Flower City

ReportR-l Planning, Design & Development Committee

Standing Committee of the Council

of the Corporation of the City of Brampton

PLANNING, DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Date: May 6, 2009

DATE:File:

Subject: City of Brampton - Natural Areas Inventory

(Part of the Region of Peel - Credit Valley Conservation - Toronto Region

Conservation - Natural Areas Inventory)

Contact: Susan Jorgenson, Manager, Environmental Planning (905-874-2054)

OVERVIEW:

• A Natural Areas Inventory provides biological and ecological data that is

scientifically defensible, and ensures consistent data across the study area

which improves the use of the data for land use planning, environmental

assessments, and restoration and monitoring programs;

• The Region of Peel and Credit River Watershed Natural Area Inventory began

2007 in partnership with local naturalists clubs and Toronto and Region

Conservation Authority. The City of Brampton participates on the Peel-CVC NAI

Municipal Advisory Committee.

• Natural and cultural-successional vegetative communities in Brampton

comprise approximately 2800 hectares (10.2%) of the City;

• City and agency natural areas data spans approximately 3 decades and was

prepared based on varying objectives-issues, using different inventory protocols and inconsistent levels of effort in data collection and management;

• Brampton will be inventoried as part of the Peel-CVC NAI; however, this work

will take until approximately 2015 to complete, not including cultural and

successional communities;

• Brampton proposes to initiate a Brampton Natural Areas Inventory that could be

fully integrated and compatible with the Peel-CVC NAI; and

• A Brampton NAI will support the implementation of Official Plan policies to

develop a sustainable community; qualify the protection and ecological good

and services of a healthy, functioning and sustainable Natural Heritage System;

and provide information to guide the City's environmental management,

restoration, planting and stewardship programs.

Recommendations:

1. That the report entitled "City of Brampton - Natural Areas Inventory Project" dated

May 6, 2009, and Attachment 1 be received;

2. That staff be authorized to provide the City's contribution through a cost-sharing agreement for the Natural Areas Inventory Project with Credit Valley Conservation;

3. That the City of Brampton Natural Areas Inventory Project estimated at $80,000 be funded through Account #201002.001.0413.0.0001 identified in the 2009 budget;

4. That staff be directed to pursue opportunities to obtain natural areas data in accordance with the Natural Areas Inventory protocols through future

comprehensive environmental reports that may be prepared as part of land use

planning processes such as Secondary Plans and Block Plans; and

5. That staff report back to Council on the results of the 2009 program, when available.

Background:

A Natural Areas Inventory (NAI) is an inventory of the biological resources of a natural area

and can be used to establish baseline conditions for what natural heritage features and

functions are present at a site, within a municipality or a watershed. NAIs enable

municipalities and agencies to identify the significance and ecological sensitivities of

natural features and areas in accordance with municipal and provincial policy, for

woodlands, wetlands, wildlife habitat, valleylands, fish habitat, and the habitat for

threatened and endangered species. NAIs are conducted using standardized inventory

protocols (e.g. Ecological Land Classification for southern Ontario, Forest Breeding Bird

Monitoring, and Amphibian Call Counts) that are scientifically defensible. Therefore, a NAI

will ensure consistent data across a study area that will improve the use of data in

environmental management programs, including the review of planning applications,

environmental and/or ecological assessments and monitoring programs.

Current Situation:

The Region of Peel and Credit River Watershed Natural Area Inventory project began in

2007 in a partnership with the South Peel Naturalists' Club, the Halton-North Peel

Naturalist Club and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Watershed municipalities,

including the City of Brampton, have participated in the watershed NAI as part of the

Municipal Advisory Committee. As provided in the overview of the NAI submitted by Credit

Valley Conservation (refer to Attachment 1), the NAI is designed to:

Compile and extrapolate existing biological data;

■ Conduct a data gap analysis and identify priorities for inventory;

■ Inventory the flora, fauna and plant communities of natural areas that lack

information;

■ Update the Ecological Land Classification Mapping for the Region of Peel and the

Credit River Watershed, including the City of Brampton and the Town of Caledon;

■ Maintain, manage and share a Natural Heritage Database; and

■ Conduct a data analysis and identify natural patterns.

