Appendix 3: Candidate Ecological Benchmark

Source Type: Ecosystem Initiatives

Source Name: Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation

Number: 5/73

Benchmark:
Total Suspended Sediment (TSS) concentrations below 25 milligrams per litre.

Suspended sediments may adversely affect aquatic habitat by filling in interstices of coarse substrate, thereby limiting habitats for aquatic invertebrates. Under extreme conditions fish eggs may be smothered, fish that feed by sight may have difficulty finding food, gills may become clogged, and disease may occur.

Plant communities may be adversely affected by reduced light penetration into the water column (i.e. reductions in the extent of submergent vegetation). Maintaining TSS values below 25 milligrams per litre by implementing urban stormwater controls and rural non-point source best management practices should result in lower turbidity and fewer harmful effects on the stream and its biota.

Wetland loss and degradation has been significant, particularly in southern Ontario. A high proportion of Great Lakes fish and wildlife species inhabit wetlands during part of their life cycle, including many species at risk, making them critical habitats. Wetlands also perform many water quantity and quality improvement functions including shaving off peak flows and impounding water during storm events to reduce downstream flooding.

The goal of the Framework is twofold: 1) To provide guidance to municipalities, conservation authorities, provincial and federal agencies, consultants, non-government organizations and individuals on how much habitat is needed to rehabilitate a natural, functioning ecosystem; and 2) to provide a method to identify priority locations for wetland, riparian and forest habitat rehabilitation and protection across a watershed or other landscape unit.

Applies to whom: All, especially Remedial Action Plan teams

Applies to what: Areas of Concern

Applies where: Great Lakes Basin

Reference:
Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Ministry of Environment. 1998. A Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Public Works and Government Services Canada. Toronto, Ontario. Also on the Web [http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildllife/conservation /wetland/framework]. Accessed January 2001.

Evaluation:

Effective: 6

Effective Comments:
For Areas of Concern, concentrations above this threshold would be significant.

Authoritative: 3

Authoritative Comments:
Framework was developed for the Great Lakes Basin Areas of Concern that Canada has committed to restoring under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. That Agreement seeks to repair environmental degradation in Areas of Concern such as "contaminated sediments, eutrophication (excess nutrients), degraded fish and wildlife populations, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat.

Relevant: 6

Relevant Comments:
Areas of Concern speak clearly to ecological context criterion, also pertains to loss of habitat, population declines.

Sound: 6

Sound Comments:
Framework targets are based on scientific literature and field studies on the amount of habitat required to provide for the ecological needs of fish and wildlife in wetlands, riparian areas and forested areas.

Straightforward: 6

Straightforward Comments:

Practical: 4

Practical Comments:
Complex scientific study translated to simple benchmarks

Total Effective + Authority Score: 9

Total Overall Score: 31

Number: 20/65

Benchmark:
Ten percent of a watershed, and six percent of any subwatershed should be comprised of wetlands.

Approximately 70 percent of southern Ontario's original wetlands have been lost. Studies in the Great Lakes basin have shown that increasing amounts of wetlands in a watershed result in reduced flooding and higher base flows, improving less dramatically once 10 percent of a watershed is comprised of wetlands. At least six percent wetland cover should be present in each sub-watershed.

Wetland loss and degradation has been significant, particularly in southern Ontario. A high proportion of Great Lakes fish and wildlife species inhabit wetlands during part of their life cycle, including many species at risk, making them critical habitats. Wetlands also perform many water quantity and quality improvement functions including shaving off peak flows and impounding water during storm events to reduce downstream flooding.

The goal of the Framework is twofold: 1) To provide guidance to municipalities, conservation authorities, provincial and federal agencies, consultants, non-government organizations and individuals on how much habitat is needed to rehabilitate a natural, functioning ecosystem, and 2) to provide a method to identify priority locations for wetland, riparian and forest habitat rehabilitation, and protection across a watershed or other landscape unit.

Applies to whom: All, especially Remedial Action Plan teams

Applies to what: Areas of Concern

Applies where: Great Lakes Basin

Reference:
Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Ministry of Environment. 1998. A Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Public Works and Government Services Canada. Toronto, Ontario. Also on the Web [http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildllife/conservation /wetland/framework]. Accessed January 2001.

Evaluation:

Effective: 4

Effective Comments:
Environmental assessments under the CEAA should recognize the importance of protecting existing habitat towards reaching the Frameworks targets. Project effects in Areas of Concern that degrade habitat conditions covered by these targets and guidelines should be considered significant. Definitive threshold, but some question as to how it would affect individual assessments

Authoritative: 3

Authoritative Comments:
Framework was developed for the Great Lakes Basin Areas of Concern that Canada has committed to restoring under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. That Agreement seeks to repair environmental degradation in Areas of Concern such as "contaminated sediments, eutrophication (excess nutrients), degraded fish and wildlife populations, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat.

Relevant: 6

Relevant Comments:
Areas of Concern speak clearly to ecological context criterion, also pertains to loss of habitat, population declines.

Sound: 6

Sound Comments:
Framework targets are based on scientific literature and field studies on the amount of habitat required to provide for the ecological needs of fish and wildlife in wetlands, riparian areas and forested areas.

Straightforward: 6

Straightforward Comments:

Practical: 5

Practical Comments:
Detailed maps of wetlands available for Areas of Concern

Total Effective + Authority Score: 7

Total Overall Score: 30

Number: 21/66

Benchmark:
Herbaceous or woody vegetation buffer of 240 metres around wetlands (particularly marshes).

