks is
currently developing a provincial strategy on biodiversity. Both local and
senior governments have been involved in a variety of projects that support
biodiversity goals, such as the Greater Vancouver Regional District’s Green
Zone initiative.
The Canadian Biodiversity Strategy presents
a vision for Canada of a society that lives and develops as a part of
nature, values the diversity of life, takes no more than can be
replenished, and leaves to future generations a nurturing and dynamic
world, rich in its biodiversity.4
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is “the variability among living organisms and the terrestrial,
aquatic and marine biological complexes of which they are part.”5 Ecosystems are “a dynamic complex of plants, animal and micro-organisms and
their nonliving environment, interacting as a functional unit.”6 Wildlife includes all species of flora and fauna – mammals, birds,
amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, fish, fungi, plants, bacteria, etc. Habitat is the place where a species lives. This may include use of several
different ecosystems for eating, sleeping and breeding, or may vary
according to the time of year. For example, many of the migrating
shorebirds seen in the Boundary Bay area in the spring and fall spend their
summers in the Arctic and winters in South America.
1 Environment Canada, June 1999. Public Opinion and the Environment
1999: Biodiversity Issues. Report on the April 1999 poll by
Environics International. The other emerging issue is atmospheric
pollution.
2 Ibid.
3 Canada was the first
industrialized country to sign this Convention in 1992.
4 Environment Canada, 1995. Canadian
Biodiversity Strategy: Canada’s Response to the Convention on Biological
Diversity. Ottawa,
Supply
and Services Canada.
5 United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity.
6 Environment Canada,
Biodiveristy Convention Office, 1998. Conserving Wildlife Diversity:Implementing
the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy.
“Biodiversity” is short for biological
diversity – or the variety of life on Earth.7 It includes diversity within species
(genetic diversity), diversity between species (species
diversity) and diversity among the ecosystems of which they are part (ecosystem
diversity). Biodiversity is complex. We don’t know how many species
there are in the world: scientists have described about 1.4 million species,
but the total number may be five million or higher.8 There are innumerable ecosystems,
ranging in size from a drop of water to the whole Earth (the biosphere).
In ecosystems, everything is connected to everything else. Like a spider’s web,
when you touch one part, the reverberations can be felt throughout the ecosystem,
sometimes in the least expected places. No one anticipated that the
introduction of DDT would nearly wipe out the population of peregrine falcons,
or that the bodies of dead beluga whales from the St. Lawrence River would need
to be handled as toxic waste because of the chemicals accumulated in their
bodies. Many species have been inadvertently endangered because of the loss of
their habitat. Biodiversity may also be reduced because of the cumulative
impact of changes. For example, one streamside landowner clears the trees to
provide a better view, removing shade and warming the water. Another places
rip-rap to stabilize the stream bank, increasing the rate of stream flow. A new
subdivision results in greater run-off during rainstorms, washing away some of
the woody debris that was perfect fish habitat. Together, these changes mean
that the stream is no longer fish friendly – and with the loss of the fish,
there are no more kingfishers.
Decisions on how best to manage for
biodiversity can be challenging. Global ecosystems are complex and
interrelated, and complete information is frequently not available. We do not
know how much habitat is “enough” to protect a species – will the loss of only
one more woodland really make a difference? Decisions must frequently be made
using less-than-perfect information, and it may be necessary to adjust
management strategies as more information becomes available.
“Paul Ehrlich likened wildlife extinction to
rivets popping out of a jet aircraft; you could remove a few rivets and
perhaps nothing will happen, but eventually one rivet too many will be
removed and the whole plane falls apart and crashes.”9
Biodiversity
Indicators
Biodiversity is hard to measure. Unfortunately,
it is most often recognized as a loss of biodiversity – such as the number of
wildlife on an endangered species list, or the loss of wetlands or old growth
forest. What people often notice first is the loss of popular species – “I used
to hear owls at night, but now there are none,” or “I can remember when Arbutus
Heights subdivision was a stand of trees.” Species at Risk10,,11
7 A list of publications on biodiversity is available from the
Biodiversity Convention Office, www.bco.ec.gc.ca
8 E.O.Wilson, 1988. Biodiversity.
National Academy Press.
9 Monte Hummel, quoted in L.
Johnson, 1990. Green Future: How to Make a World of Difference.Markham,
Ont: Penguin Books.