Furthermore, the NAI will: ■ Inventory and classify vegetation communities using Ecological Land Classification

(ELC); ■ Inventory birds using Breeding Bird Surveys; ■ Inventory frogs and toads using Amphibian Call Counts; ■ Document Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) through surveys; ■ Record incidental mammal, reptile, other amphibian, lepidopteran (butterflies and

skippers) and mussel observations; ■ Incorporate fish inventories; and

■ Successional communities (areas undergoing natural regeneration) will be

inventoried if assessed in the field by the ecologist to contain significant natural

features or ecological functions.

CVC will store and analyze inventory data using Microsoft Access and ESRI ArcGIS or Arcview (Geographic Information System) and produce a report in 2010 that summarizes

the results of the regional-watershed Natural Areas Inventory. For the City of Brampton -Natural Areas Inventory Project, CVC will analyze and provide the inventory data to be

integrated into the City's data base, as well as a summary report of the 2010 inventory work. This data shall be available for all City departments for identifying significant natural

heritage areas and features, as information for the review of planning applications, and as

information to guide Brampton's environmental restoration programs.

Why a Brampton Natural Areas Inventory?

Natural forest and wetlands areas in Brampton comprise approximately 1400 ha or 5.1

percent of the City, and regenerating riparian and successional communities also cover

approximately 1400 ha or 5.1 percent of the municipality. Currently, approximately 430 ha of natural areas in Brampton have been inventoried as part of the TRCA watershed

program over the past 5 years. Much of Brampton's existing information for natural areas

and features is out-of-date and scattered in a variety of files including various municipal

studies, development applications, and staff files. Government agency data for Environmentally Significant Areas, evaluated wetlands and Forest Resource Inventories

(FRI) was gathered over a period of 3 decades and needs to be renewed. The variable

quality of this data makes it very difficult to analyze in a manner that provides meaningful

interpretation and accurately characterizes the natural heritage system of Brampton.

Without an accurate understanding of the natural heritage system it is difficult to identify

significant areas and features, how the system functions, and how it needs to be protected,

managed, and restored. Brampton is fortunate that current Subwatershed Studies and

Block Plans have resulted in recent updates to wetland evaluations, and local inventories

of forest, and fish and wildlife communities. Where ecological data is available for existing

development, it will need to be analyzed by qualified technical staff to determine how much

is useable and can be incorporated into the NAI data base.

At this time, the Peel-CVC NAI is only focusing on natural forest and wetland communities,

and under the current program a complete inventory of the region and watershed forest

and wetland communities, will take until approximately 2015. Staff would note that Brampton will continue to receive a portion of the annual Peel-CVC NAI field work;

however, by providing funding for a NAI crew to focus on Brampton, municipal coverage of all natural and regenerating communities, could be complete in several years. This

timeline could be further reduced as CVC examines Brampton's existing data sets, and is

able to incorporate some of this information into the NAI data base.

Conclusion:

Brampton is under enormous pressure for development, both in Greenfield areas and within the built boundary. The environmental policies of the City's Official Plan, supported and complemented by Provincial, regional and conservation authorities' policies and

regulations, are designed to ensure that a healthy and functioning natural heritage system

is protected and managed for the benefit of the Brampton community. To identify and

protect a functioning natural heritage system, it is essential that the City of Brampton have

access to biological and ecological information that is accurate, up-to-date, easily

accessible, and in context. This information will be valuable to the City for the identification

significant natural heritage areas and features, to manage growth in a manner that protects

the environment and its social values, to monitor the effectiveness of its management and

planning activities, and to provide guidance to Brampton's environmental restoration

programs.

