MEETING #7/12 to Be Held September 28, 2012

FURTHER TO AUTHORITY MEETING #7/12 To Be Held September 28, 2012

FURTHER TO: Pages

AUTH6. CORRESPONDENCE

AUTH6.1 A letter dated September 24, 2012 from Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby, City of Toronto, in regard to the future governance of the Toronto Zoo. Also provided for the information of the Authority Members is the September 5, 2012 report from the Toronto Zoo - The Future of Toronto Zoo Governance. 73

AUTH7. SECTION I - ITEMS FOR AUTHORITY ACTION

AUTH7.7 - LISTED AS REPORT TO FOLLOW AUTH7.7 GREENLANDS ACQUISITION PROJECT FOR 2011-2015 74 CORRESPONDENCE AUTH6.1

73 Item AUTH7.7 TO: Chair and Members of the Authority Meeting #7/12, September 28, 2012

FROM: Mike Fenning, Senior Manager, Conservation Lands and Property Services

RE: GREENLANDS ACQUISITION PROJECT FOR 2011-2015 ______KEY ISSUE Update on the Greenlands Acquisition Project for 2011-2015 and project funding.

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) staff be directed to investigate possible federal government funding opportunities for land acquisition.

BACKGROUND TRCA has completed the acquisition of 77 acres (31 hectares) of land to date in 2012. This includes an acquisition from the Town of Ajax and six acquisitions through the development process. This brings the total lands secured by TRCA to 44,070 acres (17,835 hectares).

Greenlands Acquisition Project for 2011-2015 Funding Sources Capital Levy In the 2012 budget there is capital levy of $142,000 for land acquisition. These funds are utilized to cover the costs/fees related to obtaining property rights through the planning process, donations, easements and land exchanges including legal, survey, registration, environmental audits and appraisal.

Project Specific Funding TRCA carries out a number of construction projects such as trail, erosion and flood control which may require the acquisition of land. The purchase of this land is generally funded through the specific project.

Provincial Government The only significant funding opportunity at this time from the provincial government is available through Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT). The Natural Spaces Land Acquisition & Stewardship Program provides funds to conserve and protect provincially significant natural systems in southern Ontario through the acquisition of fee simple and conservation easement interests in privately owned land and to assist with the stewardship of lands acquired through the program. th Project proposals under this program are currently due by Friday, October 5 , 2012.

Funding is based on the following evaluation criteria:  property must be located in southern Ontario;  acquisition of the property would contribute to the long-term conservation and protection of natural heritage systems in southern Ontario;  acquisition of the property would contribute to the long-term conservation and protection of a provincially significant natural area (as defined);  the property contributes to provincial policy or statutory outcomes for specific geographic areas (e.g. Niagara Escarpment Plan, Greenbelt Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan); 74  long-term conservation and protection of the property can most effectively be achieved through land acquisition;  the property conserves and protects targeted resources that have emerged from a systematic approach such as a long-term strategic conservation plan, or targeted expansions of existing public lands;  the property builds on prior provincial investments by expanding or connecting existing public properties;  land managers can demonstrate resources and capacity for long-term stewardship of the property;  where appropriate, the property should provide for public access;  significant financial leveraging by partner organizations is expected (i.e. 50% from the project partner). Other provincial funds will not be considered as leverage;  title must be held by the OHT or another public agency and the applicant must be prepared to enter into a long term property Stewardship Agreement with the OHT.

City of Toronto The protection of Lake Ontario as the source of potable water for the City of Toronto is a high priority for the City. It is recognized that protecting and improving the water quality of the various river systems and watersheds that flow into Lake Ontario through the GTA is an important objective in source water protection. A vital tool to help meet this objective is the protection of the river systems and watersheds through acquisition of key parcels of land, and to this end the City has established a Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection Reserve.

In order to be eligible for funding from the Capital Account, the property must meet at least one of the following criteria:  lands, where City staff are of the opinion that they should not be developed for intensification purposes due to their unique environmental characteristics as significant water resources features, such as, flood plains, stream and valley corridors, natural features contiguous to stream and valley corridors, wetlands, critical fish habitat, significant vegetation/forest cover, hydrological sensitive recharge/discharge areas, etc., identified by the relevant source documents;  lands, where rehabilitation, regeneration and/or treatment works are planned for source water protection, consistent to the City of Toronto Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan Long Term Preferred Strategy or other relevant source water protection initiatives;  acquisition of land within the City of Toronto shall be a first priority, funding to the TRCA for acquisitions outside of the City of Toronto but within Toronto watersheds shall not exceed 33% of the purchase price;  purchases shall be for land whose value has been appraised and that the sale price shall not exceed fair market value;  in addition to the above technical criteria, priority will be given to situations where:  there is a willing seller;  there are matching financial contributions from other sources including but not limited to other municipalities and/or other levels of government;  the parcel will supplement other public holdings in the area;  the nature and immediacy of a threat to the lands.

In 2010 there was $6 million available in the reserve for land acquisition. A majority of this acquisition funding was transferred to support significant erosion control projects in 2011. There is currently $500,000 in the reserve for 2012. It is staff's understanding that only properties located within the City of Toronto are eligible for funding.

75 Regional Municipality of Durham Durham Regional Council has established a Regional Land Conservation and Protection Reserve Fund for conservation property acquisition purposes through its Land Securement Funding Policy for Conservation Areas (2007). Regional funding is based primarily on the following evaluation criteria:  properties will be purchased for conservation purposes only, as part of Conservation Authority land acquisition plans;  properties acquired will be located within, or contribute to, the enhancements of the Regional Official Plan Greenlands System, and be outside of urban areas;  properties acquired will contain key natural heritage and/or key hydrological features;  acquisitions will support Regional long-term planning and growth management (i.e. not preclude or compromise future planned growth).