The amount of adjacent natural vegetation is of particular importance to the ecology of wetlands. For small marshes, a ratio of 3:1 for upland to marsh habitat has been recommended. Narrow buffers of less than 30 metres may provide some water quality benefits to larger marshes, however greater widths are needed for significant habitat gains. Studies have shown that most waterfowl nest within 240 metres of a marsh, while most turtles nest and hibernate within 275 metres of a marsh. Buffers can also provide hunting and nesting areas for area-dependent raptors such as Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl that may nest in grasslands or marshes. Vegetated buffers are also important around other wetland types.

Wetland loss and degradation has been significant, particularly in southern Ontario. A high proportion of Great Lakes fish and wildlife species inhabit wetlands during part of their life cycle, including many species at risk, making them critical habitats. Wetlands also perform many water quantity and quality improvement functions including shaving off peak flows and impounding water during storm events to reduce downstream flooding.

The goal of the Framework is twofold: 1) To provide guidance to municipalities, conservation authorities, provincial and federal agencies, consultants, non-government organizations and individuals on how much habitat is needed to rehabilitate a natural, functioning ecosystem, and 2) to provide a method to identify priority locations for wetland, riparian and forest habitat rehabilitation and protection across a watershed or other landscape unit.

Applies to whom: All, especially Remedial Action Plan teams

Applies to what: Areas of Concern

Applies where: Great Lakes Basin

Reference:
Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Ministry of Environment. 1998. A Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Public Works and Government Services Canada. Toronto, Ontario. Also on the Web [http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildllife/conservation /wetland/framework]. Accessed January 2001.

Evaluation:

Effective: 4

Effective Comments:
Environmental assessments under the CEAA should recognize the importance of protecting existing habitat towards reaching the Frameworks targets. Project effects in Areas of Concern that degrade habitat conditions covered by these targets and guidelines should be considered significant.

Authoritative: 3

Authoritative Comments:
Framework was developed for the Great Lakes Basin Areas of Concern that Canada has committed to restoring under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. That Agreement seeks to repair environmental degradation in Areas of Concern such as "contaminated sediments, eutrophication (excess nutrients), degraded fish and wildlife populations, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat.

Relevant: 6

Relevant Comments:
Areas of Concern speak clearly to ecological context criterion, also pertains to loss of habitat, population declines.

Sound: 6

Sound Comments:
Framework targets are based on scientific literature and field studies on the amount of habitat required to provide for the ecological needs of fish and wildlife in wetlands, riparian areas and forested areas.

Straightforward: 5

Straightforward Comments:

Practical: 5

Practical Comments:

Total Effective + Authority Score: 6

Total Overall Score: 28

Number: 28/68

Benchmark:
Wetland rehabilitation should be strategically located in a watershed.

Wetlands are beneficial anywhere within a watershed but particular ecological functions can be met by restoring wetlands in key locations such as headwater areas to protect the sources of streams, groundwater recharge areas for maintaining stream flow and temperature, floodplains for flood attenuation and water storage, and coastal areas for fish production.

Wetland loss and degradation has been significant, particularly in southern Ontario. A high proportion of Great Lakes fish and wildlife species inhabit wetlands during part of their life cycle, including many species at risk, making them critical habitats. Wetlands also perform many water quantity and quality improvement functions including shaving off peak flows and impounding water during storm events to reduce downstream flooding.

The goal of the Framework is twofold: 1) To provide guidance to municipalities, conservation authorities, provincial and federal agencies, consultants, non-government organizations and individuals on how much habitat is needed to rehabilitate a natural, functioning ecosystem, and 2) to provide a method to identify priority locations for wetland, riparian and forest habitat rehabilitation and protection across a watershed or other landscape unit.

Applies to whom: All, especially Remedial Action Plan teams

Applies to what: Areas of Concern

Applies where: Great Lakes Basin

Reference:
Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Ministry of Environment. 1998. A Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Public Works and Government Services Canada. Toronto, Ontario. Also on the Web [http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildllife/conservation/wetland/framework]. Accessed January 2001.

Evaluation:

Effective: 3

Effective Comments:
Environmental assessments under the CEAA should recognize the importance of protecting existing habitat towards reaching the Frameworks targets. Project effects in Areas of Concern that degrade habitat conditions covered by these targets and guidelines should be considered significant. This guideline not very helpful in discerning significance, but directs rehabilitation efforts, and discourages development in these areas. Effective when used in conjunction with other Great Lakes benchmarks.

Authoritative: 3

Authoritative Comments:
Framework was developed for the Great Lakes Basin Areas of Concern that Canada has committed to restoring under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. That Agreement seeks to repair environmental degradation in Areas of Concern such as "contaminated sediments, eutrophication (excess nutrients), degraded fish and wildlife populations, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat.

Relevant: 6

Relevant Comments:
Areas of Concern speak clearly to ecological context criterion, also pertains to loss of habitat, population declines

Sound: 6

Sound Comments:
Framework targets are based on scientific literature and field studies on the amount of habitat required to provide for the ecological needs of fish and wildlife in wetlands, riparian areas and forested areas

Straightforward: 4

Straightforward Comments: "Particular ecological functions"?

Practical: 6

Practical Comments:
Complex scientific study translated to simple benchmarks

Total Effective + Authority Score: 4

Total Overall Score: 26

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