The City of Brampton - Natural Areas Inventory Project shall provide a higher quantity and

quality of environmental data for the City that is scientifically defensible and can be used by

City departments in the planning process, the preparation of environmental assessments

for municipal infrastructure, and to direct our natural features management and planting

activities. City staff in conjunction with the Conservation Authorities will require, where

feasible, that subwatershed studies, Master Environmental Servicing Plans-Environmental

Implementation Reports and Environmental Impact Studies undertake environmental

inventories so that the ecological data generated through land use development be

integrated into the NAI data base. The City shall provide its' contribution to Credit Valley

Conservation for the Natural Areas Inventory Project through a cost-sharing agreement

that is funded through Account #201002.001.0413.0.0001 that was identified in the 2009

budget.

fully submitted,

AdrW Smith, MCIP, RPP JofoV&Mjett, MCIP, RPP Director, Planning and Land Commissioner,

Development Services Planning, Design and Development

Attachment 1: Credit Valley Conservation Letter dated April 15, 2009

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15 April, 2009

Susan Jorgensen,

Manager, Environmental Planning,

Planning, Design and Development Dept.,

City of Brampton.

2 Wellington St. W,

Brampton, ON L6Y 4R2

Dear Susan,

This letter is to explain our proposed Natural Areas Inventory Project for the City of Brampton.

What is a Natural Areas Inventory (NAI)7

An NAI is an inventory of the biological resources of a natural area - it documents the species

and ecological features that arc present in an area. Natural Areas inventories are designed to

provide biological and ecological infonnation that can be used to establish baseline conditions on

what natural heritage features and functions are present at varying geographic scales, including at

a site, within a municipality and over a watershed. An NAI will enable municipalities and

agencies to identify the significance and ecological sensitivities of natural features and areas in

accordance with municipal and provincial policy, such as significant woodlands, wetlands,

wildlife habitat, vallcylands, fish habitat, and the habitat for threatened and endangered species.

Natural Areas Inventories are conducted using standardized inventory protocols (e.g. Ecological

Land Classification for Southern Ontario, Forest Breeding Bird Monitoring, and Amphibian Call

Counts) thai arc scientifically defensible. Therefore this inventory strategy will ensure consistent

data across the entire city area which will improve the utility of the data in environmental

management programs, including the review of planning applications, environmental and/or

ecological assessments and monitoring programs.

Region of Peel and the Credit River Watershed Natural Areas Inventory

The Natural Areas Inventory project for the Region of Peel and the Credit River Watershed was

initiated in 2007 in a partnership with the South Peel Naturalists' Club, the Halton/North Peel

Naturalist Club, Credit Valley Conservation, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and

the Region of Peel. Municipalities, including the City of Brampton, have participated in the

Natural Areas inventory as part of the Municipal Advisory Committee. Initially the project was

intended to conclude in 2010, but the importance of this watershed-regional program has become

Credit Valley Conservation, 1255 Old Deny Road. Mississauga, Ontario L5N 6R4

Phone: 905-670-1615 Fax: 905-670-2210

"Conservation through Cooperation"

apparent and as a result, long term funding lias been secured so that coverage of the enlirc study

area can be completed (estimated to be 7 or more years) and with possible expansion to cultural

areas and re-visitation of data-complete areas as updates are required.

This NAI is designed to:

• Compile existing biological data;

• Conduct a data gap analysis and identify priorities for inventory;

• Inventory the tlora, fauna and plant communities of natural areas that lack detailed,

current infomiation;

• Update the Ecological Land Classification Mapping for the Region of Peel and the Credit

River Watershed which will include the City of Brampton, the Town ofCaledon and the

City of Mississauga;

• Maintain, manage and share a Natural Heritage Database to store information on natural

areas, including their composition and function;

• Conduct a dala analysis and identify patterns of species distributions, abundances,

associations in communities and changes in these elements; and

• Produce a final watershed-regional report with site summaries as well as tools such as

mapping and database multi-criterion query and reporting capabilities to provide

municipalities and the public with better information on the Natural Heritage of the

Region of Peel and the Credit River Watershed.

