[All] Great News Updates

[Louisette Lanteigne]

Hi folks
 
Today's a super day for great news regarding several key conservation issues!
 
First off, the City of Waterloo has approved doing studies to re-urbanize Northdale. For more info visit here: http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/658566
 
The City of Kitchener has made the Clean Up of Victoria Park Lake a #1 priority issue. http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/658576
 
Neil Taylor did an excellent second opinion article in the KW record regarding Bald Eagles in Doon http://news.therecord.com/article/658281 The public open house is tomorrow at the Doon Valley Golf course from 6:30-8:30 pm.
 
In Markham, they're creating a new "White Belt" to protect the Greenbelt. It's basically a municipal freeze on development along agricultural areas to address oil peak, climate change and the need to secure a localized food supply. It's an Ontario first and it's really ticking off developers off but citizens strongly support the move as a measure to secure urban intensification. Here are two articles from the Toronto Star regarding this matter:
 
Markham plan could contain sprawl, save farms 
Developers frustrated by a Markham initiative to freeze town farmland, create denser housing

Phinjo Gombu, Toronto Star - Jan 9, 2010 
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/748485--markham-plan-could-contain-sprawl-save-farms
 
Markham's bold proposal is suburbia's salvation
Christopher Hume, Toronto Star Jan 18, 2010

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/752012--hume-markham-s-bold-proposal-is-suburbia-s-salvation
 
Went to the MNR Open House today regarding the recovery strategies of several threatened and endangered species including Jefferson Salamanders, Wood Turtles, American Badger, Barn Owls etc. The paperwork will be available for review at the next GREN meeting. I provided the MNR Species at RIsk staff with a nice big binder full of data regarding the ways we can assure better policy compliance in regards to planning processes and shared with them detailed information on how the City of Kitchener and Waterloo as well as the Region handled proposals in proximity to habitats of Jefferson salamanders including details from the West Side Lands OMB process, Doon South, the Owen Proposal and Hidden Valley. This information was submitted directly to the MNR Staff from the Peterborough office who are conducting the reviews. The Guelph Staff have nothing to do with this.
 
In the data submitted I'm proposing federally standardized test times and methodologies using best management practises in order to assure good quality testing to prevent species loss. Right now the system is far too unstructured resulting in poor quality tests and potential loss of species for silly reasons including bad minnow traps or leaving critters in pit traps without anything to climb on, essentially drowning them in buckets. . Such risks can be easily avoided, especially when a hefty fine is included for non compliance.
 
I spoke with Jeff Gross from Ecoplans and we discussed ways to retrofit existing communities with amphibian friendly items such as little ramps to place in window wells so critters don't fall in and die and little floating ramps to rescue critters from swimming pools. He said we could use a geofabric barrier by drainage systems during spring migratory periods to prevent critters from being washed away in culvert drains etc. He advised I contact city staff, perhaps Partners in Parks or the City's Public Works to engage them in the process of making subdivisions more amphibian friendly. 
 
That's it for now. Things are changing for the better!
 
Lulu :0)
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