Agenda
Town of Gibsons
Regular Meeting of Council
January 19, 2021 at 7:00pm
Held Electronically as per Ministerial Order M192 Town Hall, 474 South Fletcher Road, Gibsons 604-886-2274 - www.gibsons.ca
Council
Mayor Bill Beamish Councillor David Croal Councillor Annemarie De Andrade Councillor Aleria Ladwig Councillor Stafford Lumley
Regular Council - 19 Jan 2021 Page 2 of 140
Regular Meeting of Council AGENDA OF
January 19, 2021
Held Electronically, 7:00pm As per Ministerial Order M192 We acknowledge that we are fortunate to be able to gather on the unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Nation.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
2.1 Regular Council Agenda - January 19, 2021
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the Regular Business Agenda of January 19, 2021 be adopted.
3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES
3.1 Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting - January 5, 2021 9 - 13
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the minutes of the Regular Council meeting held January 5, 2021 be adopted.
4. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
5. PROCLAMATIONS
5.1 Toastmasters Month
Sarah Daigneault & Johanna Rzepa from the Beachcombers Advanced Toastmasters Club will be in attendance to receive a proclamation declaring that February 2021 will be known as Toastmasters Month within the Town of Gibsons.
6. DELEGATIONS AND PETITIONS
6.1 Ian Anderson & Annette Clarke - Roaming Cats 15 - 105 Regular Council - 19 Jan 2021 Page 3 of 140
7. INQUIRIES
8. COMMITTEE REPORTS
8.1 Planning & Development Committee Meeting - January 12, 2021
8.1.1 Planning & Development Committee Meeting 107 - 108 Minutes
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the minutes of the Planning & Development Committee meeting held January 12, 2021 be received.
8.1.2 Development Permit for Form and Character for a Garden Suite at 313 Headlands Road
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT Development Permit DP-2020-23 be issued subject to the registration of a Section 219 Covenant to ensure that future parking needs may be met at the request of the Town through the provision of an additional parking space on site, including installation of a culvert as needed per Town requirements. 8.1.3 Housing Needs Report Implementation Framework
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT Council endorses, subject to future budget constraints, the recommendations in Section 5.1 of the Housing Needs Report Implementation Framework as the basis for Town’s Housing Strategy under the following categories:
1. Facilitate Development through Plans, Regulations, and Approvals; 2. Investing and Incentivizing Desired Unit Types; 3. Convening Partnerships, Advocating for Housing Needs, and Educating Communities; and 4. Supporting Social Equity;
AND THAT staff report back with additional details on how to prioritize and implement the actions with timelines. 8.2 Committee of the Whole Meeting - January 19, 2021
8.2.1 Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021 be forwarded to Council for first, second and third reading;
AND THAT staff be directed to begin recruiting volunteer Regular Council - 19 Jan 2021 Page 4 of 140 membership on the Advisory Design Panel for Council appointment upon adoption of Bylaw No. 1288, 2021;
AND FURTHER THAT the Planning and Development Committee be disbanded upon adoption of the Advisory Design Panel Bylaw. 8.2.2 Community Grant - Canada-B.C. Safe Restart Funds
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT a community grant utilizing the Canada-B.C. Safe Restart Funds be initiated with the following parameters:
• a total fund of $25,000; • a $1,000 limit per application; and • eligible applicants will include not-for-profit and other community organizations that have incurred COVID-19 related costs providing services for vulnerable persons in the community in 2020 and 2021;
AND THAT the community grant utilizing the Canada- B.C. Safe Restart Fund be administered by staff with periodic reporting to Council.
9. ADMINISTRATION REPORTS
9.1 Director of Infrastructure Services - Town of Gibsons Office Renovation Project
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the Director of Infrastructure Services' verbal report regarding an application for grant funding for the Town of Gibsons Office Renovation Project be received;
AND THAT an application be submitted for grant funding for the Town of Gibsons Office Renovation Project through the Canada Infrastructure Program – COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream in the amount of $316,234;
AND FURTHER THAT Council supports the project and commits to any associated ineligible costs and cost overruns. 10. COUNCIL REPORTS
11. CORRESPONDENCE
11.1 Council Correspondence 109 - 113
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the Council reading files for the week's ending December 21, 2020, January 4, 2021 & January 12, 2021 be received.
Regular Council - 19 Jan 2021 Page 5 of 140 11.2 John Dooley, Mayor, City of Nelson - Vaccination Priority for 115 - 116 Essential Critical Infrastructure Municipal Employees
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the letter dated January 8, 2021 from John Dooley, Mayor, City of Nelson sent to Hon. Adrian Dix, Minister of Health requesting that essential critical infrastructure municipal employees be given vaccination priority be received.
11.3 Robin Merriott, Sunshine Coast Highway Society - Request 117 for Support for a New Highway on the Sunshine Coast
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the letter dated January 5, 2021 from Robin Merriott, Sunshine Coast Highway Society regarding a request for the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to provide a new highway on the Sunshine Coast be received;
AND THAT the construction of a true, sustainable and environmentally responsible highway on the Southern Sunshine Coast be supported by the Town;
AND FURTHER THAT a letter be drafted and sent to the Sunshine Coast Highway Society and the Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure including the resolution from Council.
11.4 Geoff Bowlby, Director General, Census Management Office 119 - 121 - 2021 Census
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the email dated January 13, 2021 from Geoff Bowlby, Director General, Census Management Office regarding a request for Council support for the 2021 Census be received;
AND THAT the 2021 Census be supported by Council, and all residents be encouraged to complete their census questionnaire online at www.census.gc.ca. Accurate and complete census data support programs and services that benefit our community.
11.5 Diamond Isinger, Provincial Commissioner, Girl Guides of 123 - 124 Canada - Guiding Lights Across BC
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the email dated January 12, 2021 from Diamond Isinger, Provincial Commissioner, Girl Guides of Canada regarding a Guiding Lights Across BC event on February 22, 2021 be received;
AND THAT one of the following motions be adopted:
1. participation in the Guiding Lights Across BC event and related expenses up to $200 be approved; OR 2. event participation is not approved for 2021.
Regular Council - 19 Jan 2021 Page 6 of 140
11.6 Linda Buchanan, Mayor, City of North Vancouver - 125 Implementing a Province-wide Ban on Anticoagulant Rodenticides
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the letter dated January 11, 2021 from Linda Buchanan, Mayor, City of North Vancouver, regarding a request for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and Minister responsible for Translink to implement a Province-wide ban on anticoagulant rodenticides be received.
12. BYLAWS
12.1 Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw 1288 127 - 133
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT “Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021” be given first, second and third reading.
13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
13.1 AVICC Call for 2021 Resolutions - February 26, 2021
14. NEW BUSINESS
14.1 Mayor Beamish & Councillor De Andrade - Anticoagulant 135 - 140 Rodenticide
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT a possible ban on anticoagulant rodenticides be considered within Town boundaries by Council at the January 19th Regular Meeting of Council.
15. NOTICE OF MOTION
16. INQUIRIES
17. MOTION TO CLOSE
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the meeting be closed in accordance with section(s) (c)(e)(g)(k)(m) of the Community Charter:
(c) labour relations or other employee relations;
(e) the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality;
(g) litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality;
Regular Council - 19 Jan 2021 Page 7 of 140 (k) negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality if they were held in public;
(m) a matter that, under another enactment, is such that the public may be excluded from the meeting.
18. REOPEN TO THE PUBLIC
19. REPORT FROM IN CAMERA
20. NEXT MEETING
20.1 The next Regular meeting of Council to be held electronically on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 7:00pm.
21. ADJOURNMENT
Regular Council - 19 Jan 2021 Page 8 of 140 Regular Council MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Held Electronically, 7:00pm As per Ministerial Order M192
PRESENT: Mayor Bill Beamish Councillor David Croal Councillor Annemarie De Andrade Councillor Aleria Ladwig Councillor Stafford Lumley Youth Councillor Gravity Guignard
STAFF: Emanuel Machado, Chief Administrative Officer Lindsey Grist, Director of Corporate Services Lorraine Coughlin, Director of Finance Dave Newman, Director of Infrastructure Services Lesley-Anne Staats, Director of Planning Tracy Forster, Recording Secretary
CALL TO ORDER
The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:03pm.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
R2021-001 Regular Council Agenda - January 5, 2020
MOVED by Councillor Croal SECONDED by Councillor Ladwig
THAT the Regular Business Agenda of January 5, 2020 be adopted.