The NAI gathers and assesses existing environmental data that may be contained in cither

municipal and/or agency files, including corporate studies and/or land use planning files, to

determine its quality, coverage of area and completeness. The existing data is reviewed by an

experienced biologist, and if it is determined to be appropriately collected, authoritative and

current, it is entered into the database. A data gap analysis is then undertaken to identify

priorities for inventory. Inventories for the Peci-Watershed NAI are focusing on natural forests

and wetlands as per the Conservation Authorities' Ecological Land Classification (ELC)

Community Scries mapping. The potential exists for the NAI to be expanded in the future to

inventory cultural and successional ELC vegetation communities upon completion of the

watershed-regional natural forest and wetland areas.

These NAI inventories will:

• Inventory vegetation communities using Ecological Land Classification (ELC) system at

the most detailed vegetation type level;

• Inventory birds using Breeding Bird Surveys (the use of an area for breeding indicates the

fundamental importance of that area to the survival of that species) and incidental

observations;

• Inventory frogs and toads using Amphibian Call Counts and incidental observations;

• Document Odonates (dragonllies and damsclflies) through surveys co-incident with

breeding bird surveys;

• Record incidental mammal, reptile, other amphibian, lepidoptcran (butterflies and

skippers) and mussel observations; and

• Incorporate fish inventories carried out by the Conservation Authorities, MNR and DFO.

Successional vegetation communities (areas undergoing natural regeneration) may be

inventoried if determined by the field ecologist to contain significant natural features or

ecological functions.

Credit Valley Conservation 1255 Old Dorry Road. Mississauga, Ontario L5C 6R4

Phnnt; (905J-670-1615 Fax (905)-670-2210

Microsoft Access and ESRI ArcGIS or Arcview (Geographic Information System) will be used

to store and analyze the results of these inventories. In the spring of 2010, a report will be

produced to summarize and make public the results of the Natural Areas Inventory.

What is the Current Status of Brampton's Data Base?

Natural areas comprise approximately 1400 hectares or 5.1 percent of the area of the City of

Brampton. If typical of municipalities and government agencies, much of Brampton's existing

information for natural areas and features may be lacking or out-of-date and scattered in a

variety of files including various municipal studies, development applications, and staff files. In

terms of municipal data that has been provided by government agencies, much of the

information is out- dated including data on Environmentally Significant Areas, evaluated

wetlands and Forest Resource Inventories that were gathered between the late 1970s and the

mid-80s,and should be renewed. Brampton is fortunate that there have been recent updates to

wetland evaluations that have occurred as part of current Subwatershed Studies and

Environmental Implementation Reports, such as Gateway West Subwatershed Study update, and

the draft Mount Pleasant Subwatershed Study. Where ecological data for the City of Brampton

is available for existing development, it is likely scattered in numerous environment studies that

have been generated over several decades with varying objectives and issues. Generally, these

studies have been carried out by professionals with differing levels and areas of expertise, using

a variety of inventory protocols and having expended inconsistent levels of seasonal effort in

data collection. Some of the data may be useable, some may be incomplete and some may be

lacking in quality. The variable quality of this data would make it very difficult to analyze in a

manner that provides meaningful interpretation and accurately characterizes the natural heritage

system of Brampton. Without an accurate understanding of the natural heritage system it is

difficult to identify significant areas and features, how the system functions, and how it needs to

be protected, managed, and restored.

Other municipalities have also identified issues with the lack of adequate and good quality

environmental data. In response to this, Natural Areas Inventories were undertaken in

Haldimand-Norfolk, 1985; Hamilton - Wentworth, 1990 & 2001; Halton Region, 2003; and

Niagara Region, 2006. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Credit Valley

Conservation (CVC) have been conducting ongoing inventories of natural areas as part of their

Natural Heritage Programs. TRCA has already inventoried approximately 400 hectares of

Brampton natural forest and wetland areas. The City of Mississauga developed a Natural Areas

Survey (NAS) in 1995 and has maintained the NAS through annual surveys for any particular

natural area in each quadrant of the City on a four year cycle. As mentioned previously, the

Region of Peel and the Credit River Watershed NAI was initiated in 2007.

