Presentation to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee
17 December 2002

Closing of Capital Works-in-Progress - Reduction of the Debt Authority for the Environmental Resource Areas Acquisition program (Project 900138) by $3 million and Transfer of that Amount to the Reserve Fund

Background

Pages 218 and 219 of the draft 2003 Budget provide background information on Project 900138 and its financing over the years 2002 through 2007.

We are here because are gravely concerned about two aspects of the proposed financing of the Environmental Resource Areas Acquisition program

Firstly, we are gravely concerned about the reduction of debt authority for the Environmental Resources Areas Acquisition program and the consequent transfer of $3 Million to the Reserve Fund in the 2003 budget,

Secondly, we are concerned about the proposed reduction in annual funding of this program. No funds are allocated to this program for 2003. In each of the next three years (2004 to 2004), only $630,000 will be allocated. In 2007, there is a proposed spending/borrowing authority of $700,000.

Councillors, the purpose of the Environmental Resources Areas Acquisition program is to acquire environmentally sensitive land for the citizens of Ottawa – for our current and future benefit and enjoyment and, to protect the environment. Authorising such a small amount (only $2.5 million over 5 years) to save environmentally important lands in a city faced with huge development pressures is not the way to protect the environment and to live up to the principles espoused during the Smart Growth summit and the principles enunciated in the June 2002 Official Plan draft.

The 2002 draft Official Plan says the city

preserves natural habitats and has a network of green spaces.

It says, further, that

“protection of important natural environment areas and environmental features is one of the basic building blocks of the Greenspace Network.”

This Budget proposal is a radical step backward from the former Regional budgeting practice of allocating $1.1 million each year for this program. The 2003 Budget proposal for this program constitutes a 45% reduction – assuming the $1.1 million would have remained constant. This program is the only one that funds the purchase of natural areas. We have parks but they are under heavy pressure for the building of soccer fields, play areas, and other recreational purposes. OFAC's advice to you the Councillors is that we need to acquire Greenlands – lands that have zoning protection as designated natural spaces.

City residents have made it very clear that they want more natural spaces preserved for the future. They will be horrified over the coming year if they discover that the current council has reduced the capacity to purchase these spaces. Residents have approached us with their concerns about the pace of development in Kanata and Orleans and the loss of natural areas that is an inevitable consequence of this development. It is important that you send a signal that land acquisition and protection is a priority.

A budget reduction of this magnitude is especially worrying in light of the Ontario Municipal Board decision handed down yesterday. In regard to Trillium Woods, a parcel of land in Ottawa with an environmental protection zoning, the OMB determined that municipalities are obliged to acquire lands zoned for conservation or recreational purposes. They quoted an earlier decision where they ruled:” if a municipality want to designate and maintain private lands as public Open Space, then there is a corresponding obligation to acquire the lands…” Thus OP designations of Natural Environment Areas A and B are meaningless unless the city is prepared to acquire the land. This decision makes it absolutely essential that the city have adequate funding, immediately available, for important land acquisition. We should not be reducing our funding – we should be increasing it from the level of the former region.

Here's why.

The former RMOC worked with municipalities to acquire land. They bought the YMCA lands in a partnership with Kanata. In a corporate and financial sense, Kanata is no more. The city no longer has that kind of partnership opportunity and so should be increasing its budget lines to compensate for that "loss" and to reflect the new status under amalgamation. A reduction like this might impede the opportunities under the Bog-to-Bog proposal – a concept that will benefit the farmers and rural property owners by saving land that will maintain water tables.

The former RMOC did not purchase land in urban areas. The amalgamated city will need additional money in order to cover purchases in the urban area.

We understand that this money ($3 million) has been declared surplus to the city’s needs for the coming year. By what standards? We note that same budget document (project 900138) admits some confusion within the program and calls for development of "clear purpose and objectives." That same page states, and I quote

The demands on this program have increased significantly recently due to the increased development pressure in potential acquisition areas (leading to both a demand/need for protection and increased land values), and the interest and pressure to use acquisition as an approach to protect important natural areas in the developing portion of the City. In particular, several key natural areas and assets on the fringes of the developing areas will require protection over the next two years or the opportunity to meet the objectives of the Regional Official Plan and the desires of the community in this area will be lost.

Surely it would be a far better investment for the city to use this money NOW for land acquisition. No developers in town are putting their money in the bank until they can make better real estate decisions next year. They know, as I am sure you know, that real estate prices are rising, especially on the outer edges of the city, and the money is better invested in land. Environmentally appropriate land is fast disappearing. Next year is too late. Now is the time to acquire land – not to reduce the program.

The budget document says that the program requires further development. By all means, let’s set up standards, but until those new standards are established, let's use the RMOC standards and acquire valuable land that is under development pressure. Your own document indicates that this pressure exists. It is hard to imagine that the money is surplus to the need. There are many areas in need of protection. For example we know of an area with over 150 acres of wetland Class 1 for selling for just over $100,000. When we approached the city with this we were told it was not a priority. We can identify lands that are worthy of consideration and we are sure that given the opportunity, the city staff can do so as well.

Councillors, the message is clear. We the citizens of Ottawa want forests, open space, ridges, wetlands, river edges etc. We must rely on you the Council to purchase that land on our behalf. We ask that you instruct staff to restore funding to the program and accelerate the process of acquiring environmentally sensitive lands. We in the Ottawa Forests Advisory Committee are here to help in that process. On behalf of OFAC I would like to this committee to retain the $3 million in the fund and to maintain the funding at the level proposed by the former Region. Land acquisition is not really a Work-in-Progress in the financial and physical sense that other capital projects such as sewer building are Works-in-Progress. These funds and the debt authority should be retained and enhanced whenever the opportunity arises.

Finally, we have been asked to inform you that the Environmental Advisory Committee was not able to send a representative, but its members asked us to express their concern about the proposed reductions to the Environmental Resources Areas Acquisition program and the level of funding proposed in the long term budget.

Thank you for your attention.

Joanna Dean and Iola Price
Co-Chairs
Ottawa Forests Advisory Committee