CARRIED
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
R2021-002 Minutes of the Special Council Meeting & Regular Council Meeting - December 15, 2020
MOVED by Councillor Lumley SECONDED by Councillor Croal
THAT the minutes of the Special Council meeting held December 15, 2020 be adopted;
Page 9 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 2 of 5 Regular Council Meeting Minutes - Tuesday, January 5, 2021
AND THAT the minutes of the Regular Council meeting held December 15, 2020 be adopted.
CARRIED
BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
The Mayor provided an update regarding BC Housing.
INQUIRIES
The Mayor provided an opportunity for members of the Public to ask questions of Council regarding items on the January 5, 2021 Regular Council Agenda.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee-of-the-Whole Meeting - December 15, 2020
R2020-003 Committee-of-the-Whole Meeting Minutes
MOVED by Councillor Croal SECONDED by Councillor Ladwig
THAT the minutes of the Committee-of-the-Whole meeting held December 15, 2020 be received.
CARRIED
R2020-004 Summerhill Fine Homes & Salish Soils Community Garden Proposal
MOVED by Councillor Croal SECONDED by Councillor Lumley
THAT the proposal for a community garden to be constructed on the east side of Industrial Way be approved, subject to Summerhill Fine Homes Ltd maintaining liability insurance in the amount of $3 million naming the Town as additional insured;
AND THAT Summerhill Fine Homes Ltd. meet with staff annually in September to discuss any issues or modifications that are required and report back to Council.
CARRIED
COUNCIL REPORTS
Page 10 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 3 of 5 Regular Council Meeting Minutes - Tuesday, January 5, 2021
R2021-005 Mayor Beamish - The Canada-B.C. Safe Restart Fund
MOVED by Councillor Croal SECONDED by Councillor De Andrade
THAT the Mayor's report titled The Canada-B.C. Safe Restart Fund be received;
AND THAT a consultant be engaged to develop a program and Terms of Reference for a grant that would distribute a portion of the Canada-B.C. Safe Restart Fund to eligible organizations for COVID-19 related costs;
AND FURTHER THAT the report be brought back to Council for approval prior to implementation.
CARRIED
CORRESPONDENCE
R2021-006 Council Correspondence
MOVED by Councillor Croal SECONDED by Councillor De Andrade
THAT the Council reading file for the week ending December 14, 2020 be received.
CARRIED
R2021-007 Pam Robertson & Vicki Raw, Gibsons Building Society - 2020 Report to Community
MOVED by Councillor Croal SECONDED by Councillor Ladwig
THAT the letter dated December 2020 from Pam Robertson & Vicki Raw, Gibsons Building Society regarding the 2020 Report to Community be received.
CARRIED
COUNCIL REPORTS
Members of Council provided an update on their recent activities since the previous meeting.
CORRESPONDENCE
Page 11 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 4 of 5 Regular Council Meeting Minutes - Tuesday, January 5, 2021
AVICC Call for 2021 Resolutions
The correspondence from AVICC regarding a call for resolutions to be considered at the 2021 Virtual AGM & Convention was received.
R2021-008 Heather Evan-Cullens, Gibsons & District Public Library - Letter of Reference Request
MOVED by Councillor Ladwig SECONDED by Councillor Croal
THAT the correspondence dated January 5, 2021 from Heather Evan-Cullens, Gibsons & District Public Library requesting a letter of reference for a grant application be received;
AND THAT a letter of reference for a grant application be drafted as requested.
CARRIED
BYLAWS
R2021-009 Financial Plan Amendment Bylaw 1276-01
MOVED by Councillor Croal SECONDED by Councillor Lumley
THAT "2020-2024 Financial Plan Bylaw No. 1276-01, 2020" be adopted.
CARRIED
NOTICE OF MOTION
Mayor Beamish & Councillor De Andrade - Anti-Coagulant Rodenticide
THAT a possible ban on anticoagulant rodenticides be considered within Town boundaries by Council at the January 19th Regular Meeting of Council.
INQUIRIES
The Mayor provided an opportunity for members of the Public to ask questions of Council.
NEXT MEETING
The next Regular meeting of Council to be held electronically on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 7:00pm.
Page 12 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 5 of 5 Regular Council Meeting Minutes - Tuesday, January 5, 2021
ADJOURNMENT
R2021-010 MOVED by Councillor Croal SECONDED by Councillor Lumley
THAT the meeting be adjourned at 8:32pm.
CARRIED
Lindsey Grist, Corporate Officer William Beamish, Mayor
Page 13 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 14 of 140 Page 15 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 Animal Responsibility Bylaw | Get Involved Nanaimo
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Home Sign In Register Home » Animal Responsibility Bylaw
Animal Responsibility Bylaw
Thank you for your interest in learning more about the Animal Responsibility Bylaw. Here, you will learn about the new bylaw, be able to ask questions and submit your feedback.
Background
In December 2019, the City hired a consultant, Allan Neilson of Neilson Strategies, to:
review the City’s animal control services, identify service-related issues, conduct research on best practices and experiences in other jurisdictions, and provide recommendations for the City to consider.
The findings of the report recommended an amendment to the bylaw to focus on the importance of responsible pet ownership and to incorporate the following provisions:
removing reference Continue reading
UPDATES QUESTIONS? FEEDBACK
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
Do you have questions about the new Animal Responsibility Bylaw? Please review the bylaw and related documents and submit your question here.
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Page 16 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 Animal Responsibility Bylaw | Get Involved Nanaimo
Is the term "restricted dog" is being removed, does that mean that those restricted dog Q breeds no longer needs to be muzzled in public or be registered with the CKC and have the "canine good citizen" certification? aw asked , 20 days ago
Under the new bylaw, any dogs currently designated as a vicious or dangerous dog would need to follow the aggressive/dangerous dog provisions outlined in the bylaw. Going forward, any dog (regardless of breed) that has been deemed aggressive, dangerous would have to be muzzled. Details on the rationale for removing the definition of “restricted dog” are outlined in the November 9, 2020 report that went to Council as follows:
Removing Reference to “Restricted Dogs”
The SPCA and the City’s Animal Control provider both oppose breed specific restrictions, as evidence demonstrates that it does not adequately address the problem of dog aggression in a community. Some of the reasons cited by the SPCA include:
breed specific restrictions ignores the fact that aggressive behaviour can occur in any breed and therefore does not protect the public; breed specific restrictions do nothing to discourage irresponsible behaviour by people who breed, train, sell or possess dangerous dogs that are not named under the breed ban; there are no efficient methods to determine a dog’s breed in a way that can withstand a legal challenge. Any breed ban bylaw inevitably results in the creation of subjective and arbitrary factors to determine breed; in order to avoid breed specific restrictions, people who want aggressive dogs simply switch to other breeds or select cross- breeds that are difficult to classify. Some jurisdictions have now banned upwards of 30 breeds in order to follow these trends, placing great burdens on enforcement; and breed specific restrictions treads upon the rights of responsible dog guardians who cherish a non-aggressive pet whose breed may fall under the legislation.
Changing “Vicious Dog” to “Aggressive Dog
The “Vicious Dog” definition was removed as it included reference to “Restricted” dogs, which has been removed under the new draft (see rationale above). The new definition for Aggressive Dogs reflects the aggressive behaviour of any dog, regardless of breed. Additional provisions for licencing of aggressive dogs, as well as duties for aggressive dog owners, has been added as recommended in the SPCA’s model bylaw.
If a cat by law comes into effect, where, cats have to be confined would this also pertain to Q cats in Trailer Parks ? bushfreak asked , 20 days ago
The rules of the bylaw as it relates to cats being on another person’s property (other than the owner) or in a public place would apply throughout the City. Additional rules for stratas and trailer parks may also apply.