Why should Brampton undertake a Natural Areas Inventory?

While Brampton's natural areas would gradually be inventoried as part of the progress of the

Peel-Credit NAI, the focus and effort of this study extends across the entire Region of Peel and

the Credit River Watershed. The City of Brampton will receive a portion of the effort; however,

it is expected that the Peel-Credit NAI will take at least 7 or more years to complete all the

known natural forest and wetland areas. Full regional and watershed coverage will take longer if

Credit Valley Conservation 1255 Old Deny Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5C 6R4

Phone (905) -670-1615 Fax (905)-670-2210

Fl-g

cultural and successional areas are included. A preliminary summary report will be prepared for

2010 for both each natural area and the entire study area. Updates to the preliminary summary

report would likely occur as 2-3 year updates to the initial 2010 report. Within the report only

limited data analysis of the natural communities relating to individual municipalities would be

provided.

Given these limitations and in discussion with Planning and Land Development Services staff,

CVC is proposing two alternatives for the City of Brampton to consider in order to achieve a

Natural Areas Inventory data base in a timeframe that would benefit their land use and

environmental management programs.

Option One is to contribute an additional field crew to the current Peel-Credit NAI that can

specifically focus on the natural areas of Brampton. This would provide a higher quantity and

quality of environmental data for the City of Brampton that would be useful in environmental

assessments, monitoring and guiding management and restoration decisions. This option would

increase the rate at which inventory coverage for Brampton is obtained and would make the

analysis of biological resource patterns across the City possible at an earlier date. It should be

noted that while more of the Brampton natural forest and wetland areas would be covered in the

2010 NAI report, subsequent reporting and analysis of the data would still be on the schedule of

the Peel/Credit NAI (major analysis and reporting anticipated to be every 2-3 years, site

summaries available to landowners annually but without broad-scale analysis).

Option Two is to initiate a Brampton Natural Areas Inventory. The Brampton Natural Areas

Inventory Program would follow the same protocols as the Region of Peel and the Credit River

Watershed NAI, making it compatible and able to be fully integrated into the current Peel-Credit

NAI. However, it would be specifically focused on gathering information in the City of

Brampton with a goal of inventorying all of the natural areas of Brampton, both natural (forest

and wetland) and cultural and successional areas. This more complete, and accelerated coverage

for Brampton means that results would be available in a more timely manner. Annual reporting

updates would be appropriate due to the volume of data generated and the results from city-wide

analysis of patterns would be available more immediately, and on a schedule more appropriate

for the pace of development and progress of restoration efforts in the City.

The inventories for the Brampton NAI would be best accomplished by prioritizing natural areas

throughout the City and each field season, crews would inventory all natural areas (where

permission to access has been secured) within a given priority group. Completion of inventories

in a given priority group/s would represent one data collection cycle. Following the completion

of the first cycle of priority group/s, a review of the inventory process would be beneficial. Due

to the rate of land use change and the intensity of the human use of natural areas in urban areas it

is recommended that the NAI program continue, and that the group inventories be undertaken on

a five year cycle once the initial inventory has been completed. This method of cycling

inventories will assist the City of Brampton in maintaining an up-to-date ecological data resource

and would be an integral part of an environmental monitoring program. An up-to-date database

would allow the City to assess the effectiveness of its existing planning, recreation, and

restoration programs and would help identify issues, opportunities, ecological goods and

services, and the environmental management activities necessary to maintain and build a healthy,

sustainable community.

