Factors Driving Biodiversity Offsets: The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Biodiversity Benefits...

Factors Driving Biodiversity Offsets The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s

Biodiversity Benefits Program Standards

University of Ottawa 13 February 2014

Dan Kraus, Manager of Conservation Science & Planning Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Region

Summary of Presentation

1. Factors driving biodiversity offsets 2. Developing NCC standards of

practice 3. Early experiences and challenges

Wild Hyacinth Threatened

Restricted to Western Lake Erie Islands

Over 1 million ha protected

across Canada NCC owns and manages

habitat for 26% of Canada’s Species at Risk

Westbridge Mountains

Cockburn Island

Missouri Coteau

Leading some of the largest restoration projects in Canada

Conservation Volunteer program that engages communities

Lead large-scale biodiversity planning initiatives

Factors Driving Biodiversity Offsets

Ecosystem Status & Trends in Canada

• 70% of prairie grasslands lost

• 200,000 km2 of wetland lost prior to 1990

Factors Driving Biodiversity Offsets

Increasing response to protect and restore nature,

Yet, the overall state of biodiversity continues to deteriorate and threats continue to increase.

Factors Driving Biodiversity Offsets

1. Voluntary 2. Regulatory 3. Carbon

Wood Turtle Endangered

Ontario/Canada/IUCN Red List

Voluntary Offsets

Point Pelee National Park Established 1918

NCC Founders 1962

Voluntary Offsets

Voluntary Offsets

Regulatory Offsets

Federal Fisheries Act Federal Wetland Policy Endangered Species Act

(Ontario)

King Rail Endangered in Canada and Ontario

DRAFTING NCC STANDARDS OF PRACTICE Working Principles 1. Adherence to mitigation hierarchy 2. Limits to offsets 3. Significant net gain 4. Additional conservation outcomes 5. Long-term outcomes 6. Geography of offsets 7. All-in costing 8. Community engagement 9. Equity 10. Transparency and standards 11. Science and local knowledge

Experiences & Challenges

Challenges & Opportunities 1. How can we reduce risk and uncertainty? 2. How can we best match biodiversity offset funding

with priority projects? 3. How do we measure biodiversity offsets?

Challenges & Opportunities

How can we reduce risk and uncertainty?

Globally Rare Alvar Habitat Carden Plain

Challenges & Opportunities

How can we best match biodiversity offset funding with priority projects?

Challenges & Opportunities

How can we measure biodiversity offsets?

Prescribed Fires for Prairie Management and Grassland Bird Habitat Restoration

Rice Lake Plains

Existing Site Viability assessment/ description1

Proposed Offset Viability assessment/ description

Net Gain

Size POOR-FAIR - approximately 50 acres of cultural meadow in discontinuous blocks

GOOD -at least 60 acres of new breeding habitat for Bobolink, and other grassland birds will be restored on secured conservation land - 30 additional acres of alvar will be secured

Increase in the amount of breeding habitat by 40 acres . Restored habitat for Bobolink will be in one continuous block.

Condition FAIR - cultural meadow - site currently not managed for conservation

VERY GOOD - native alvar grassland habitat with long-term management to maintain these conditions

Increase in alvar grassland that will be managed for grassland birds and for the benefit other species and communities at risk.

Landscape Context

POOR - located within the urban limits -no other large patches of grassland in vicinity -<50 acres of other grasslands within 1 km - within an agricultural and urbanizing landscape

VERY GOOD - offset will be located in the Carden Alvar, one of the largest natural grasslands in Ontario, with one of the highest relative densities of Bobolink in Ontario - at least 500 acres of additional grasslands will be within 1 km of the site - patch size (restored area plus existing alvar grassland will be over 200 acres) - the project site is over 1 km from a road, and over 3 km away from a major road.

New grassland habitats will be created within a key area for grassland bird conservation in Ontario.

Dan Kraus, Nature Conservancy of Canada

dan.kraus@natureconservancy.ca BLOG: Search “NCC Land Lines”