10 Adapted from the
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
11 Definitions for red-and
blue-listed species adapted from: Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.Habitat
Atlas for Wildlife at Risk: South Okanagan and Lower Similkameen. Extinct: A species
that no longer exists anywhere. Extirpated: A species no longer
existing in a given area, such as the Georgia Basin (but still found elsewhere). Endangered: A species facing
imminent extinction or extirpation. Threatened: A species likely to
become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed. Vulnerable: A species of special
concern because of characteristics that make it particularly sensitive to
human activities or natural events. Red-listed: A provincial
designation for species that are extirpated, endangered, or threatened, or
species that are being considered for formal designation in one of these
categories. Blue-listed: A provincial
designation for species considered vulnerable in British Columbia
In British Columbia, 68 species of
vertebrate animals and 234 vascular plant species are redlisted,with an
additional 451 species listed as vulnerable. Over 800 species of invertebrate
animals and insects are believed to be at risk. In the Georgia Basin, over
330 species of plants and animals are at risk of disappearing.12
_____________________________________________
Biologists
use indicators to assess the trends in biodiversity.
Species at risk are those in danger of disappearing from a given area. The national
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) reports
that, nationally, there are 339 species at risk in 1999 – an increase of 32
species from the previous year. Loss of habitat is one of the main causes of
species loss. As people alter ecosystems, the number and variety of species
that can live in that area will change too. Some species – such as pigeons,
raccoons and coyotes – thrive in urban and suburban areas, as do non-native
grey squirrels and starlings. Many others, however, cannot adapt to change and
will move elsewhere – if they can. In the Georgia Basin, two-thirds of the
vertebrate species listed as endangered or threatened rely on habitats that are
also at risk.13
Ecosystems at risk are often in areas most influenced by human
activities. Native ecosystems may disappear completely if they are paved over
by roads or subdivisions. Examples include the Fraser River delta, in which
about 70% of the wetlands have disappeared. Ecosystems may be altered. For
example, where a single species tree plantation replaces an older diverse
forest, the area may continue to provide good deer habitat but there will no
longer be snags for spotted owls, or downed logs for the Pacific salamander.
Ecosystems may be degraded, perhaps by invasive plants that have replaced
native vegetation or where pollution has resulted in algae blooms on a lake.
An indicator species is one that is
closely associated with a particular type of ecosystem, so that the presence or
absence of this species serves as a measure of the overall health of the
ecosystem. For example, if the forest/alpine ecosystem is healthy enough for
the American dipper (a small bird which lives along and forages in mountain
streams), it is healthy enough for a host of other aquatic organisms that in
turn sustain healthy fish and other wildlife populations. Indicator species can
be a useful management tool. Efforts to restore the health of the ecosystem for
an indicator species can be presumed to benefit a much wider variety of
species.
12 B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, 1999. Environmental
Trends in British Columbia,January 1999. Victoria.
13 Environment Canada and
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, 1999. Working Together for
theGeorgia Basin: Conserving Habitat and Protecting Species. Brochure.
A keystone species is one that plays a
key role in a given ecosystem, and affects the survival and abundance of many
other species. For example, the pileated woodpecker creates large cavities in
trees and snags for nesting and roosting. When abandoned, these cavities are
used by other species (e.g. ducks, owls, bats, squirrels, martens and many
amphibians) that would not be able to create these cavities without the help of
the woodpecker. The pileated woodpeckers are so important to mature forest
ecosystems that the U.S. National Forest Management Act requires that
their populations be monitored.
The Benefits of
Biodiversity
A team of ecologists and economists estimated the annual value of
the world’s ecosystems taking into account all the services the
ecosystems provide. The team found that, conservatively, ecosystems provide
at least US$33 trillion worth of services annually, which can be compared
to a world GNP of around US$18 trillion per year.14
We need biodiversity to survive. People depend
on plants and animals for foods, medicines, and raw materials to manufacture
clothing and building materials. Species and ecosystems regulate our climate,
clean our freshwater, regulate and clean atmospheric gases, treat our wastes,
generate and clean our soils, maintain genetic diversity, maintain the water
cycle, recycle nutrients and pollinate our crops. In other words, at no cost to
us, biodiversity supports the human species.15
When there is less diversity in nature, ecosystems
become less productive. Species and biological communities have difficulty
adapting to change, but humans suffer too. Economic opportunities and the
quality of life of future generations are put at risk – as has been amply
illustrated by the economic losses from the declining salmon fishery. By
protecting nature, we protect ourselves. Biodiversity benefits us in many ways.
Economic benefits:
A recent study16 found that proximity to greenways in
the Lower Mainland increased property values by 15-20%. Residents adjacent to
greenways tend to stay in the same neighbourhood for longer, and the houses
sell quickly.