Credit Valley Conservation 1255 Old Deny Road. Mississauga, Ontario L5C 6R4

Phone (905J-670-1615 Fax (905)670-2210

Full coverage includes inventories of vegetation communities, plant species and breeding bird species, with incidental coverage of other taxa. The Peel-Credit NAI field crews recently

attained coverage rates of 600 hectares per season for vegetation community inventories, 800

hectares per season for breeding bird inventories and 400 hectares per season for plant

inventories. It is expected that coverage rates for Brampton will be somewhat lower as the

City's natural areas are smaller, and the field crews will spend time and effort driving between

natural areas and setting up for inventorying of plots will occur more frequently than for large natural areas. As well, this will mean increased data-processing time per unit area. As such,

expected Brampton coverage rates per season will be approximately 450-500 hectares for

vegetation communities, 500-550 hectares for breeding birds, and 250-300 hectares for plant

inventories.

A preliminary mapping and NAI data gap analysis indicates that approximately 430 hectares of

natural areas have already been covered in Brampton through the TRCA natural areas inventory

program, and therefore, a potential 850 hectares of natural forest and wetlands areas remain to be

inventoried (pending an examination of current comprehensive environmental studies). In

addition, there is an estimated 1400 hectares of riparian and successional communities that may

lack coverage. Thus five years of field work would be required to fully cover Brampton natural

and successional areas and the time for a full cycle of inventories would thus be 5 years. For

inventorying cultural and successional areas, it may be advisable to shift the emphasis of the NAI

from vegetation to wildlife work, and in particular to identify species of significance in

Brampton including odonates, butterflies, pollinators, amphibians, reptiles, amphibians and

mammals.

Option One Budget for the 2009 Inventory Season

A budget for a Brampton specific field season follows. This budget supports an ELC field crew

of 2 to conduct vegetation community inventories as well as plant species lists and incidental

faunal species, and also leaves an allowance for limited inventories of breeding birds and/or

plant species to be conducted by a professional birder and/or botanist. The ELC crew would be

in the field for 4 months (June through September) and would also be spending one day per week

in the office doing data entry and data management. The crew leader would be kept on for

additional months to complete data entry and mapping. In this budget, the Brampton field crew

would be supervised by the NAI Coordinator, work out of CVC offices, and under CVC

administration. Preparations prior to the field season (e.g. landowner contacts, site selection,

preparation of mapping) as well as entry and management of birder/botanist data after their work

was completed, would be handled by current NAI project and staff including GIS support.

Office and laboratory resources (e.g. flora identification manuals, lab equipment etc.) are

provided by CVC and shared by all NAI crews including the Brampton crew. CVC is also

contributing a database structure, recently revised to accommodate the storage and use of NAI

data.

Field Crew Leader wages rate: $46336/year for 66% of year + $30890

16% fringe benefits $4942

Field Assistant wages rate: $ 12.45/h x 35 h/wk x 19 weeks $8279

Uniforms for crew $300

Vehicle rental approx. $ 1000/month x 4 months $4000

Credit Valley Conservation 1255 Old Deny Road. Mississauga. Ontario L5C 6R4

Phone (905)-670-1615 Fax (905J-670-2210

Pl-to

Fuel for vehicle approx. $ 100/month x 4 months $400

Field equipment & computer including 13% tax $4300

Field guides $100

Birder and/or botanist $5000

Administrative overhead @ 20% $ 11708

TOTAL $70250

The preparation of a Brampton specific report on the field season results will require additional

costs, as municipality-specific reporting is not currently part of the NAI process. The additional

time required for landowner contacts to support a Brampton field crew will also benefit from

City of Brampton support.

Should the City adopt a full, long-term NAI Program, it is recommended that full-season

allocation to a professional birder ($12,000-15,000 for the 6-week intensive breeding bird

inventory window) and a professional botanist ($15,000 -30,000 for 400-800 hectares covered)

be given. For a Brampton NAI Program there could also be supplementation for GIS support,

additional crew leader wages for pre-season preparations and possible additional wages for the

field assistant post-season to help complete data entry and analysis, may be needed. CVC would

continue to contribute to coordination of the Program, integration of data and ecological support.