It's important for everyone who has a pet as a companion to be responsible and keep them Q safe and secure as well as being responsible to the neighborhood. I believe the majority of people do. Any changes to the bylaw should be to ensure the health, safety and security of our pets, taking into consideration that each species is different and will require a different set of requirements and/or
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Page 17 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 Animal Responsibility Bylaw | Get Involved Nanaimo
restrictions, not for the appeasement of a minority. As these changes to the Animal Responsibility Bylaw is a "complaint based" initiative, just how many written complaints have there been with respect to roaming cats, noisy cats, cat feces, or other cat issues? CJRO asked , 21 days ago
As the City does not have a bylaw in place where Animal Control can act on complaints related to nuisance cats, they are not being formally recorded. However, Nanaimo Animal Control does gets calls frequently and so, for the purposes of conducting research for the bylaw, a trial log was created between September 24 – November 7. During that six week time period, there were 20 calls documented related to cats for an average of 3-4 per week. Roughly 50% of those were related to nuisance cat complaints and the other 50% were related to welfare cats.
Chickens don’t count as pets, right? Their limit is separate? Q Curtis asked , 23 days ago
Correct. Poultry is covered under Sections 65-68 of the bylaw.
Does this only involve Cats and Dogs ? I heard that you want to limit Pets to 4 per Q Household However what then would happen to Clubs like ours that rescue Parrot and take them into there Households , a club that has more then 400 Members and is located in Nanaimo, I hardly believe that most of our Members have less then 4 Parrots????? Uwe asked , 22 days ago
Some exemptions apply to the pet limits including those who are fostering on behalf of animal rescue organizations. Please review the FAQs and the bylaw (pdf) for more information.
How will the situation be rectified if cats continue to wander off their property? What is the Q process for the cat owner and what is the process for the neighbours? What happens if the cat owner refuses to comply with the bylaws? Vic123 asked , 24 days ago
The bylaw is complaint driven. If it was a nuisance complaint, Animal Control would reach out to the owner to advise of the bylaw infraction and to seek compliance with the owner. If compliance cannot be reached and the cat continues to be a nuisance, the owner could be fined.
How will mandatory neuter/spay be enforced? Q Curtis asked , 25 days ago
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Page 18 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 Animal Responsibility Bylaw | Get Involved Nanaimo
Mandatory neuter/spaying pertains to cats (exemptions are provided for breeders). No one can force an owner to spay or neuter their cat; however, the fine for a cat that is impounded if it is unsterilized would be much higher than for a sterilized cat.
Have you looked into how this might affect pet owners searching for rentals? A lot of Q people end up forced to surrender pets, because their new landlord does not accept pets. Now, even if a landlord would accept pets... if there is already the maximum number of a certain animal or animals in general they may have to be rejected in order to stay within the limit allowed by these new bylaws or give up their pets. Curtis asked , 24 days ago
Currently the laws regarding landlords and tenancy are governed by the Landlord Tenant Act of BC.
Are the limits based on households or the actual owner? I have animals and so does my Q roommate. If two people move in together and the combined numbers pushes the limit, then what happens? What if there is a rental suite would landlord and tenant animals be calculated together? Curtis asked , 24 days ago
The limit is based on per property not per person.
What would the process be for getting a breeder business licence from the city? Just a Q valid BN and address? Curtis asked , 25 days ago
There is a home-based business license application process. Find more information on business licenses on our website.
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FAQs
General
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Page 19 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021
Dear Mayor Milne and Council, January 12, 2018 Re: Cat bylaws
I am writing to provide you some information in advance of the council meeting on Wednesday, January 17 regarding cat bylaws. I will also be present to answer any questions.
The BC SPCA provides a Model Animal Responsibility Bylaws package to municipalities, updated regularly to incorporate current animal-related issues. That package is attached to this email.
We also consult on specific municipal issues, recognizing that every community is truly unique. Two recent examples of communities that are similar to Sechelt and have updated their cat bylaws include Dawson Creek and Port Alberni.
The City of Dawson Creek (2016 census population: 12,978): The Animal Control Bylaw changed to Animal Responsibility Bylaws designed to address the owned roaming cat population and cat overpopulation in 2015. The bylaw introduced licensing for cats with the same standards applying to cats and dogs, including provisions for no running at large and no in-heat animals permitted off their property.
The registration process is critical to the success of this bylaw (text taken directly from bylaw): “Annual registration for a spayed or neutered cat without tattoo or microchip $50.00 Annual registration for a spayed or neutered cat with tattoo or microchip $5.00 Annual registration fee of an unneutered cat $200.00 Annual registration fee of an unspayed cat $200.00 Notes regarding cats: - The registration receipt for a spayed or neutered cat without tattoo or microchip may be presented to a partner Veterinarian Clinic as payment to microchip the cat in respect for which it was issued, as described on the registration application, and not transferable to another cat. - The registration receipt for an unneutered or unspayed cat may be presented to a partner Veterinarian Clinic as payment to neuter or spay and tattoo the cat in respect for which it was issued, as described on the registration application, and not transferable to another cat.
This model, with the addition of a free/discounted spay and neuter program has resulted in the following outcomes: 797 cats licensed in 2017 (this is more than the number of dogs licensed!). 40% reduction in unwanted kittens brought into the BC SPCA. Return-to-owner rate for stray cats in 2015 was 10%, increased to 40% in 2017.
Page 20 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021
The City of Port Alberni (2016 census population: 17,678): The City of Port Alberni was highlighted in the National ‘Cats Count in Canada’ 2017 report, page 38 for its recent successes. They updated their Animal Control bylaw in 2013 to include more provisions related to cats. These include: A mandatory spay/neuter bylaw, with exceptions made for cats used intentionally for breeding. Mandatory identification for cats. No running at large for intact cats (spayed and neutered cats are more likely to have smaller roaming areas).
The local BC SPCA Port Alberni Branch implemented a spay/neuter program with funding from the City and a granting agency and enforced the bylaw through door-to-door education.
Outcomes: Average 44% decrease in unwanted kittens brought in to the BC SPCA. Increase in Return-to-Owner rate, from 7% in 2013 to 24% in 2017.
Local information The Sunshine Coast Branch current provides sheltering services for cats where there are space and resources to do so. All cat care is provided through public donations, with no government funding provided by the District of Sechelt.
The 2017 return-to-owner rate was 26% for cats, while it was 100% for dogs. In 2017 the Sunshine Coast Branch cared for 134 cats and 110 dogs from the Sunshine Coast that were surrendered by owners, stray, or seized pursuant to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. We cared for a total of 386 animals, including 101 internal transfers.
The BC SPCA Sunshine Coast Branch works with Eagle Ridge Veterinary Hospital (ERVH) to offer discounted spay/neuter surgeries to low-income individuals on the Sunshine Coast. The ERVH volunteers their time for the surgeries and provides permanent ID, vaccines, flea control and a spay or neuter surgery all for the cost of the materials, at ~$50. Around 60 surgeries have been provided to cats in the last three years.
Summary The BC SPCA is supportive of bylaws that improve the lives of cats and increase the chances of pet cats being returned to their owners. We look forward to further consultation.
For more information and local recommendations for the District of Sechelt, please contact Amy Morris, public policy and outreach manager at 604-368-4034 or [email protected]
Page 21 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 Cats Are Surprisingly Bad at Killing Rats | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine
SmartNews Keeping you current Cats Are Surprisingly Bad at Killing Rats
Over a 79-day period, feral felines killed just two rats, instead opting to hunt less challenging prey
Urban cats are more likely to hunt down birds, mice than rats (British Pest Control Association/Flickr)
By Meilan Solly smithsonianmag.com September 28, 2018
Cats are contradictory creatures. A 2017 study found that domestic felines—deemed one of “the most ubiquitous and environmentally damaging invasive predators on Earth”—have contributed to the extinction of at least 63 global vertebrate species, but new research published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution suggests feral cats are embarrassingly ineffective when it comes to catching the prey most commonly associated with their urban jaunts: rats.
Researchers led by Fordham University’s Michael Parsons spent five months observing a rat colony housed at a Brooklyn waste management facility, Matthew Taub reports for Atlas Obscura. Although the team initially set out to study pheromones, or airborne chemicals that can influence animal behavior, they soon shifted focus to rat-cat https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cats-are-surprisingly-ineffective-keeping-urban-rat-populations-check-180970428/?fbclid=IwAR0Muuha… 1/2
Page 22 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 Cats Are Surprisingly Bad at Killing Rats | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine interactions. The results were surprising, to say the least: Over the course of the 79-day testing period, local cats ambushed just three of the facility’s roughly 150 rat—killing only two.
