Evidence of meeting #56 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was project.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Do you think prioritizing ecological integrity and ecological health should be a recommendation of this committee?
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Okay. Do you think they are essential to protecting ecological values and to connecting people with nature in the long term?
Executive Director, Earth Rangers
I certainly think keeping as much green space as we can at this point—I mean, once it's gone, it's gone—is a very important aspect in connecting people to conservation and to natural areas long term.
I think I would go back to the idea that these can be mixed-use areas as well. We have to be careful not to set aside areas too much so that we're keeping people out and limiting the amount of space that is available for public use.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Okay.
You said that we absolutely should prioritize ecological integrity and ecosystem health. Should ecosystem health be enshrined in policy and legislation?
Executive Director, Earth Rangers
I don't know that I'm qualified to answer that one.
I'm not really sure what that would mean, so....
November 28th, 2012 / 4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
That's fair enough. Thank you.
To Mr. Koch, should a recommendation of this committee be that a guiding principle, when we're talking about urban conservation, should be based in science?
Instructor, School of Environment, Olds College
As Mr. Kendall said, I'm not a scientist. I would say that's an aspect of it, but I don't know if I'd totally weight it on that.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Well, I'll broaden it out. Should it be based on science, traditional knowledge, with ecological and social research, monitoring information, and management planning and decision-making?
Instructor, School of Environment, Olds College
That certainly would envelop it. Yes, I'd agree with that.
Liberal
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you.
To Mr. Kendall, should a recommendation be that management goals, such as connecting people to nature, must happen in a way that does not compromise a conservation goal?
Executive Director, Earth Rangers
Again, I don't think you can make a blanket statement like that. There will be certain areas that need to be set aside for their ecological value and have as little impact as possible, but there'll be much larger areas that you can't have mixed use on. It's important not to restrict that at the same time.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
To both Mr. Kendall and Mr. Koch, if we look at management goals, should there be a recommendation for improved ecosystem health, including restoration of species at risk?
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you.
Should a recommendation be to put in place a strong science-based research and monitoring system to guide management actions to maintain and restore ecosystem health?
Executive Director, Earth Rangers
I would certainly advocate for that in areas that are set aside strictly for conservation and also.... Restoration ecology is still a developing science as well. More research and study need to be done in that area to be able to understand how to more effectively manage these areas in urban settings.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you.
Should a recommendation of this committee be that it's important to engage people, to build on the established volunteer base, in appreciating and learning about nature, learning about the broader national parks system?
Executive Director, Earth Rangers
We certainly would advocate for that. I mean, that's what we do, day in and day out, so....
Liberal