In 1996, an estimated 2.5 million British Columbia residents (82.2 %
of the population aged 15 years and over) participated in a wide range of
nature-related activities. In the same year, British Columbia residents
spent nearly $2 billion on various nature-related activities in B.C. and
other parts of Canada. British Columbians spend $767 per year on
nature-related activities – well above the Canadian average of $549 per
participant.17
Parks and greenways support ecosystem functions such as flood
control and stormwater detention. A recent assessment of streamside
protection measures for the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks
estimated that one Lower Mainland community could have avoided stormwater
flooding damages of about $2.5 million on one stream alone, had riparian
vegetation buffers been in place.Natural areas draw visitors to “Super,
Natural B.C.” and support eco-tourism, one of the fastest growing
industries in this province. Spending on travel costs, accommodation,
meals, groceries, and equipment generate significant income and employment
every year. BC Parks alone creates 1,000 direct jobs in the Vancouver area.18
14 Costanza, R. et al. 1997. The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Quoted
in Environment Canada (in prep), Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory Conservation
Manual.
15 Environment Canada (in prep). Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory
Conservation Manual.
16 Hamilton, S. and M. Quayle, 1999 (draft). Corridors of Green and
Gold: Impact of Riparian Suburban Greenways on Property Values. Department
of Fisheries and Oceans.
17 Environment Canada, 1999. The Importance of Nature to Canadians. Supply
and Services Canada
18 Coopers and Lybrand Consulting, 1996. Current and Future Economic
Benefits of British Columbia Parks Report for the B.C. Ministry of
Environment, Lands and Parks.
Health:
Trees and other plants help to filter our air,
and provide visual and sound buffers between roads and housing. One city tree
will soak up 13 tons of carbon dioxide each year.19
Almost half the prescription drugs used to
treat diseases are derived from living organisms. For example, the bark of the
Pacific Western Yew contains taxol, a compound that is useful in treating
cancer. The rosy periwinkle is used to treat Hodgkin’s disease and leukaemia –
an industry worth $180 million per year worldwide.20
Quality of Life:
Green spaces and wildlife contribute to the
character and livability of communities, and provide opportunities for people
to learn about nature close to home.
Natural areas may provide recreational
opportunities such as walking and bird-watching, as well pleasant viewscapes.
A 50-year-old urban tree
is worth $57,000. This estimate is based on an annual value of
$73 for air conditioning, $75 for soil benefits, $50 for air pollution
control, and $75 for wildlife habitats, compounded at 5% interest over 50
years.21
Conservation of
Biodiversity
Conserving biodiversity is like a jigsaw puzzle
– every piece is important to create a complete picture.
Many wildlife biologists believe that the best
way to conserve biodiversity is a precautionary approach that protects a
diversity of habitats – and thus a diversity of wildlife – at a local, regional
and international scale. Part of the puzzle involves setting aside protected
areas. In recent years, senior governments have followed a target of protecting
12% of the land base in protected areas, and local governments too have played
an important role. But this by itself is not sufficient to conserve
biodiversity.
Governments and citizens also need to pay
attention to what happens on the other 88% – in forests, in farmlands, in urban
areas and other smaller greenspaces. To achieve the “100% solution,”
communities need to protect and manage the best habitats, connect them with
wildlife corridors, restore and enhance degraded ecosystems, slow the rate of
loss of other areas, and promote stewardship. It will involve making decisions
with the whole ecosystem in mind: if water is diverted from this stream, what
will happen to the fish and waterfowl? to the lake downstream? to the water
supply for irrigation?
Conservation of biodiversity requires efforts
by all of us: governments, business and industry, individuals and community
groups. Governments can contribute to many pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.
19 Environment Canada, 1993. The Nature of Canada: A Primer on Spaces
and Species. Supply and Services Canada.
20 Environment Canada,
1994. The Wonder of Biodiversity. Brochure.
21 National Tree Community
Foundation, 1992. Tree Plan Canada. Brochure.
Core
protected areas
Set aside large areas of terrestrial, aquatic
and marine ecosystems as protected wildlife habitat. Protected areas should be
large enough to provide habitat for a wide range of native species.
Include the full range of ecosystems native to the region (e.g.
shorelands, estuaries, wetlands, streams, forests, alpine meadows) in the
system of protected areas.
Manage protected areas to ensure they are not
degraded by over-use, introduced species, or other external influences.
Smaller habitat areas
Protect small areas that contribute to
biodiversity. These can include riparian setbacks, covenants on private lands
and open space dedications in subdivisions.
Use available planning and development tools such as tree protection
bylaws, cluster developments, and development permit areas to maximize the
protection of natural habitats in urban areas.
Protect ecosystem features in built-up areas,
for example by preserving wildlife trees or using swales instead of culverts
for drainage.
Buffer zones and wildlife corridors
Create managed buffer zones around core
protected areas.
Protect wildlife corridors that allow wildlife
to move safely between different protected areas. Riparian areas and greenways
can often provide good wildlife corridors.
Enhancement and restoration
Enhance and restore ecosystems, for example by
“daylighting” streams, removing invasive species, and replanting native
species. Restoration can be expensive – prevention is much cheaper than the
cure.