According to Science News’ Susan Milius, the researchers tracked kills with the help of motion-triggered cameras that recorded 306 “active-animal” videos. Based on these clips, the scientists recorded 20 stalking events and three kill attempts (only two of which were successful). The kills occurred under ambush-like conditions, while the unsuccessful attempt was an open-floor chase.
“[It was a] very hesitant chase, like a stop-and-go dance they do,” Parsons tells Milius. “When the rat stops, the cat stops, too.”
A potential explanation for the felines’ unexpectedly low kill rate is the size and ferocity of city rats, Tanya Loos writes for Cosmos. New York’s infamous brown rats generally weigh around 330 grams, or roughly 10 times the weight of the average mouse. Given the choice between attacking a monstrous rat, a 15-gram bird and a 30-gram mouse, cats tend to opt for the less challenging prey.
Atlas Obscura’s Taub notes that rats sensing an increasing feline presence also change their behavior, scurrying inside and largely keeping out of sight. As the researchers report in their study, a one percent increase in the number of cats on a given day made it 100 times less likely that a rat would trigger the team’s motion-sensitive cameras.
The new findings contradict popular conceptions of feline predation. As Angus Chen notes for Scientific American, cats have such a widespread reputation as rodent killers that organizations ranging from Washington, D.C.’s Blue Collar Cats to Chicago’s Cats at Work regularly release feral felines in hopes of fighting urban rodent infestations.
But cats and rats are more likely to ignore or avoid each other than engage in outright conflict, University of Florida disease ecologist Gregory Glass, who was not involved in the study, tells Chen.
“Once that rat hits puberty, [it’s] way too big and nasty for the cat to deal with,” he says. “You can watch a lot of cats and rats accommodating one another, easing by one another, eating out of the same trash bag.”
As Sarah Zhang writes for The Atlantic, introducing feral cats into urban environments can raise a bevy of unintended side effects. Feline feces spreads a disease known as toxoplasmosis, which can cause severe brain damage or even death when transmitted from a pregnant mother to a fetus. Cats are also notorious bird killers—a 2013 study suggested the animals are responsible for the deaths of 2.4 billion birds per year, and that’s just in the United States.
Parsons tells Taub that the key to managing urban rodent populations is waste management, not feral felines. Trash attracts rats, so if less garbage littered the streets of New York and other cities, the rats would essentially moderate themselves.
“People see fewer rats and assume it's because the cats have killed them—whereas it's actually due to the rats changing their behavior," Parsons said in a statement. “The results of our study suggest the benefits of releasing cats are far outweighed by the risks to wildlife."
About Meilan Solly
Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's assistant digital editor, humanities. Website: .
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Page 23 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/22/2020 Cats
Being a responsible cat owner
Being a responsible cat owner is an important part of being a good neighbour. It keeps your cat safe, helps reduce the number of unowned cats in our community, and it’s better for wildlife and the environment.
Responsible cat ownership involves giving your cat the food, water, shelter and veterinary care your cat needs, as well as:
Keeping your cat from roaming outdoors unsupervised (for example: on a leash or in an enclosure or carrier if they are off your property) spaying or neutering your cat picking up after your cat if it defecates on or off your property
Outdoor dangers: Wandering alone outdoors is dangerous for cats: just like dogs, cats need supervision to be protected from traffic, other cats and animals, toxins and poisons, and the many diseases and parasites they can catch.
Despite popular belief, cats do not need to go outdoors or roam. The District of Sechelt recommends keeping your cat indoors because indoor cats live longer, healthier lives. Indoor cats can live up to 20 years and the average lifespan for an outdoor cat is two to five years.A harness and leash or a cat enclosure called a catio can be used if you want your cat to go outside.
Diseases affecting outdoor cats include feline leukemia, FIV and distemper, among others. Parasites include fleas, ticks, earmites and intestinal worms. Many toxins, such as antifreeze and rat poison, taste good to cats, and they can be poisoned if they simply drink from a puddle.
Protect wildlife: Canada’s bird populations are under enormous stress from the impacts of climate change and habitat loss, and it’s important that we do everything we can to help them, including protecting them from our cats.
Your cat can have everything they needs to be safe, happy and fulfilled, without having to face the dangers of the outdoors alone.
Spaying or neutering: Responsible cat owners ensure their cats are spayed or neutered to prevent overpopulation and make healthier pets.
Guidelines for happy indoor cats:
Play with your cat to give him exercise. Provide safe cat toys, scratch posts and cat trees. Groom and have your cat’s claws trimmed regularly. Provide cat grass for your cat to chew on. Set up a place where your cat can sit to look outside. Consider the companionship of a second cat. https://www.sechelt.ca/Live/Pets-Wildlife/Cats 1/2
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FREE-ROAMING OWNED, ABANDONED, AND FERAL CATS – POSITION STATEMENT
April 29, 2020
Position
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) supports evidence-based, effective and humane initiatives to reduce the population size and the impacts of free-roaming owned, abandoned and feral cats in order to promote animal health and welfare, public health and ecological and environmental health.
Summary
The CVMA endorses a One Health approach to the free-roaming cat issue that includes the acknowledgement of the ecological and environmental impacts, and public health risks associated with free-roaming owned, abandoned and feral cats.
The CVMA recognizes that adopting a One Health approach involves interdisciplinary collaboration with non-veterinary experts in the fields of ecology, public health, and human medicine to ensure the adoption of scientifically rigorous management approaches.
The CVMA recommends that veterinarians discourage the unsupervised roaming of owned cats due to the health and welfare risks to individual cats, their potential contribution to the stray and feral populations, impacts on wildlife populations, and increased zoonotic public health risk.
The CVMA supports evidence-based feral cat population management strategies that can effectively achieve declines at a population-level, and over time frames appropriate for the specific population. Managed feral cat colonies should not be located near wildlife areas, nor in areas where they can pose a public health risk. The CVMA prefers and encourages non-lethal alternatives, however it also supports euthanasia by qualified personnel who are trained and have shown competence in the use of veterinary approved euthanasia methods where non-lethal options are ineffective at population attrition or are justifiably impracticable.
The CVMA supports further research to broaden and strengthen our evidence base on the most effective means to decrease and potentially eliminate the feral cat population. https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/free-roaming-owned-abandoned-feral-cats-ps?fbclid=IwAR0HFJ0HnfofBahaf1jd6cRMJiiM79E-VMD… 1/6
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Background
1. Free-roaming cats can be categorized along a continuum ranging from socialized cats that are owned or previously owned but abandoned, to unsocialized feral cats. In Canada, there are an estimated 5.4 – 9.6 million free-roaming cats, with 1.5 – 4.1 million of these being feral or unowned (1).
2. The veterinary community is equally concerned about the welfare of both the free- roaming cats and wildlife. Cats are a domestic species that society has introduced into the ecosystem, and although their welfare is important to many people, veterinarians must jointly consider public health risks, the effect these cats have on the ecosystem, wildlife welfare and conservation and the extent that acceptable welfare standards can be maintained for the cats.
3. In Canada, free-roaming cats are estimated to kill 100 – 350 million birds per year and 1.3 – 4.0 billion in the United States (US) (1-3). In comparison, building collisions kill an estimated 16 – 42 million birds in Canada (4), and 365 – 988 million birds in the US (5). The number of mammalian wildlife killed by cats in Canada has not been enumerated, but in the US, the estimate is 6.3 – 22.3 billion mammals (2). In North America, estimates of the mortality rates for reptiles and amphibians due to cats are unknown, but could be significant, based on Australian estimates of 270 million to 1 billion reptiles killed each year by feral cats (6).
4. In addition to acting as a non-native predator, domestic cats have also been shown to deleteriously impact wildlife populations through competition, hybridization and disease transmission (7). The ultimate risks to biodiversity are habitat loss and climate change, but sources of additive mortality such as cat predation can have substantial cumulative impacts on wild populations. Unlike other anthropogenic sources of wildlife mortality, the impacts of free-roaming cats are within the realm of influence and responsibility of veterinarians.
