Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy: Departmental Website Component of the 2012-2013 Report on Plans and Priorities

Environment Canada aims to sustain Canada’s ecosystems over the long term by working with Canadians, their governments and the private sector on ecosystem initiatives and providing them with the environmental information and tools required to incorporate social, economic and environmental considerations into their decision making and action.

The ecosystem approach to environmental management focuses on maintaining the capacity of a whole system to produce ecological goods and services, such as water resources, air and water quality, and genetic resources, which maintain our economy, security, health and well-being.

Performance expectations:

• The Department will continue to advance the implementation of an ecosystem approach by aligning priorities among program initiatives at different geographical scales, strengthening and integrating ecosystem knowledge to inform risk analysis and policy development, and coordinating action in priority ecosystems and hotspots.

The concept of landscape management is arising more frequently as governments deal with the trade-offs of sustainable development. Landscape management involves land, water and resource use decisions that are integrated across sectors, and considers planned and potential human activities in a defined area, such that the results are ecologically sustainable. This requires user, including conservation, interests to be at the table, as well as a sound scientific understanding of ecological functions and thresholds of sustainability.

Environment Canada’s work includes contribution towards the National Conservation Plan and the formation of strategic partnerships for integrated management of Canada's natural capital including stewardship and the sustainable management of landscapes. In the context of the Nunavut Land Use planning process, Environment Canada is closely working with the Nunavut Planning Commission with the aim of developing Terms and Conditions for the key habitat sites identified in Nunavut.

Performance expectations:

• In the context of Landscape Assessment and Planning (LAP) to provide the following deliverables:
  1 - priority zones will be assessed through
  1. conversion of Bird Conservation Regions plans to maps,
  2. creation of a spatial database of Critical Habitat and range maps,
  3. creation of a spatial database of existing Canadian Wildlife Service priority areas;
  2 - Assessing priority habitats in zones
• Completion of one pilot to evaluate the proposed ecosystem /multi-species approach (identification of priority habitats through landscape planning) by the end of 2012.

Environment Canada identifies nationally important wildlife habitat whose loss would have a direct impact on the Canadian population of one or more wild species. Environment Canada works closely with other federal agencies, provincial and territorial governments, Aboriginal peoples, private organizations, and individuals to ensure that nationally important areas are protected as National Wildlife Areas (NWAs), Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBSs), or Marine Wildlife Areas (MWAs).

Performance expectations:

• Total area that is under legally-binding protection as National Wildlife Areas, Migratory Bird Sanctuaries and Marine Wildlife Areas. The target is yet to be determined.

In collaboration with and pending agreement with territorial partners, Environment Canada works closely with other federal agencies, territorial governments, Aboriginal peoples, private organizations, and individuals to ensure that nationally important areas are protected in Canada’s North.

Performance expectations:

• Put in place Area Co-Management Committees for each National Wildlife Area (NWA) within 6 months of designation.
• Identification of priority sites in the Nunavut Land Use Plan and determination of conditions needed to protect those sites (NWA or Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBS) establishment or establishment of terms and conditions under the Plan).

Environment Canada scientists develop the science needed to understand the impacts of climate change and other stressors on Canada’s National Protected Areas (PA) network.

Performance expectations:

• Complete assessment of projected climate change induced species shifts within protected areas by the end of 2011–2012.
• Complete a risk assessment for priority sites including PAs in the Nunavut Land Use Plan by the end of 2011–2012.

The development of valuation models and frameworks for the social and economic analysis of policy decisions having environmental impacts is a key component for the integration of environmental, economic and social priorities into policies and programs. To that effect, we are continuing to develop an Ecosystem Goods and Services (EG&S) Analytical Framework that allows the integration called for by the FSDS.

The application of the framework will include valuation of EG&S, including wildlife habitat, water purification, carbon sequestration etc. to make decisions related to protected areas, species at risk and other EC issues.

Environment Canada (EC) is leading a national Federal/Provincial/Territorial study on the Value of Nature to Canadians (VNCS) that includes analyses of EG&S values and improvements in the methods for their assessment.

EC is co-leading, with Statistics Canada and other departments, a funded three-year initiative on Measuring and Valuing Ecosystem Goods and Services (MEGS) that will strengthen Canada’s ability to combine science-based ecosystem services measurement with social and economic values assessment to make it possible for Canada to accurately reflect ecosystem services in our National Environmental Accounts.

Performance expectations:

VNCS work in 2012–2013 that meets this objective includes:

• FPT funded national survey expected to be completed in 2012–2013.

Habitat monitoring is an important component of assessing progress with respect to program goals and objectives in Environment Canada’s protected areas. The strategic intent of monitoring has been established and is explained in the Protected Areas Strategy for Environment Canada. Habitat monitoring goals and objectives are being established through the management planning process. The specific monitoring activities are described in site specific management plans.

Performance expectations:

• Percentage of National Wildlife Areas with current management plans. Target is 100% by 2013.
• Percentage of management actions initiated within five years of a management plan being approved. Target is 100% by 2016.

The Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System (CARTS) project tracks and reports on the status of Canada’s protected areas in a consistent, standardized and authoritative manner. For more information, please visit the following website.

Performance expectations:

• Web-enabled analysis and visualization tools for Environment Canada protected areas data will be developed by March 2012 with a view to making this applicable to CARTS data in the future.

Environment Canada’s protected areas strategy envisions a network of areas to protect important, rare or unique habitats for Canada’s migratory birds, species at risk and other wildlife that is planned to adapt to ecological change, and managed, in conjunction with others.

Performance expectations:

• Total area that is under legally-binding protection as National Wildlife Areas, Migratory Bird Sanctuaries and Marine Wildlife Areas. The target is yet to be determined.
• Performance expectations in 6.1.8 also support this implementation strategy.

Enforcement and Compliance Promotion activities uphold Environment Canada-administered laws and regulations which support the conservation of migratory birds and species at risk, such as the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, and the Species at Risk Act.

In mid-2010–2011, the implementation of a commitment to increase enforcement capacity by 50% was completed. The hiring and training of new officers bolstered enforcement efforts in Environment Canada (EC) Protected Areas.

Performance expectations:

• Maintain a proactive response to enforcement in Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBS) and National Wildlife Areas (NWA) based on risk-based enforcement patrols.
• Strategic targeting of high-priority NWAs during peak usage periods; and of areas with previous non-compliance history.
• Number of inspections and detected violations will continue to be monitored in EC Protected Areas.