Ottawa Forests Advisory Committee
Presentation to City of Ottawa, Planning and Development Standing Committee
February 17, 2003

In this version of the Draft Official Plan we have seen progress in the focus and attitude of the City, from the 20/20 document and ensuing discussions to the final draft.  The intent of the document is clear.  Ottawa recognizes the need to reverse the present trend of land use, and the need to protect the natural systems that keep our city’s air, water and soil healthy.  There is recognition that certain lands are special for their ecological values, and their contributions to our physical health as well as our cultural values and sense of place.  The Draft Plan acknowledges importance that the public places on incorporating the urban and rural forests, and greenspaces into their community structure.

There is also recognition that through the concept of the Greenspaces Master Plan, that we need to develop a coordinated system to effectively protect and connect our greenspaces and our natural areas.  All of these principles are welcome, and Ottawa Forests Advisory Committee (OFAC) supports the City in its approach to including these ideas in its new Official Plan.

OFAC’s public Fall Forum was held in October 2002 focused on the preliminary draft of the Official Plan.  Participants broke out into discussion groups and brought back a number of comments and suggestions regarding the document, but the main consensus was that we are losing our natural areas and urban greenspaces at an alarming rate, and that Environmental Impact Assessments (EIS) are not adequately identifying many of the species and natural features which are present in these areas.  Since the EIS is often a pivotal part of the development approval process, high standards must be set to ensure environmentally significant features are not overlooked.

Many members of the public expressed concerns regarding the effectiveness of previous plans.  Protection and conservation strategies which have been undertaken in the past have often proven ineffective when challenged, and as a result we have witnessed the loss of a number of significant natural areas.  These mistakes are irreversible – once this land is lost or the ecosystem is disrupted, it is very costly to reacquire land, and attempts at rehabilitation meet with limited success.  This underscores the importance of translating principle to policy in a defendable fashion, so that lands identified as worth protecting will be there for future generations.

Informal discussion with many individuals from across our city confirms the opinions expressed at the Fall Forum.  Trees, forests, and natural areas are highly valued by our community, and the community expects to see our municipality take definitive action and provide clear policies which will protect our urban and rural forests in all of its forms.

Retaining Rural Systems

Scattered development in rural areas has time and again been identified as unviable both economically and environmentally.  OFAC applauds the recognition of the need to retaining the features and functions of our rural landscape.  Costs to provide transportation and other services have proven to be expensive to provide to small pockets of scattered developments, and puts a drain on these systems.  Similarly, the environmental costs of these types of developments have proven to be unacceptably high and places a drain on the functioning of our natural systems.  Low-density developments may retain some characteristics of natural areas, but the functions of forest ecosystems and other natural areas are severely disrupted by this type of development, and these impacts are cumulative and may not be readily apparent on considering developmental impacts on a site-to-site basis.  Hidden costs become apparent as our water and air quality degrades, and we realize that biodiversity is lost.  As our city grows, it is extremely important that we focus on development in the identified urban areas and that we resist these scatterings of costly residential developments.

OFAC strongly supports the Draft Plan statement (p. 84):

"Only one lot will be created from any parcel in existence at the date of adoption of the Plan and no further severance will be permitted from either the severed or the retained land."

Urban Greenspaces

Densification of urban areas implies that there will be fewer private green spaces available. This increases the need for community green spaces and treed pocket parks.  It is important to coordinate efforts to protect identified natural areas, but also crucial to understand the need for individual trees and small greenspaces in areas of dense population.  These features in our urban core will become more important as the trend towards densification of the urban areas gets underway and even very small spaces must be recognized as essential components of healthy communities.

The new City of Ottawa is made up of a number of unique communities, some which have community plans developed.  Our communities are what make our city special, and wherever possible these plans and the organizations behind them should be supported in their efforts to green their communities.  Their detailed knowledge of how and where to green their local areas should be considered a valuable resource when developing detailed plans on tree planting and parkland design. 

OFAC recommends the reinstatement of the 5% cash in lieu policy which would be collected in a fund, and that money from this fund be invested directly into the purchase and development of land for parkland within the same community. 

