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Natural Heritage Planning

Introduction:

Throughout Council’s 2018-2022 term, the topic of trees, forests and woodlots have regularly been the focus of Council's attention. During this time, Council has passed a number of motions, including:

  1. A Motion regarding Tree Cover in Chatham-Kent approved on November 4, 2019.
  2. A Motion to Develop and Implement a Street Tree Cover Policy approved on May 25, 2020.
  3. A Motion regarding Woodlot Preservation approved on April 26, 2021.
  4. A Motion to include a link to all of the information related to the Natural Heritage file on the 2022 Municipal Election Candidate Page approved on July 25, 2022.

In response to the latest Motion (Motion #4), this page has been updated to provide a timeline of key events and links to relevant Reports .

Timeline and Reports:

On September 21, 2020, Council received a Report titled Rural and Urban Tree Cover in Chatham-Kent. This Report was prepared in response to Motion #1 listed above and contained a discussion on planting 1 million trees, a review of best management practices on reforestation, a review of existing bylaws from other communities, and a review of existing forest conservation incentive programs.

On April 26, 2021, Council approved a Motion #3 listed above that introduced a temporary woodlot removal bylaw and directed the launch of a public engagement process to seek public input on options to manage woodlots located on private properties in Chatham-Kent.

On June 14, 2021, Council received a Report titled Community Engagement Process to Support Council’s Motion on Woodlots. This Report provided a description of the planned community engagement process and awareness building campaign.

The online public engagement process was live between June 14, 2021, and July 9, 2021. An archive of the now closed engagement platform can be accessed by clinking: https://ck-woodlot-preservation-bylaw.ethelo.net/page/welcome.

On August 23, 2021, Council received a Report titled Woodlot Preservation Motion that summarized the results of the community engagement. A number of appendices were provided as well including:

During this meeting Council directed the creation of the Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole (NHCOTW).

On September 27, 2021, Council approved the Terms of Reference for the NHCOTW.

On November 1, 2022, the NHCOTW held its inaugural meeting. The Committee elected Councillor Aaron Hall as Chair and Councillor Trevor Thompson as Vice-Chair of the Committee. During this meeting the NHCOTW received two reports:

At the November 29, 2021, NHCOTW meeting, the Committee received two Reports prepared by the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority and one prepared by staff:

At the December 13, 2021, NHCOTW meeting, the committee received the following Reports:

At the February 14, 2022, NHCOTW meeting, the Committee received the following Reports:

During this meeting, the NHCOTW also received a presentation prepared by Administration that outlined a Sequence of Decisions. The Committee then initiated deliberations on the matter of woodlot preservation located on private properties. During this meeting, the NHCOTW approved two Motions.

  • Motion #1 called for a departure from the status quo approach to woodlot preservation.
  • Motion #2 called for the inclusion of the "education", "incentive" and "regulation" woodlot preservation instruments for further investigation by the NHCOTW.

At the March 21,2022, Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole meeting, the committee received a Report titled Public Consultation for Woodlot Preservation Options that outlined a recommended process for additional public consultation, the various ways that the Education, Incentive and Regulation woodlot preservation tools might be configured, and a recommended configuration for each woodlot preservation tool to use as a basis for the proposed public consultation.

During this meeting, the Committee passed a Motion recommending that Council pause future NHCOTW meetings and direct Administration to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for consulting services of a facilitator for the purpose of:

  1. Determining what further information needs to be gathered,
  2. What further stakeholder engagement is needed, if any; and,
  3. Preparation of a preservation framework recommendation regarding options to manage woodlots in Chatham-Kent.

The NHCOTW also passed a second Motion recommending that the Temporary Clear-Cutting Bylaw be extended until such a time as Council approves a permanent approach to the preservation of woodlots located on private properties.

These recommendation were approved by Council on March 28, 2022.

On April 21, 2022, Administration released the RFP which remained live until May 12, 2022.

At the July 25, 2022, Council meeting, Council received the following Report:

During this meeting, Council also passed the following Motion:

  1. The work of the Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole be paused for the remainder of this Council term.
  2. Staff be directed to bring an information report and presentation to the new term of Council, summarizing all of the work and information to date on the Natural Heritage topic. This report and presentation will be made before the end of 2022.
  3. An election of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole take place concurrently with the aforementioned report and presentation.
  4. Staff be directed to include a link to all of the information related to the Natural Heritage work on the 2022 Municipal Election Candidate Page.

