“Sustaining What We Value” is a collaborative, multi-partner project within the study area that includes Leeds and Grenville County and portions of Lanark and Frontenac Counties. Through active community engagement, the project has resulted in significant and useful products that reflect priorities to sustain the natural environment, the foundation of our region’s social, cultural and economic values. The Scenario
Planning Team (SPT), identified a Natural Heritage System with the assistance of Marxan, a decision-support tool that minimizes the extent of land needed to achieve natural heritage goals. The process used to identify the preferred NHS is founded on the following principles: 1. The perspective is ecological and at a landscape scale. 2. The NHS products are informed by the best available science and uses the most current information and data. 3. The process is one of inclusion and collaboration between a diverse group of community members and partners. 4. The resulting products are available to be used as tools to prioritize and coordinate conservation efforts throughout the project area. 5. The products are available as technical information to support municipalities’ land use planning efforts. 6. The process promotes the link between healthy ecosystems and healthy human communities. Click here for a copy of the final report and here for the appendices. |