Stewardship and education
Support and get involved with stewardship
initiatives, such as Streamkeepers and Wetland Keepers.
Lead by example, perhaps by planting with
native species on municipal property, or by clearing roadside ditches less
frequently to create temporary habitats for butterflies and amphibians.
Support educational initiatives such as the
Naturescape program,22 which encourages people to become
more aware of the wildlife in their community and how they can protect it. A
farmer’s decision to participate in a cover crop program can support a variety
of migrating and overwintering birds. A landowner’s decision to covenant a
small woodlot may mean survival for local wildlife.
An apartment dweller’s decision to hang out a
bird feeder, or to get their feet wet in a stream restoration project are
equally important. Just as individual decisions can lead to a cumulative loss
of biodiversity, so too a series of individual actions can help stem the tide.
Encourage
decision-making that considers the impact of decisions on the whole ecosystem.
Next Steps
A regional framework for biodiversity can
provide a better understanding of how governments can work together to achieve
biodiversity goals. As part of the Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative, the
federal and provincial governments would like to work with the GVRD and its
member municipalities to:
The best means to achieve this is open for
discussion, but could start with a workshop.
biodiversity task forcE – interim report and approval of terms of reference for a biodiversity strategy
GROUPE DE
TRAVAIL SUR LA BIODIVERSITÉ – RAPPORT PROVISOIRE ET APPROBATION DU CADRE DE
RÉFÉRENCE DE LA STRATÉGIE SUR LA BIODIVERSITÉ
ACS2008-CCV-EAC-0001 City-Wide / À l’échelle de la Ville
Written correspondence dated January 16, 2008 in support of the recommendations was received from Donna DuBreuil, President of the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre.
They also noted a small
correction in the report at page 12, The Biodiversity Strategy Draft Table of
Contents: bullet 3(b)(i): change “rivers” to watercourses”.
Councillor Doucet thanked the task force and EAC for their excellent work. He touched on the estimate found in the attachment to the report, which stated that a 50-year old tree is worth $57,000 (Source: National Tree Community Foundation, 1992. Tree Plan Canada brochure.) He discussed the destruction of urban trees, specifically as it relates to development. Ms. Coffey explained education is an important component and raised the important aspect of oxygen production. She noted the former City of Ottawa had a video, which as an example showed that a white oak eight inches in diameter on the front lawn of an urban home increased the property’s value by up to $21,000.
Carol Christensen, Manager of Environmental Sustainability, clarified
that the Biodiversity Strategy will be a product of the task force and staff is
only involved as a resource. Staff are
dealing directly with this question of trees and forests and will be bringing
forward a white paper in 2008. For
example, the white paper will discuss what measures to undertake to protect
heritage trees. The document will be
separate from the Official Plan review but will be occurring in parallel.
Councillor Desroches questioned what policy gap is being filled with this initiative, acknowledging that the strategy will assist with decision-making. Ms. Coffey discussed the Biodiversity Treaty, its signatories, and the need for action at the municipal level. A similar strategy is in development by the City of Vancouver and will impact all policy and procedures, as a bottom line. The Ontario Biodiversity Committee is also coming up with an action plan. Mr. Koch noted this work would be done incrementally to help change decision-making over time.
Councillor Holmes suggested a member of Planning and Environment Committee should joint the task force. She indicated she was prepared to move a motion to appoint an additional member. She would also request that the Public Works and Services Department investigate the value of a 50-year old tree. The Councillor also spoke of the implications of biodiversity on future generations and humans generally.
In response to a question from Councillor Desroches will respect to making the strategy operational, Anthony Friend, Task Force Member, stated it would occur long-term. He explained environmental factors do not have a market value; rather they are intrinsic in nature, without a price. The process should lead to a different set of evaluation methods that are lacking in budgets, by-laws and the Planning Act. He added biodiversity is lost in the decision-making process based on trade-offs.
Councillor Hunter asked about species creation as opposed to extinction. Mr. Friend confirmed million of species are created, but at a slow rate, as opposed to extinction which is very rapid.
With respect to trees, Councillor Hunter commented that they are living organisms that have a life span and eventually die. He suggested air photographs show that the tree cover of Ottawa has increased over the last 80 years.
Moved by D. Holmes:
That the estimated value of a 50-year-old tree be sent to the Public Works and Services Department for comment back to the Planning and Environment Committee as an IPD.
1. Approve the draft Terms of Reference for the Biodiversity
Strategy, as outlined in Document 1.
2.
Receive for information a status report from the Biodiversity Task
Force, as outlined in this report and Document 2.
3. Extend the duration of the Task Force for an additional
eight months.
4. That
the estimated value of a 50-year-old tree be sent to the Public Works and
Services Department for comment back to the Planning and Environment Committee
as an Information Previously Distributed Memorandum (IPD).
CARRIED
as amended