For competing proposals, preference will be given to properties that:  consolidate, enlarge and/or otherwise enhance existing tracts of publicly owned conservation lands;  have the greatest percentage of natural feature coverage;  are located on the Oak Ridges Moraine;  have the greatest risks of damage and degradation;  exhibit other significant features/resources (e.g. well head protection).

The Region has also established additional criteria that must be followed as part of the process including: funding will be no more than 40% of the total direct cost of acquisition, a firm offer of purchase and sale involving a willing landowner is required as well as secured commitments from other funding partners. Conservation authorities will continue to submit consolidated five-year plans, including land acquisition programs as a separate program area as part of the business planning and budget process. The regional funding commitments expire at the end of each budget year unless otherwise identified or authorized. The annual contribution to this fund by the Region in 2012 is $960,000.

Regional Municipality of Peel The Region of Peel has developed protocols and criteria to access funds from the Region’s Greenland Securement Program to help cover the costs associated with acquiring key natural heritage, environmentally sensitive and significant lands in Peel.

Criteria are fairly broad, but are provided from the general to more specific:  protect, maintain, and enhance Core Areas of the Region of Peel Greenlands System;  facilitate implementation of TRCA land securement strategies aimed towards protecting, maintaining and enhancing natural heritage systems;  target areas not likely to come into public protection through other means;  to provide public access where appropriate;  contain Core Area of the Region of Peel Greenlands System, an area identified within the current TRCA Greenlands Acquisition Protection Project, or a locally significant wetland;  land use factors influencing the need and justification for securing the property;  value of securing the property to the Region.

Applications are considered by the Greenlands Securement Subcommittee (GSSC), a subcommittee of Council. Recommendations are made by the GSSC to Regional Council. Generally up to 50% of the required funding will be provided where appropriate to leverage funding from other funding partners. The annual contribution to this program by the Region is $750,000. 76 Regional Municipality of York The Regional Municipality of York has a long standing commitment to protecting the natural environment through policy, legislation and on-the-ground action through the Region’s Greening Strategy. The Greening Strategy provides the framework for initiatives to restore habitat, increase forest cover, secure greenlands and their linkages, and promote and protect the natural environment. Since 2001, $1.4 million has been allocated annually to the Region’s Greening Strategy. Approximately $800,000 is reserved for land securement costs associated with easements, donations and acquisitions.

Securement opportunities can be brought forward at the staff level both internally or externally and are weighed against Council approved securement criteria by an Internal Evaluation Team and brought forward for Council approval if the base criteria have been met. Land securement criteria primarily focus on connection and enhancement of York Regions Greenlands System but also place value on partnerships. In general, for land securement opportunities with an acquisition component, York Region’s preference is a funding model which includes multiple partners with equal contributions.

Local Municipalities There have been certain priority locations where the local municipality wanted to expedite the acquisition of a property by contributing to the purchase. In recent years, TRCA has received funding from the City of Pickering, Town of Richmond Hill and the City of Markham for the acquisition of specific properties.

Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation The Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation (ORMF) started in 2002 with an investment of $15 million from the Province of Ontario. Since then ORMF has granted $14.1 million to 177 projects. TRCA has benefited from almost $2.2 million from ORMF for land acquisition. Since ORMF has almost exhausted the original provincial funding, they have not provided grants for land acquisition for the last few years.

Nature Conservancy of Canada Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has acquisition funding from various levels of government for the securement of property within their Natural Area Conservation Plans. There is only one of these areas within TRCA's justification known as the "Happy Valley Forest Natural Area" Conservation Plan. Generally, NCC has obtained their funding from the federal and provincial governments, the Regional Municipality of York and private fundraising for the Happy Valley Forest acquisitions. TRCA has acquired one property in the Happy Valley Forest in partnership with NCC.

Additionally, staff understands that Parks Canada may be able to purchase lands as strategic additions to the Rouge National Urban Park.

Other Non-governmental Organizations A number non-government organizations such as the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust, Oak Ridges Trail Association, Green Durham and Ducks Unlimited Canada have provided small amounts of funding to TRCA for land acquisition.

Foundations and Private Donations TRCA also on occasion receives donations from private foundations and private donors for land acquisition. 77 CONCLUSION As outlined above, TRCA's municipal funding partners continue to provide funding support for greenlands acquisition on a property by property basis. The various programs cover up to 50% (with the exception of Durham at 40%) of the purchase costs associated with acquiring the properties. In the last few years TRCA has lost our major funding partners that have provided matching funding for these programs including the City of Toronto and the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation, which has made the acquisition process more challenging.

The Province of Ontario through OHT has a funding opportunity available at this time and staff is proposing to submit a number of applications for this funding. Also, staff will continue to explore opportunities for funding from local municipalities, NCC, other non-government organizations and donations to match the funding from our municipal funding partners.

The greatest potential opportunity to secure additional land acquisition funding is the federal government. The federal government has provided natural areas land acquisition funding through NCC in the past and staff believes there is an opportunity to convince the federal government to provide natural area funding to TRCA.

Report prepared by: Mike Fenning, extension 5223 Emails: [email protected] For Information contact: Mike Fenning, extension 5223 Emails: [email protected] Date: September 25, 2012