Acquisition Policy

Conservation and protection of outstanding examples of natural systems within our city boundary has been identified through the OFAC Fall Forum as a priority.  To adequately protect many of these areas for future generations, it must be recognized that acquisition and management of some of these lands will be necessary.  As has been included in the policy of past regional official plans, a process must be set in place to identify and acquire these lands. Processes must also be put in place to adequately develop management strategies which will ensure degradation of the values of these important areas does not occur.  This process would fall under the Greenspace Master Plan, and therefore will require specific recognition and reference within the Official Plan when completed.

OFAC recommends the following changes to the Draft Plan:

p. 38 - "Within the context of the Greenspace Master Plan, a policy to guide City acquisition of the land within environmental designations will be prepared and this Official Plan will be amended a required to reflect this policy.  Until such a policy is adopted the city will acquire land from time to time, having regard to the location and nature…."

p. 56, insert – "Land acquisition will be required at times to preserve these lands. Within the context of the Greenspace Master Plan, a policy to guide City acquisition of land within environmental designations will be prepared and this Official Plan will be amended as required to reflect this policy."

Policy Language

As a legal document, the Official Plan must have clear statements of intent, but even more importantly must have concise language in its policy statements.  Past experience has shown that intent is not enough, and that good intentions alone will not protect many of the natural areas in our city.  There are countless examples of identified environmentally significant land which were intended to be protected from development being developed due to loopholes in policy wording.  The development community has demonstrated through its actions that there is no room for discussion or good intentions, but that it expects clear lines to be drawn as to where and how development will occur.  It is absolutely critical that wording of policies in the Official Plan clearly and definitively state what the City’s intentions are regarding land use and special areas protection and conservation.

A number of comments and recommendations regarding wording will be submitted to staff in a separate document.

Greenspaces Master Plan

The relatively recent recognition of the need for a separate Greenspaces Master Plan has placed the City in the position of not having this plan developed at the time that the final considerations of the Draft OP are made.  Greenspace ranges from soccer fields to natural areas and this Master Plan must adequately reflect compatible uses and management strategies for each type of greenspace.  OFAC supports the City in recognizing the need for a Greenspaces Master Plan and for the development of a Greenspaces Network.

When this important plan is completed there will be a need to modify the Official Plan and wording in the Plan should reflect this requirement.  This is similar to the policy referring to the Transportation Master Plan (pg. 21).

OFAC recommends the Draft Plan be modified, p. 37:

Insert - "1. When the Greenspace Master Plan is completed, this Official Plan will be amended as required to reflect any needed policy or schedule modification."

Tree Cover

Tree cover varies within the city boundaries, sometimes due to natural features and restraints, often in relation to our land uses whether they be through agriculture or development.  Due to the large variation in tree cover across our city, we suggest that trends be set and monitored instead of setting specific targets.

To increase the total percentage of tree cover within City boundaries, the consumption of forested land must be reduced.  As well, the approach to developing forested land must include the retention of a larger percentage of existing mature trees.  In considering the development plans of new communities, we need to recognize that woodlot retention is the desirable course of action over planting trees in areas that were forested and cleared for development.

OFAC recommends that the City undertake a study which would methodically identify a target percentage of tree cover for the City as well as its many communities.  Until the study is completed, there must be a commitment to increase tree cover across the city as a whole and in all of our communities, Special focus be must be given to increasing tree cover in the urban core.

OFAC recommends that the following be included in the Draft Plan, p. 38:

6. "The City will increase the percentage of forest cover in the Urban and Rural Areas... private development. Special efforts will be made to significantly increase forest cover in the Urban Core. 

"7. The City will place a priority on the retention of woodlots and mature trees over replanting when considering applications for development on forested lands."

Inclusion of Forest Strategy

The Forest Strategy, found on p. 38 of the Draft Plan, is located in a box, excluding it from the text of the Official Plan and so has no official status. The Forest Strategy includes reference to a number of land conservation initiatives regarding both private and public lands, which are cornerstones to effective implementation of the principles of urban and rural forest conservation. 

 OFAC recommends that the Forest Strategy be included in the Official Plan text to provide it with official recognition.

OFAC recognizes that with the development of the Greenspaces Master Plan the public consultation process will be ongoing, and we look forward to participating in the development of that Plan.