Identifying and Protecting Significant Woodlands in an Urbanizing Landscape

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Identifying and Protecting Significant Woodlands
in an Urbanizing Landscape

• Sandra Malcic
• Regional Greening Co-ordinator
• Natural Heritage and Forestry Services
• Roads Branch
• Transportation and Works
• Regional Municipality of York

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Identifying and Protecting Significant Woodlands
in an Urbanizing Landscape
Presentation Overview 1. Getting to know Yorks
Forests The York Region Significant
Woodlands Study 2. Opportunities and Challenges
in an urbanizing landscape 3. Protecting and
restoring Large Woodlands 4. Securing Public and
Political Support 5. Conclusions
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Significant Woodlands Study Deliverables

• Updated Forest Cover Geographic Information
  Systems (GIS) dataset
• Criteria for determining Significant Woodlands in
  York Region
• Guidelines to assist with directing
  rehabilitation and securement efforts
• Comprehensive scientific report supporting all of
  the aforementioned

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Existing Woodland Cover
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Significant Woodland Criteria

• Woodlands containing species of conservation
  concern
• Riparian Woodlands
• 3i.Two ha woodlands within 100m of another
  significant feature
• 3ii.Two ha woodlands within the Regional
  Greenlands System
• 4.Woodlands south of ORM 4ha
• 5.Woodlands north of ORM 10ha
• 6.Woodlands on the ORM as per the requirements of
  the ORM Conservation Plan

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Significant Woodland Cover
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• Findings
• York Region has 22.5 Forest Cover ranging from
  6.1 in southern urban municipality to 39.9 in
  the northern most municipality
• 97.5 of existing woodland area is deemed
  significant (80 of patches)
• York Region has a forest cover target of 25 by
  2026
• 4,362ha of new forest is required (net gain of
  229ha/year)

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Study Recommendations

• Refine Regional Official Plan policies to protect
  Significant Woodlands in York Region
• Continue with programs to meet or exceed the
  Regional Official Plan forest cover target in
  order to achieve a linked natural heritage
  system.
• Undertake additional GIS analyses to assist with
  determining 2-3 top priority areas for restoring
  large areas (gt500 ha) of native woodland.
• Continue to refine the regional forest layer to
  provide an accurate representation of the
  woodlands in York Region.
• Continue to implement and expand Greening
  securement, naturalization and stewardship
  programs and partnerships using the Securement
  Guidelines recommended in this report.

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Protecting What We Have

• Rural Opportunities
• Significantly strengthened policy for the
  protection of rural woodlands
• Increased public awareness and private land
  stewardship
• Rural Challenges
• Forest conservation by-laws and protecting trees
  from existing uses

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Adding to the System

• Rural Restoration Opportunities
• Lands protected from development are good
  candidates for private land stewardship including
  tree planting
• Affordable opportunities to increase public
  ownership of natural areas
• Rural Restoration Challenges
• Removing lands from agricultural production
• Forest Conservation By-law Concerns

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York Region 2031 Growth Forecasts

• New Population 570,000
• (current 935, 000)
• New Employment 345,000
• (current 455,000)
• New Housing Units 238,000
• (current 278,000)

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Protecting What We Have

• Urban (growth areas) Opportunities
• The identification of major stream corridors as
  part of the natural heritage system of the
  Greenbelt within urbanizing areas
• The requirement for the delineation of a natural
  heritage system within growth areas through
  sub-catchment area assessments
• Urban Challenges
• Highest and best use of land within growth areas
  while adequately protecting/restoring natural
  heritage systems

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Adding to the System

• Urban Restoration Opportunities
• As valley lands and floodplains come into public
  ownership through development they are available
  for restoration
• Urban Restoration Challenges
• Too many people, too little land

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Getting more in our Urban Areas

• No net loss principle
• Criteria for protection levels

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Securing Public and Political Support

• CONSULT, CONSULT, and CONSULT some more
• Explain your data ( cover vs. of patches)
• Education
• Be sensitive to your stakeholders (agricultural
  community)
• Make links to legislation (PPS, Greenbelt, ORM)

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The No Net Loss Principle
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The No Net Loss Principle
S
SEVERAL
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Thank You

• Sandra Malcic
• Regional Greening Co-ordinator
• Regional municipality of York
• 17250 Yonge Street
• Newmarket, Ontario
• L3Y 6Z1
• Phone [phone] Ext. 5274
• Fax [phone]
• Email sandra.malcic_at_york.ca