Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-nptnm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-18T18:40:52.208Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Environmentally-sensitive Area Planning in Ontario: Status and Problems in Implementation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

Tove Rasmussen  and
George G. Mulamoottil
Tove Rasmussen
Affiliation:
City of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4A8, Canada*
George G. Mulamoottil
Affiliation:
School of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Increasing public awareness of the need to protect Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs), as well as the establishment of regional municipalities, provided the impetus for local governments to initiate ESA planning in Ontario. As of 1981, twenty municipalities—primarily regional municipalities and counties—had adopted ESA programmes.

This paper examines the current status of ESA-protection planning in Ontario and the problems encountered by municipalities in adopting and implementing ESA programmes. Using a questionnaire survey, data were collected concerning 66 municipalities, and a review was carried out of the ESA policies in 36 Official Plans. The results show that an additional 11 municipalities have adopted ESA programmes since 1981, and that most of these have been designated cities. The primary problems encountered by municipalities in implementing ESA-protection programmes have been a lack of landowner support, weakness of any provincial policy-directive, and shortness of funding. These problems are also faced by uninvolved municipalities, and play an important role in preventing them from adopting ESA programmes.

If a wider municipal adoption of ESA programmes is to be achieved, a stronger commitment will be needed from the Provincial Government in the form of guiding policies, financial assistance, and incentives to landowners who wish to protect their sensitive lands. A greater emphasis on landowner contact and public education programmes will also be required. Municipalities should cooperate with other conservation agencies and organizations in working towards this end.

Type
Main Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , Autumn 1991 , pp. 219 - 227
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ainsworth, L. (1986). An Evaluation of the Municipal Land Use Planning Process As A Tool to Protect Natural Areas in Ontario. Unpublished MA Paper, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada: 142 pp. (typescr.).Google Scholar
Barrett, S.W. (1980). Planning and management considerations. Pp. 118–30 in Protection of Natural Areas in Ontario (Eds Barrett, S.W. & Riley, J.L.). Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: [not available for checking].Google Scholar
Dunster, K.J. (1987). Rethinking Regions: An Ecological Approach to Landscape Conservation. Unpublished MSc Thesis, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada: 166 pp. (typescr.), illustr.Google Scholar
Eagles, P.F.J. (1981). Environmentally sensitive area planning in Ontario, Canada. Journal of the American Planning Association, 47, pp. 313–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eagles, P.F.J. (1984). The Planning and Management of Environmentally Sensitive Areas. Longman, London, England, UK: xiv + 160pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Francis, G.R. (1979). Natural areas planning in Ontario: a local approach. Pp. 295–310 in The Canadian National Parks: Today and Tomorrow, Conference 11: Ten Years Later (Eds Nelson, J.G., Needham, R.D., Nelson, S.H. & Scace, R.C.). Heritage Resources Centre, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: 525 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Hale, P. & Bowman, C. (1986). Understanding Municipal Land Use Planning. Pp. 107–24 in Islands of Green: Natural Heritage Protection in Ontario (Eds Hills, S.G., Kirk, M.D. & Reid, R.A.). Ontario Heritage Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 200 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Hilts, S.G. (1983). Environmentally sensitive areas planning in Ontario: a review. Pp. 105–10 in Papers and Proceedings of Applied Geography Conferences (Eds Frazier, J.W., Epstein, B.J., Jacobs, H., Bardecki, M. & Frazier, John W.). Department of Geography, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada: i + 318 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Hilts, S.G. (1986). Why protect natural heritage. Pp. 14–25 in Islands of Green: Natural Heritage Protection in Ontario (Eds Hilts, S.G., Kirk, M.D. & Reid, R.A.). Ontario Heritage Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 200 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Hoffman, D.W. (1985). Environmentally sensitive areas in Ontario: an assessment. Environments, 17(3), pp. 84–7.Google Scholar
Jennings, M., Alsphonso, J.L. & Budd, W. (1988). Use of the Environmentally sensitive areas rule by county governments in Washington State. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 8, pp. 63–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lang, R. & Armour, A. (1977). Municipal Planning and the Natural Environment. Ministry of Housing, Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 86 pp.Google Scholar
Leeson, A.D. (1980). American experiences and perspectives. Pp. 59–71 in Nature Conservation Day: Seminar Proceedings. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: vii + 86 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Malloch, B. (1988). Untaxing Nature. Landmarks, 7(1), pp. 31.Google Scholar
Nature Conservancy Council (1984). Nature Conservation in Great Britain: Summary of Objectives and Strategy. Nature Conservancy Council, London, England, UK: 112 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (1989). Wetlands Planning Policy Statement: Implementation Guidelines. Queen's Printer, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 21 pp.Google Scholar
Reid, R. (1986). Ontario's Conservation Authorities: coming of age at 40. Seasons, 26(2), pp. 40–5.Google Scholar
Richards, N.R. (1983). A discussion paper on areas of natural and scientific interest. Pp. 52–65 in Towards Natural Heritage Protection in Ontario: Conference Proceedings. Ontario Heritage Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 110 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Shultz, L.A. (1988). Environmentally Significant Areas Planning in the Regional Municipality of York. Unpublished Senior Honours Essay, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: 90 pp., (mimeogr.), illustr.Google Scholar
Swaigen, J. (1979). Preserving Natural Areas in Ontario: Private Ownership and Public Rights. Occasional Paper No. 1, Canadian Environmental Law Research Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 64 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Vrancart, R.J. (1980). The Ontario provincial parks program. Nature Conservation Day, Seminar Proceedings. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: vii + 86 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Watty, F. (1983). Comments. Pp. 83–7 in Towards Natural Heritage Protection in Ontario: Conference Proceedings. Ontario Heritage Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 110 pp., illustr.Google Scholar