5. Free-roaming owned, abandoned and feral cats serve as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases such as Rabies, Yersinia pestis, Bartonellosis, Toxocariasis, and Toxoplasmosis (8,9). These zoonotic diseases incur significant health and economic burdens (10-12). Limiting unnecessary exposure and environmental contamination of zoonotic parasites should be a public health priority (9,10).
6. Data from a recent survey revealed that almost 80% of veterinarians support an indoor lifestyle for cats for health reasons (13). Outdoor owned cats experience higher rates of mortality and morbidity due to trauma, infectious disease, parasite loads, higher shelter relinquishment, and reduced owner investment (14-17). Numerous solutions exist, such as Catios, outdoor enclosures and harness training, that allow owned cats to experience an outside lifestyle without experiencing an increased health risk. They also serve to decrease the cat’s effect on the environment. Feral cats experience even lower welfare
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Page 26 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/22/2020 CVMA | Documents | Free-roaming owned, Abandoned, and Feral Cats – Position Statement standards (15), therefore effective programs that reduce the number of cats living in non-enclosed colonies are an important contribution to feline welfare.
7. Feral cat populations are typically composed of multiple, loosely organized colonies. Cats can move opportunistically among colonies based on varying densities, and food provisioning (18). Therefore, removing individual cats often leads to a redistribution of cats among colonies (termed as density-dependent dispersal or colloquially as a ‘vacuum’ effect’), but removals still reduce the overall population size (19). Effective management plans should aim to reduce the total number of feral cats living outside, across all colonies, not only at one particular colony.
8. Many members of our society have negative feelings towards simply removing these cats from the environment via trap and cull, and others view that releasing them constitutes abandonment and neglect. That has prompted the development of numerous programs to remove them from the environment through nonlethal methods.
9. As typically applied, trap-neuter-release (TNR) alone is ineffective at reducing cat population sizes over reasonable time frames (e.g., less 10 years) (19-24), with removal strategies such as high-volume adoptions, relocations and euthanasia being more efficacious (21,23-25). Large-scale TNR projects, which have reported successful declines, have concurrently removed approximately half of the individuals (26,27). Effective TNR programs need to target small, isolated populations, maintain high sterilization rates (>75%) (21,24), implement appropriate population monitoring, and manage adaptively (28). Initiatives should aim to combine effective cat management approaches with habitat protection to improve conservation outcomes (29).
10. Feral cat management programs are impeded by the influx from the owned cat population via abandonment, strays or unintended litters (21,27,30), making it imperative that multi-faceted programs are established that include effective population management, habitat protection programs, public education, anti-roaming legislation, and accessible spay and neuter services.
References
1. Blancher P. Estimated Number of Birds Killed by House Cats (Felis catus) in Canada. Avian Conserv Ecol 2013;8. Available from: http://www.ace-eco.org/vol8/iss2/art3/ Last accessed February 26, 2019.
2. Loss SR, Will T, Marra PP. The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States. Nat Commun 2013;4:1396. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
3. Loss SR, Will T, Longcore T, Marra PP. Responding to misinformation and criticisms regarding United States cat predation estimates. Bio Invasions 2018;20:3385-3396. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10530-018-1796-y Last accessed February 26, 2019.
https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/free-roaming-owned-abandoned-feral-cats-ps?fbclid=IwAR0HFJ0HnfofBahaf1jd6cRMJiiM79E-VMD… 3/6
Page 27 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/22/2020 CVMA | Documents | Free-roaming owned, Abandoned, and Feral Cats – Position Statement 4. Machtans CS, Wedeles CHR, Bayne EM. A First Estimate for Canada of the Number of Birds Killed by Colliding with Building Windows. Avian Conserv Ecol 2013;8:art6. Available from: http://www.ace-eco.org/vol8/iss2/art6/ Last accessed February 26, 2019.
5. Loss SR, Will T, Loss SS, Marra PP. Bird–building collisions in the United States: Estimates of annual mortality and species vulnerability. Condor 2014;116:8-23 Available from: https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-13-090.1 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
6. Woinarski JCZ, Murphy BP, Palmer R, Legge SM, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, et al. How many reptiles are killed by cats in Australia? Wildl Res 2018;45:247-266. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1071/WR17160 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
7. Medina FM, Bonnaud E, Vidal E, Nogales M. Underlying impacts of invasive cats on islands: not only a question of predation. Biodivers Conserv 2014;23:327-342. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-013-0603-4 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
8. Dubey JP, Jones JL. Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans and animals in the United States. Int J Parasitol 2008;38:1257-1278. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18508057 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
9. Gerhold RW, Jessup DA. Zoonotic Diseases Associated with Free-Roaming Cats. Zoonoses Public Health 2013;60:189-195. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22830565 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
10. Dabritz HA, Conrad PA. Cats and Toxoplasma: Implications for Public Health. Zoonoses Public Health 2010;57:34-52. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1863-2378.2009.01273.x Last accessed February 26, 2019.
11. Flegr J, Prandota J, Sovicková M, Israili ZH. Toxoplasmosis – A Global Threat. Correlation of Latent Toxoplasmosis with Specific Disease Burden in a Set of 88 Countries. PLoS One 2014;9. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article? id=10.1371/journal.pone.0090203 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
12. Schurer JM, Rafferty E, Schwandt M, Zeng W, Farag M, Jenkins EJ. Toxoplasmosis and Toxocariasis: An Assessment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Comorbidity and Health- Care Costs in Canada. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016;95:168-74. Available from: http://www.ajtmh.org/content/journals/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0729 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
13. Sherwood LJ, Wilson AG, Cluny SS, Roche SM, Luszcz TMJ (2019). Perceptions of veterinarians in British Columbia of cat management strategies to reduce cat overpopulation and impacts on wildlife populations. Anthrozoos 2019;32 (5):613-629. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2019.1579473 Last accessed October 30, 2019
https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/free-roaming-owned-abandoned-feral-cats-ps?fbclid=IwAR0HFJ0HnfofBahaf1jd6cRMJiiM79E-VMD… 4/6
Page 28 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/22/2020 CVMA | Documents | Free-roaming owned, Abandoned, and Feral Cats – Position Statement 14. Patronek GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, McCabe GP, Ecker C. Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209:582-588. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8755976 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
15. Jessup DA. The welfare of feral cats and wildlife. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004;225:1377- 1383. Available from: https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2004.225.1377 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
16. Nutter FB, Levine JF, Stoskopf MK. Reproductive capacity of free-roaming domestic cats and kitten survival rate. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004;225:1399-1402. Available from: https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2004.225.1399 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
17. Hoopes J, Hill JE, Polley L, Fernando C, Wagner B, Schurer J, et al. Enteric parasites of free-roaming, owned, and rural cats in prairie regions of Canada. Can Vet J 2015;56:495-501. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25969584 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
18. Spotte S. Free-ranging Cats?: Behavior, Ecology, Management. Wiley Blackwell 2014. 320 pages. Available from: https://www.wiley.com/en- us/Free+ranging+Cats%3A+Behavior%2C+Ecology%2C+Management-p- 9781118884010 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
19. Longcore T, Rich C, Sullivan LM. Critical Assessment of Claims Regarding Management of Feral Cats by Trap-Neuter-Return. Conserv Biol 2009;23:887-894. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01174.x Last accessed February 26, 2019.
20. Lohr CA, Cox LJA, Lepczyk CA. Costs and Benefits of Trap-Neuter-Release and Euthanasia for Removal of Urban Cats in Oahu, Hawaii. Conserv Biol 2013;27:64-73. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2012.01935.x Last accessed February 26, 2019.
