OFGAC priorities 2-pronged - policies and practical issues

Advice to the Mayor, 6 October 2004, on Budget 2005, environmental issues
Iola Price, Chair, Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committe

Practical

Very hard to get a sense of what level of funding is available for the Budget 2005 and where things are being funded from (e.g. trees and not in parks and greenspace)

1. Be more aggressive in saving trees in Leda clay areas - Montreal fights the "cracked foundation issues" in court and wins most of the cases. We should do the same, especially in Centretown. Note that trees can save residents heating and cooling costs.
2. Restore the tree planting budget - $350K
3. Ensure that the tree life cycle management of trees budget is retained ($750K) in 2005. It was funded only for 2004 only because of a tie vote. Ottawa's trees are a major feature, ranked very important in 20/20 and save citizens money and improve property values.
4. Implement a better system of tree protection - a cradle to grave protection for trees - in the development cycle. In new developments, all trees are routinely removed from sites. The City could ensure that the Planning and Growth Management staff are sensitised to the value of trees. Ensure that ravines and important trees on developments are protected and not destroyed. Keep the people in the Environmental Management group who review development proposals and give them the clout to protect the environment. Fund the development of the monitoring of tree preservation and protection plans during the pre, construction and post-construction phases of development.
5. The budget for cleanup in the community forests was eliminated in 2004. This means that the Spring Cleanup could not take place as the staff lacked the flexibility to be able to rent dumpsters and the like. But the City provides services to the urban spring cleanup. There should be an equivalent treatment. At the same time, restore funds to plow the parking lots of places like Marlborough Forest. These community forests are used by hundreds if not thousands of people in the winter and forcing them to park on the side of a highway is a public safety hazard. That cost was less than $10K.

Policies

1. Long-term policies such as the Greenspace Master Plan and the Forest Strategy must be developed. This will require the appropriate staff (see 4 above) and a commitment to resource the writing and follow-on implementation. Such plans will give the political level the policies and tools you need to use to protect greenspace and forests/trees in Ottawa and other sensitive lands (wetlands, meadows, corridors etc)
2. Be firm on the Official Plan in regard to sensitive area and greenspace protection. Us the OP to turn undeveloped land into pocket parks, new urban parks or greenspace and protect rural natural features. Work to eliminate the breakup of large forest tracts for housing developments.
3. Change the attitude toward development -- developers seem to have the upper hand at City Hall, both with most of the planners and with many politicians. They always seem to win. Building on every square inch won't keep the city green and you will lose investment (remember that the high tech industry considers amenities such as trees, greenspace when deciding where to move companies.
4. Develop tools to ensure that city services are carried out in an efficient manner - are we spending our money wisely and effectively?
5. Ask for Advisory Committee advice more often and consider allocating a small pool of money for all the ACs so we can describe small projects or needs and receive some funding. We provide hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of free time to our work. A bit of financial help would go a long way.
6. RE: Sale of surplus city lands - look first at potential to create greenspace (park, pocket park, meadow for butterflies and wild flowers etc). Many people in the urban core cannot travel to the outlying areas were new parks are being created. Turn paved parking lots into oases with trees and some benches in corners. Trees reduce stress, reduce anti-social behaviour, etc.