Queen’s Park adjusting wetland conservation strategy
Salamanders, herons, frogs and turtles may not know it yet, but changes in provincial wetland policy will have them all breathing easier in the years to come.
The Ministry of Natural Resources announced a plan earlier this week for halting the net loss of wetlands by 2025 and achieving a net gain by 2030.
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and environmental groups are roundly applauding the announcement.
The goal of the strategy is to build awareness of wetland values, and expand existing partnerships and strengthen Ontario’s policy framework for wetlands.
“Ontario’s wetlands are among the province’s most ecologically valuable and productive habitats,” said Kathryn McGarry, the minister of natural resources and forestry. “We want to ensure Ontario’s wetlands are valued, conserved and restored. Halting wetland loss requires coordinated efforts and a clear plan of action, and that’s exactly what this partnership provides.”
All those cattails and water lilies are an important link in the ecosystem. Wetlands naturally filter pollutants from water, helping to keep rivers and lakes clean.
They reduce the severity of flooding and drought by holding excess water during wet periods and slowly release it during dry periods. They also store huge amounts of carbon, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.
A study released this year that examined the financial cost of a major flood event in urban and rural areas found that leaving wetlands intact on the landscape can reduce the economic costs of floods by up to 38 per cent.
Through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, NPCA regulates wetlands in the region.
Mike Reles, a communication specialist with the conservation authority, said the plan provides the public with more clarity on the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System.
From NPCA’s perspective, the updated strategy highlights the need for a policy framework that includes a net gain approach.
Sandy Annunziata, chair of NPCA, said the roles and responsibilities of conservation authorities in implementing the new strategy could differ from one conservation authority to another.
“This will depend upon factors such as the capacity of an authority to deliver additional programs or the rate of wetland loss in a CA’s jurisdiction,” Annunziata said at a recent NPCA meeting. “You may recall that back in 2016 the province put forward a proposal in their discussion paper asking for a net gain approach on wetland conservation; the MNRF put forward the position of a no net loss or 1:1 ratio.
“The NPCA had requested a 3:1 ratio net gain due to the historical loss of wetlands. We should know in a few months whether our comments were accepted and were successful in our advocacy to the ministry that a one-size-fitsall approach was not necessarily in the interests of Niagara and that we required more tools to manage wetland conservation more effectively. Our position remains unchanged; we want more wetlands in Niagara (at a) 3:1 ratio.”
As part of the plan, the province is providing Duck’s Unlimited, an environmental organization, with $1.9 million to deliver wetland conservation, restoration and research projects across southern Ontario.
Ducks Unlimited will chair a committee on wetland conservation policy. The committee includes environmental groups, industry and conservation authorities as well as Indigenous representatives.
“This strategy is unprecedented for Ontario, and we congratulate the government and their staff for their leadership and commitment to wetland conservation,” said Greg Weeks, senior director for Ducks Unlimited.