21. Miller PS, Boone JD, Briggs JR, Lawler DF, Levy JK, Nutter FB, et al. Simulating Free- Roaming Cat Population Management Options in Open Demographic Environments. PLoS One 2014;9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113553 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
22. Bissonnette V, Lussier B, Doizé B, Arsenault J. Impact of a trap-neuter-return event on the size of free-roaming cat colonies around barns and stables in Quebec: A randomized controlled trial. Can J Vet Res 2018;82:192-197. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30026643 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
23. Andersen MC, Martin BJ, Roemer GW. Use of matrix population models to estimate the efficacy of euthanasia versus trap-neuter-return for management of free-roaming cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004;225:1871-1876. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2004.225.1871 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/free-roaming-owned-abandoned-feral-cats-ps?fbclid=IwAR0HFJ0HnfofBahaf1jd6cRMJiiM79E-VMD… 5/6
Page 29 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/22/2020 CVMA | Documents | Free-roaming owned, Abandoned, and Feral Cats – Position Statement 24. Loyd KAT, DeVore JL. An evaluation of feral cat management options using a decision analysis network. Ecol Soc 2010;15:art10 Available from: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol15/iss4/art10/ Last accessed February 26, 2019.
25. Boone JD, Miller PS, Briggs JR, Benka VAW, Lawler DF, Slater M, Levy JK, et al. A Long- Term Lens: Cumulative Impacts of Free-Roaming Cat Management Strategy and Intensity on Preventable Cat Mortalities. Front Vet Sci 2019;6. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00238 Last accessed August 21, 2019.
26. Levy JK, Gale DW, Gale LA. Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap-neuter-return and adoption program on a free-roaming cat population. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2003;222:42-46. Available from: https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/10.2460/javma.2003.222.42 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
27. Levy JK, Isaza NM, Scott KC. Effect of high-impact targeted trap-neuter-return and adoption of community cats on cat intake to a shelter. Vet J 2014;201:269-274. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24980808 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
28. Boone JD. Better trap–neuter–return for free-roaming cats. J Feline Med Surg 2015;17:800-807. Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1098612X15594995 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
29. Doherty TS, Dickman CR, Nimmo DG, Ritchie EG. Multiple threats, or multiplying the threats? Interactions between invasive predators and other ecological disturbances. Biol Cons 2015;190:60-68. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.05.013 Last accessed June 6, 2019.
30. Flockhart DTT, Coe JB. Multistate matrix population model to assess the contributions and impacts on population abundance of domestic cats in urban areas including owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in shelters. PLoS One. 2018;13:e0192139. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29489854 Last accessed February 26, 2019.
(Revised October 2019)
© Copyright 2020 Canadian Veterinary Medical Association | Disclaimer/Privacy | Accessibility
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Page 30 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 22(1) FOIPPA Date: Tue, Nov 28, 2017 at 1:30 PM Subject: Cat ByLaw 22(1) FOIPPA
It has come to our attention that Sechelt Council is considering a cat "no roam" bylaw. We at Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre support such a bylaw. Over the last five years we have taken into care 223 birds or small mammals that have been caught by domestic cats. This number represents a small percentage of wildlife caught by local cats and does not include the wildlife that are killed. Cats kill adult birds, nestlings, fledglings and young mammals. The adult bird may have a nest of nestlings and by killing the adult the nestlings may starve to death.
Cats are domestic animals, not a natural part of the ecosystem. Domestic cats are fed by their owners and do not need to kill wildlife to live. They hunt and mutilate wildlife for pleasure. Cats cannot be blamed for killing wildlife. The owner is placing a higher value on the freedom of their cat than on the life of the wild bird or mammal that it kills or maims, yet the wild creatures are in their natural home - the cat is not.
This year we had a cedar waxwing brought to us that had been caught by the neighbourhood cat. The people who brought us the bird said she had a nest so we asked them to carefully watch the nest to see if the mate was feeding the nestlings. By night there was still no sign of a bird near the nest and by now the naked nestlings were becoming cold. They were brought to us and we warmed them and re-united them with the parent bird who immediately sat on them. The adult was treated with antibiotics to prevent infection from the cat puncture wounds and once she had started to heal we moved her and the nest to an outdoor enclosure so the nestlings could continue to be raised away from people. We are happy to say all four nestlings survived and we released the adult and her babies a few weeks later.
The ideal for the cat is to provide a safe outside enclosure such as a screened porch or have a play area built accessible from the house by a cat door. This gives the cat places to hide (kennel cabs, scratch boards, boxes) and a basket to sleep in. If the owner does not want a kitty litter tray indoors, then it can be placed in the play area too.
Not only is the wildlife being protected but by having cats indoors only we are protecting the cats too. Indoor cats are safe from vehicles, becoming lost, killed by coyotes or cougars, exposure to fighting, parasites and disease
Page 31 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 from other cats, dogs or raccoons, etc. It seems every week there is a notice and a picture of a cat on Facebook that has been lost somewhere on the Sunshine Coast. Many of these cats are healthy, young cats and they are never found. We, have received calls from people who have seen a coyote with their cat in its mouth, yet people continue to let their cats roam free!
We are a small wildlife rehabilitation centre so our number of cat-caught creatures is not too big (although for us it is, for we have to try to save the wildlife) sadly many do not survive. It is well know that cats kill millions of birds in Canada each year. If we can reduce this number even by a few hundred then we strongly feel Sechelt Council should try to do this.
22(1) FOIPPA Gibsons Wildlife Rehab. Centre 1211 Carmen Road Gibsons, B.C. V0N 1V4
Page 32 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021
AN INTEGRATED
APPROACH TO
BIRD CONSERVATION AND
CAT WELFARE
A GUIDE FOR MUNICIPALITIES
Page 33 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021
August 2018
Nature Canada is the oldest national nature conservation charity in Canada. Our mission is to protect and conserve wildlife and habitats in Canada by engaging people and advocating on behalf of nature. Learn more at www.naturecanada.ca.
Nature Canada works with partners across Canada to Keep Cats Safe & Save Bird Lives, including national partners Humane Canada, Bird Studies Canada, FLAP Canada and Earth Rangers. The program addresses cat predation of birds – a major cause of bird mortality in Canada’s urban and rural landscapes – in a positive and collaborative way. We believe that all animals are important, and humans we must protect both cats and birds.
Cats are at risk when they go outdoors unsupervised. Through improving our treatment of cats we, as a society, also limit their impact on the environment in general, and birds in particular. Visit our website at catsandbirds.ca to learn more and access municipal and public resources, or contact us at [email protected] for support for your community’s initiative to Keep Cats Safe & Save Bird Lives.
Nature Canada drew on the knowledge and resources of its partners to develop this document and is grateful for the contributions of the Stewardship Centre for British Columbia, the BC SPCA, and Humane Canada.
Disclaimer
Nature Canada provides the information in this guide and website for educational purposes only. Material contained herein carries no guarantees, express or implied, nor provides any legal advice. Nature Canada does not endorse the linked websites and accepts no responsibility whatsoever for their contents.
Page 34 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO BIRD CONSERVATION AND CAT WELFARE: A GUIDE FOR MUNICIPALITIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction …………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………. 3
The Role of Municipalities ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Best Practices for Municipalities Summary ………………………………………………………….……….. 4
Cat Bylaw & Policy Recommendations I. Restricting Pet Cats from Roaming at Large ………………………………………….…..………… 5 II. Mandatory Spay/Neuter Bylaws ……………………………………….………………….………….… 6 III. Low-cost Spay/Neuter Fund ……………………………………………………..…………….………… 7 IV. Cat Licensing and Identification ……………………………………………….…………..……..…… 8 V. Limiting Pet Store Sales of Cats ……………………………………………………………………….… 9 VI. Homeless and Feral Cats ……………………………………………………………………….….……… 9 VII. Protection of Designated Areas of Environmental Significance ………………….…… 11 VII. Responsible Cat Ownership Education ……………………………………………….………….… 12
Conclusion ……………………………………………………..……………………….……………………….………… 13
References ………………………………………………………………………………….……………….…….……… 14
Appendix 1: The Bird Crisis ……………………………………………………………………………………….…. 15
Appendix 2: The Cat Crisis …..………………………………………………………………………………….…… 16
Appendix 3: Sample Messaging …..………………………………………………………………………….…… 17
Appendix 4: Available Resources …..………………………………………………….………………………… 19
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INTRODUCTION Keep Cats Safe & Save Bird Lives is a coalition of cat-care and nature organizations led by Nature Canada in collaboration with our national partners Birds Studies Canada, FLAP Canada, Humane Canada, Earth Rangers and more than 50 other national, regional and local partners. We developed this resource to help local governments navigate the interlocking issues of bird conservation and cat welfare. Several cat-care organizations have model animal bylaws and, while many aspects of those models are consistent with the need to conserve wildlife, they are primarily concerned with domestic animals. The recommendations presented here represent an effort to balance the needs of domestic animals and wildlife. (Animal welfare organizations also recommend other bylaws, including standards of care, which are consistent with those included here, but have no direct impact on birds.)
