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Natural Heritage Systems Planning with Multiple Stakeholders

Elizabeth SpangIM & Spatial Analysis Unit

February 25, 2011

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• The Real World: A Fragmented Landscape• Why Engage Stakeholders?• Southern Ontario NHS Projects• NHS Design Process• Benefits of Engagement

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Many organizations and agencies are involved in land management but are

their activities integrated?

Southern Ontario: A Fragmented Landscape

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MNR’s NHS Approach• Developed in Natural Spaces • An objective, science-based approach to set targets for what should be

included in an NHS • Based on regional, ecological boundaries • Uses a site selection algorithm• Results in a strategic tool to support decision-making• An approach that can integrate conservation activities through Stakeholder

Engagement

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• One organization can’t do it alone• The stakeholders have a crucial role:

– in identifying objectives for a NHS– in setting the ecological targets to guide the NHS design– in championing the final NHS and implementing it within their own

organizations

Why engage stakeholders to design an NHS?

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Working Together toward a NHS for Prince Edward County and Surrounding Communities

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Terms of Reference

• Establishes a Vision, Goals, Objectives, and Guiding Principles• Guiding Principles:• The process of developing the Natural Heritage System will:

1) Engage stakeholders in its design and development

2) Incorporate ecological, economic, social and cultural values

3) Be based on best-available science and information

4) Be open and transparent in reporting on process, methods, outcomes and results

5) Be dynamic and adaptive

6) Be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) and all applicable legislation

7) Consider existing municipal official plans and existing areas of development

8) Recognise the many values of natural and developed areas

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Stakeholder Interests Represented on the Sustaining What We Value Project

• Area Artist• Cultural• Landowner • Landowner/ Farmer• Stewardship Council/Social• Canadian Land Trust Alliance• Ontario Federation of Anglers and

Hunters• Algonquin to Adirondacks

Conservation Association (NGO)• Eastern Ontario Model Forest

(NGO)

• Upper Tier Municipality – GIS • Upper Tier Municipality –

Sustainability Coordinator• Municipal Planner/ Lower Tier • St. Lawrence Islands National

Park• Conservation Authority• Kemptville District MNR• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and

Housing• Agriculture• Health Unit

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Technical Support Team

NHS Design Process

Stakeholder Group Diverse Interests Consensus Decision Making

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Stakeholder Decisions: Socio-Political Constraints

• How should existing land uses be accommodated by the NHS?

• E.g. Should Provincial Parks always be included in the NHS?

• E.g. Can we minimize the amount of prime agricultural land that gets included?

• 48+ items discussed

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Stakeholder Decisions: Set Targets

• What is the minimum amount of natural area needed for a healthy ecosystem?– 23 Targets discussed:

• Biodiversity• Ecological Functions (e.g. patch size)• Fine Scale Species Habitat (e.g. SAR)• Watershed Functions

(e.g. headwater areas)Percent Forest Cover by Watershed

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Where Do Targets Come From?

• Scientific Literature– How Much Habitat Is Enough?– Local studies

• Policy Documents:– Natural Heritage Reference

Manual– Significant Wildlife Habitat

Technical Guide– Silvicultural Guide

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Producing the Learning Scenarios

• Lead Analyst (Southern Region, MNR)

– Assemble all the targets and constraints set by the stakeholders– Prep data layers– Use a decision-support tool (MARXAN) to identify efficient

configurations of sites• Defendable and Objective • Easily Updated• Can run many scenarios

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Multiple Scenarios Help with Engagement

• Ability to try multiple scenarios helps stakeholders move past areas of disagreement– E.g. agriculture vs. conservation– NPCA agricultural reps wanted to exclude all areas with Class

1,2,3,4 and O soil types

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Stakeholder Decisions

• Review of Learning Scenarios– E.g. Which NHS option best balances ecological function with

being socially and politically acceptable?– E.g. Which option can all agree on?

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Ecological Thresholds

Percent Forest Cover by Quaternary Watersheds

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• Baseline

• Captures 99% of existing natural cover

Reviewing the Learning Scenarios

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• The Best Half of What’s Left on the Landscape

• Captures 65% of existing natural cover

Reviewing the Learning Scenarios

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• Forest and Wetland Cover Targets

• Captures 86% of existing natural cover

Reviewing the Learning Scenarios

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Implementation

• The NHS is a package of compiled information and data layers that can inform:– Priorities for Stewardship Projects– Land Use Planning and Policy Decisions– Conservation Land Acquisitions– Development Proposal Assessments (including cumulative

effects)– Priorities for Inventory Programs and Research Projects

• We will be providing knowledge transfer sessions to key groups (e.g. planners, land trusts, etc.)

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• Zoomed in we can see the 5ha hexagons which contain the information and areas for each feature

• Using GIS we can map the underlying features captured by the hexagons identified in the final scenario

• We can look at how well the boundaries from the GIS layer capture the actual features on the ground using available imagery

• By developing some rules we can identify areas with restoration potential where existing natural cover is fragmented in order to develop a connected system

• In this example GIS was used to identify areas between features that are within 300m

and

gaps/holes within features at least 300m wide

Example Application: Stewardship

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Benefits of Engagement

• Sense of ownership• Stakeholders become advocates for the

product• Representing diverse interests increases

legitimacy• Aligned activities

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Acknowledgements

• GeoConnections• Sustaining What We Value Steering Committee Members:

– Elizabeth Holmes– Josh Van Wieren– Chris Bellemore– Don Ross– David Bull– Amber Cowie– Erin Neave

• Scenario Planning Team Members• Kerry Coleman, facilitator

– Steve Voros– Silvia Strobl– Chris Lemieux– Joy Sterritt– Amy Handyside– Karen Fraser