Video recordings of past meetings along with meeting agendas and reports can be accessed using this link:

https://www.chatham-kent.ca/localgovernment/council/meetings/Pages/Council-Meetings.aspx

Introduction:

Throughout Council’s 2018-2022 term, the topic of trees, forests and woodlots have regularly been the focus of Council's attention. During this time, Council has passed a number of motions, including:

  1. A Motion regarding Tree Cover in Chatham-Kent approved on November 4, 2019.
  2. A Motion to Develop and Implement a Street Tree Cover Policy approved on May 25, 2020.
  3. A Motion regarding Woodlot Preservation approved on April 26, 2021.
  4. A Motion to include a link to all of the information related to the Natural Heritage file on the 2022 Municipal Election Candidate Page approved on July 25, 2022.

In response to the latest Motion (Motion #4), this page has been updated to provide a timeline of key events and links to relevant Reports .

Timeline and Reports:

On September 21, 2020, Council received a Report titled Rural and Urban Tree Cover in Chatham-Kent. This Report was prepared in response to Motion #1 listed above and contained a discussion on planting 1 million trees, a review of best management practices on reforestation, a review of existing bylaws from other communities, and a review of existing forest conservation incentive programs.

On April 26, 2021, Council approved a Motion #3 listed above that introduced a temporary woodlot removal bylaw and directed the launch of a public engagement process to seek public input on options to manage woodlots located on private properties in Chatham-Kent.

On June 14, 2021, Council received a Report titled Community Engagement Process to Support Council’s Motion on Woodlots. This Report provided a description of the planned community engagement process and awareness building campaign.

The online public engagement process was live between June 14, 2021, and July 9, 2021. An archive of the now closed engagement platform can be accessed by clinking: https://ck-woodlot-preservation-bylaw.ethelo.net/page/welcome.

On August 23, 2021, Council received a Report titled Woodlot Preservation Motion that summarized the results of the community engagement. A number of appendices were provided as well including:

During this meeting Council directed the creation of the Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole (NHCOTW).

On September 27, 2021, Council approved the Terms of Reference for the NHCOTW.

On November 1, 2022, the NHCOTW held its inaugural meeting. The Committee elected Councillor Aaron Hall as Chair and Councillor Trevor Thompson as Vice-Chair of the Committee. During this meeting the NHCOTW received two reports:

At the November 29, 2021, NHCOTW meeting, the Committee received two Reports prepared by the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority and one prepared by staff:

At the December 13, 2021, NHCOTW meeting, the committee received the following Reports:

At the February 14, 2022, NHCOTW meeting, the Committee received the following Reports:

During this meeting, the NHCOTW also received a presentation prepared by Administration that outlined a Sequence of Decisions. The Committee then initiated deliberations on the matter of woodlot preservation located on private properties. During this meeting, the NHCOTW approved two Motions.

  • Motion #1 called for a departure from the status quo approach to woodlot preservation.
  • Motion #2 called for the inclusion of the "education", "incentive" and "regulation" woodlot preservation instruments for further investigation by the NHCOTW.

At the March 21,2022, Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole meeting, the committee received a Report titled Public Consultation for Woodlot Preservation Options that outlined a recommended process for additional public consultation, the various ways that the Education, Incentive and Regulation woodlot preservation tools might be configured, and a recommended configuration for each woodlot preservation tool to use as a basis for the proposed public consultation.

During this meeting, the Committee passed a Motion recommending that Council pause future NHCOTW meetings and direct Administration to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for consulting services of a facilitator for the purpose of:

  1. Determining what further information needs to be gathered,
  2. What further stakeholder engagement is needed, if any; and,
  3. Preparation of a preservation framework recommendation regarding options to manage woodlots in Chatham-Kent.

The NHCOTW also passed a second Motion recommending that the Temporary Clear-Cutting Bylaw be extended until such a time as Council approves a permanent approach to the preservation of woodlots located on private properties.

These recommendation were approved by Council on March 28, 2022.

On April 21, 2022, Administration released the RFP which remained live until May 12, 2022.

At the July 25, 2022, Council meeting, Council received the following Report:

During this meeting, Council also passed the following Motion:

  1. The work of the Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole be paused for the remainder of this Council term.
  2. Staff be directed to bring an information report and presentation to the new term of Council, summarizing all of the work and information to date on the Natural Heritage topic. This report and presentation will be made before the end of 2022.
  3. An election of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Natural Heritage Committee of the Whole take place concurrently with the aforementioned report and presentation.
  4. Staff be directed to include a link to all of the information related to the Natural Heritage work on the 2022 Municipal Election Candidate Page.

Video recordings of past meetings along with meeting agendas and reports can be accessed using this link:

https://www.chatham-kent.ca/localgovernment/council/meetings/Pages/Council-Meetings.aspx

Page last updated: 27 Jul 2022, 01:19 PM