Included are recommendations for bylaws and policies regarding pet cats roaming at large, spay/neuter, identification, licensing, limitations on pet store sales, feral cat management, and public education programs. For more information and resources, contact Nature Canada’s Keep Cats Safe & Save Bird Lives program at [email protected].
THE ROLE OF MUNICIPALITIES Increasingly, both pet owners and municipalities recognize the importance of keeping pet cats from roaming for the benefit of the cats themselves, the overall cat overpopulation issue, wildlife, the environment, and their communities. (For an overview of the bird crisis, please see Appendix 1. For an overview of the cat overpopulation crisis, and the welfare issues for outdoor cats, please see Appendix 2.) But Humane Canada’s Cats in Canada 2017 report notes that only 38% of municipalities surveyed perceive there to be a cat overpopulation problem in their communities, versus 100% of rescues, SPCAs and humane societies (Humane Canada, 2017).
Pet cats allowed to roam at large can contribute to the feral cat population if not spayed or neutered and/or be mistaken for unowned cats and picked up by members of the public or animal control officers. Allowing them to roam can result in complaints about yowling or defecating in gardens. Ideally, roaming pet cats would not be taken to shelters at all, but simply returned home to their owners, but that is only feasible if the cats are wearing identification.
Community impacts of allowing cats to roam include, not only conflict between neighbours, but also public health risks. Cat feces in gardens, children’s play areas and parks can increase the risk of diseases and parasites in the community. (Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite carried by cats that can be transmitted to humans, mainly through contact with cat feces. While it has no effect on most people, it can affect those with weak immune systems and newborn infants, which is why pregnant women are advised to avoid cleaning kitty litter boxes.)
Most Canadian communities have dog control bylaws, but cats are often permitted to roam because of a perception that they are independent or that it’s natural for them. Not only is the practice dangerous for the cats – cars are a leading cause of
© Nature Canada, 2018 An Integrated Approach to Bird Conservation and Cat Welfare, p 3
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death for cats, especially young cats (Olsen, 2010) – it ignores the fact that domestic cats are not a natural part of ecosystems in North America. When prey and predator evolve alongside each other, each develops adaptive mechanisms, and when the population of prey drops, the population of the predator drops due to the reduction in their food supply. This is not true of companion animals, who are ‘subsidized’ by the care of their owners and were only introduced in North America in the last 500 years. As pets, cats are part of human society, and pets and wildlife need to be kept separate, for the benefit of both.
Two recent surveys indicate that between 59% and 72% of cat owners prevent their cats from roaming unsupervised, keeping them entirely indoors or allowing supervised time outdoors (Nature Canada, 2016; Humane Canada, 2017). A smaller percentage of the public is unaware of or downplays the impact of cats on wildlife and the nuisance factor of cats roaming outdoors, as well as overestimating a cat’s ability to deal with outdoor dangers. Many cities in Canada have now adopted responsible pet ownership bylaws – including Montreal, Mississauga, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, and Calgary – and many smaller communities, from Creston, BC, to the County of Kings, NS, have successfully implemented many of the recommendations below. Given the impacts on both cats and birds, it is imperative that we, as a society, improve the rate of responsible pet ownership practices and reduce the impact of cats on birds and other wildlife.
BEST PRACTICES SUMMARY Cat population dynamics are complex, involving interactions between pet cats, stray cats, and feral cats. It is essential that any municipal effort to control the cat population includes strategies for all three segments. We recommend a collaborative community approach to developing a robust strategy to improve the welfare of cats, birds and other wildlife. Gathering the stakeholders – both nature and cat- care organizations – supports the development of consensus as to the best path forward, promotes helpful relationships between stakeholders and the exchange of crucial information, and allows for consistent messaging from everyone involved. Public education about the benefits of responsible cat ownership – for the cats, the owners, wildlife, and the community in general – is an essential element of any successful program to decrease the negative impacts of cats on wildlife and improve the welfare of the cats themselves.
Best Municipal Practices include: • a plan to achieve change in their community, formulated in collaboration with cat-care and nature organizations, and including strategies for pet, stray, and feral cats • a public education campaign about the benefits of responsible cat ownership for cats, wildlife and the community • animals adopted from shelters are spayed or neutered prior to adoption (or if the animal is too young, a voucher is provided) • retail stores being restricted from selling animals and instead facilitate adoptions from recognized animal rescues, shelters, SPCAs, or humane societies. • Bylaws, including: • an accessible spay/neuter program • mandatory licensing /permanent identification • a no-roam bylaw (exempting loosely owned and feral cats)
© Nature Canada, 2018 An Integrated Approach to Bird Conservation and Cat Welfare, p 4
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• enforcement and compliance promotion based on education and promise to return lost pets • identification and protection of natural areas that are significant to birds and wildlife and relocation of any feral cat colonies currently within or very close to those areas • a feral cat-care strategy developed in concert with local organizations, with the goal of reducing the feral cat population and support for implementing the strategy • public education to encourage spaying or neutering loosely owned and feral cats who people are feeding outside of formal feral cat-care programs
The gold standard for humane and progressive cat management in Canada – indeed, in most of the world – is found in Calgary, Alberta. These are the main features of Calgary’s model as they pertain to cats: • a no-roam bylaw • mandatory licensing for cats without permanent identification • all animals adopted from shelters are spayed or neutered • licensing fees and fines cover the cost of enforcement and sheltering • strong public communications program about responsible pet ownership, and the benefits and importance of compliance (for individual cats, the overall cat population, and for the community); • a school program to educate youth about responsible pet care • encouraging compliance: the promise to return lost pets (licensing ensures your pet gets a ride home if they get lost) and a rewards program for license holders (discounts at local retailers) • a proactive community relations / enforcement approach, helping neighbours resolve animal- related conflicts • an accessible spay/neuter program • a feral cat-care plan and program coordinated with a non-profit organization, with the goal of reducing the feral cat population. Calgary took a staged approach, first introducing public education, then licensing, then the no-roam bylaw. For a more detailed case study of the Calgary model, including sample communications materials, please see: http://catsandbirds.ca/blog/the-calgary-model/
Below is an outline of our recommendations. Nature Canada is available to provide assistance to any Canadian municipality seeking to improve its approach. (Contact us at [email protected].)
CAT BYLAW AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
(I) RESTRICTING PET CATS FROM ROAMING AT LARGE Humane Canada and most other cat-care organizations strongly recommend that owners keep their cats from roaming at large, primarily for the well-being of the cats themselves. It’s important to note that bylaws that restrict owners from letting their cats roam at large do not altogether restrict cats from being outdoors. They simply require cat owners to adhere to the same standards of care as dog owners: to supervise their pets while they are outdoors. The owner can keep their cat on their own property (by using a cat fence or outdoor enclosure / “catio”), supervising their cat outdoors, or walking their cat using a leash.
“Nuisance” cat bylaws – bylaws which only oblige owners to prevent their cats from causing nuisance to neighbours – can be ineffective because the owner is often not aware of their cat’s behaviour. Similarly,
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bylaws that simply restrict cats to the owner’s property, but do not require owners to supervise their cats outdoors, are problematic because the cats may stray off property without the owner’s knowledge.
No roaming at large bylaws help control pet cats, keeping them safe and preventing them from hunting birds and other wildlife. They also help control the population of stray cats by decreasing the number of lost pets. When owners are prevented from letting their cats roam unsupervised, any cat seen outdoors without an owner is more easily identified as stray or feral and can be cared for by a shelter or a feral cat-care organization, as appropriate. Additionally, if pet cats are allowed to roam but are not spayed or neutered, they may reproduce, adding to the cat overpopulation problem.
Sample bylaw: Creston Bylaw 1704: section 4 Every person who owns, harbours or possesses a cat shall ensure that the cat is not running at large. No cat shall be allowed off the premises of its owner except on a leash or contained within a carrier designed for the transportation of animals.