Summary of Objectives for a Brampton Natural Areas Inventory

1. To document the type, representation and distribution of natural areas and their associated

flora and fauna in the City of Brampton.

2. To provide the necessary information to the City of Brampton and its partners to determine

and identify Brampton's significant natural heritage features including locally rare flora, fauna

and vegetation communities.

3. To establish a baseline to monitor the health and function of the environment of the City of

Brampton and determine the effectiveness of its management, planning and restoration

strategies.

4. To support Brampton Planning in the implementation of the Brampton Official Plan and other

applicable policies and regulations of the conservation authorities, the Region and the Province.

5. To provide environmental information that is accurate, up-to-date and scientifically defensible.

6. To support the identification and protection of a healthy, functioning and sustainable Natural

Heritage System for the City of Brampton that will provide ecological goods and services that

benefit the municipality.

7. To provide information to guide the City of Brampton's conservation, planting and restoration

programs by helping to identify priorities and strategies that are consistent with character of and

objectives for the City's natural heritage system.

A Brampton Natural Areas Inventory will be a collaborative project between the City of

Brampton and the Conservation Authorities (Credit Valley Conservation and Toronto and

Region Conservation Authority). For decades, both conservation authorities have been

conducting various biological inventories across the City of Brampton and their watersheds. The

partnership would take advantage of the tools and staff expertise that the conservation authorities have assembled.

Credit Valley Conservation 1255 Old Deny Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5C 6R4

Phone (905)-670-1615 Fax (905J-670-2210

It is our recommendation that the increased participation of the City of Brampton in a Natural

Areas Inventory would help the City achieve "a sustainable community where growth will be

managed in a manner that protects our environment, enhances our heritage as a Flower City,

contributes to the economy and enhances the quality of life".

A Summary of Natural Areas Inventory for the City of Brampton

CVC supports Brampton's natural heritage and environmental management policies and

programs that will protect, manage, restore and enhance the local natural heritage system. The

protection of a natural heritage system will provide environmental, ecological and social values

that will improve the quality of life in the City including passive recreational opportunities and

natural aesthetic relief and buffering from the built form. Natural areas also provide a variety of

ecological goods and services wherein they: store, regulate and purify water; produce oxygen,

store carbon dioxide and clean the air; build soils; and harbour genetic resources for forestry,

agriculture, pest control, fisheries, furs, textiles, chemical and pharmaceutical products. Natural

areas are biological indicators of human health and socio-economic well-being. The green

infrastructure and sustainable economics of natural areas offer real cost savings to municipalities.

CVC believes that a Natural Areas Inventory that covers the City of Brampton will provide

municipal staff with the biological and ecological information that will assist in implementation

of the policies of the Official Plan 2006 to ensure a sustainable community. The NAI will

provide a greater quantity and high quality of environmental data for the City of Brampton that is

scientifically defensible in the planning process and would be useful in environmental

assessments, monitoring and guiding management and restoration decisions.

The environmental policies of the City's Official Plan, supported and complemented by the

policies and regulations of the Province, Region and Conservation Authorities, are designed to

ensure that a healthy and functioning natural heritage system is protected and managed for the

benefit of the Brampton community. To identify and protect a functioning natural heritage

system, it is essential that the City of Brampton have access to biological and ecological

information that is accurate, up-to-date, easily accessible, and in context. This information will

be valuable to the City for the identification significant natural heritage areas and features, to

manage growth in a manner that protects the environment and its social values, to monitor the

effectiveness of its management and planning activities and to provide guidance to the City's

environmental restoration programs.

We hope that this explanation is helpful and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on this

proposal.

Sincerely,

'Damn fynfrezu

Natural Areas Inventory Project Coordinator,

Credit Valley Conservation

Credit Valley Conservation 1255 Old Deny Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5C 6R4

Phone (905)670-1615 Fax (905J-670-2210

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