“At large, run at large, or running at large” means being elsewhere than on the premises of the owner of the cat, including public or other private property and not being under the care and control of the owner, either by being securely leashed, tethered or penned, or confined within a building or other enclosure.
Sample bylaw: Hamilton Bylaw No. 12-031, Part 7 PART 7.0 – Prohibiting Animals at Large, etc. 7.1 For the purposes of section 7.3, “animal” includes livestock or a horse. 7.2 For the purposes of subsection 7.3(b), “premises” does not include any part of: (a) non-residential or residential premises that serve as common areas for occupiers or owners; or (b) non-residential premises that are open to the public. 7.3 No owner of a dog, cat or other animal shall permit that the dog, cat or other animal to be at large, except when the dog, cat or other animal is: (a) on premises owned or occupied by the owner; or (b) on premises owned or occupied by a person who has given prior consent.
Notes: • Public education is required to increase awareness of the benefits of preventing cats from roaming for the sake of cats, wildlife, and the community and to counter public resistance due to beliefs that it’s natural for pet cats to roam or that they belong in nature. • Indoor cats must be provided with adequate enrichment and exercise to keep them stimulated and to prevent obesity. • Combining a no-roam bylaw with cat licensing and/or identification bylaw aids in the identification of the owners of roaming cats. • Indoor cat owners and neighbours bothered by roaming cats are likely to support the bylaw. • This kind of bylaw is most often enforced on a complaint basis, with an initial warning to the cat owner that they will face fines if they fail to comply.
II. MANDATORY SPAY/NEUTER BYLAWS Cats breed prolifically, and municipalities can help improve spay/neuter rates for pet cats through public education and bylaws, effectively decreasing the ability of pets to contribute to cat overpopulation.
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Spaying or neutering cats reduces nuisance behaviours, including spraying, fighting, and the noise associated with mating, and also reduces the instances of several diseases (BC SPCA, 2018). Policies can stipulate that owners ensure pet cats over the age of six months are sterilized. Municipalities can also ensure that any shelter they operate is subject to the same obligation. Any regulations governing shelters need to permit shelters to offer spay/neuter vouchers for any cat under 6 months, in order to lessen barriers to rehoming kittens.
Excessive cat populations have many negative costs to the community at large and the contribution made by unaltered owned cats, with outdoor access, to the cat overpopulation issue is significant. – BC SPCA, 2016 i) Sample mandatory spay/neuter by owner bylaw: Laval Reglement numero L-12430, 2017 Any dog or cat kept within the City must be sterilized. This article does not apply in the following cases: 1. when this procedure is contraindicated, according to the written opinion of a veterinary surgeon; 2. when the dog or cat is less than 6 months old or when sterilization is to be delayed according to the written opinion of a veterinarian; 3. when the dog or cat is used for breeding by a licensed breeder.
Notes: • Cats can become fertile prior to six months of age, so a six-month maximum may not eliminate all unwanted pregnancies. • There are economic barriers to sterilizing pets for low-income residents, so municipalities need to provide resources that support low cost spay/neuter services (see next section). • Enforcement is often concentrated on lost pets rather than spay/neuter compliance due to the difficulty of assessing sterilization status on sight.
III. LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER FUND In addition to the spay/neuter regulations above, it is recommended that municipalities also increase access to spay/neuter by establishing a low-cost or subsidized spay/neuter fund. Some municipalities allocate pet licence fees to a dedicated fund that subsidizes veterinary fees at spay/neuter cat clinics. Some form relationships with local veterinarians to provide services at discounted rates. Larger cities with in-house veterinary services at their animal shelters may also offer discounted spay/neuter services to residents. Smaller municipalities may allocate these funds to animal welfare organizations that sponsor low-cost spay/neuter clinics.
Notes: • Under this approach, spay/neuter surgeries are accessible to more pet owners, improving the welfare of their cats and limiting the contributions that pets make to the feral cat population. • If low-cost spay/neuter regulations are combined with a licensing bylaw, revenues from licensing can support the fund. • Low-cost spay/neuter funds can also be utilized by animal shelters and rescues.
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IV. CAT LICENSING AND IDENTIFICATION
Mandatory licences and/or identification, through collar tags, microchips or tattooing, help in returning lost cats to their homes. Returning cats to their homes more quickly also reduces opportunities for predation of wildlife. Additionally, cat licensing builds more responsible pet ownership behaviour and, because licences allow for more effective management of pet cats and stray cats, they also help birds. As such, they are a recommended element of any municipal cat management strategy.
By improving return-to-owner rates, licensing and identification bylaws have beneficial effects for pet cats, local shelters, and the community. If there is also a no-roam bylaw in place, returning a lost pet to the owner can provide an opportunity for bylaw officials to educate the owner about the impact of letting their cat roam as well as impose fines or other penalties. In the absence of mandatory spay/neuter regulations, municipalities are encouraged to provide discounts on licence fees if the pet is sterilized.
While some cat owners may object to mandatory licensing because their cats stay indoors and therefore can’t get lost, one study found that 41% of people looking for their lost cat considered them to be “indoor only” pets (Lord, 2007). The same study found that lost, neutered cats were more likely to be recovered, meaning that lost, sexually-intact cats are more likely to contribute to cat overpopulation. Licensing and identification bylaws may be introduced separately or together, and several municipalities exempt the licensing fee for cats with permanent identification.
Sample Mandatory Identification Bylaw: City of Surrey Animal Control Bylaw 13844 It shall be unlawful for any person to be an owner of a cat that is actually or apparently over six months of age unless the person maintains an identification worn by the cat. "Identification" means: (1) a collar or tag worn by a cat which includes the current name, address and telephone number of the owner (2) a traceable tattoo; and (3) a traceable microchip.
Sample Licence Bylaw: City of Toronto Bylaw 349-19 Registration; licence tags. Every owner of a cat shall: A. Have registered the cat with the Executive Director, paid a licence fee in the amount specified in Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, and acquired a licence tag, including the payment of a licence fee in the amount specified in Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, for the cat. B. Until ceasing to be the owner of the cat, renew a licence for the cat prior to the expiration of each licence issued for the cat. C. Keep the cat licence tag securely fixed at all times on the cat for which the licence tag is issued.
Notes: • Visible identification allows residents to identify the owners of a lost or nuisance-causing cat, but this kind of identification can become detached. Permanent identification (such as microchips and tattoos) can’t become detached, but microchips require special equipment to read, and both require owners to keep their contact information up to date. • Licensing systems can be integrated with microchip databases, such as the BC Pet Registry’s integrated system. • Licensing improves shelters’ return-to-owner rates and generates revenue that can be directed to animal management.
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• Discounted licensing fees for sterilized cats will encourage owners to spay or neuter their animals. • Licensing works best when compliance is incentivized via discount programs and the promise to return lost cats.
V. LIMITING PET STORE SALES OF CATS
Restricting pet stores from selling cats will help to solve the cat overpopulation problem in a number of ways. Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver are among the many Canadian cities that have enacted legislation governing the sale of cats (and dogs and, in some cases, rabbits) in pet stores. This helps to prevent impulse buying, which can lead to the later surrender of the animal to a shelter, or worse, abandonment. The responsible sale or adoption of an animal involves substantial interaction between the potential owner and the shelter or responsible breeder, usually including a screening process, as well as education about welfare needs. Pet stores may also be a sales outlet for large-scale commercial cat breeders (which are typically unethical). Given the cat overpopulation problem, there is no need for large-scale breeding of cats.
We do not recommend restricting the sale of cats and dogs from responsible breeders, who are not “pet stores” or “large-scale commercial breeders”. For a definition of “responsible breeder”, please see https://www.humanecanada.ca/companion_animals_position.
Sample Bylaw: Toronto Licensing Bylaw 545, section 260 § 545-260.1. Retailers to obtain animals from specified sources [Added 2011-09-22 by By-law 1163- 2011]
Every retailer, including any person or business that sells more than 10 dogs per year, must obtain animals from one of the following sources only: A. municipal animal shelters; B. registered humane societies; C. registered shelters or rescue groups; or D. from people who have surrendered their pets to them at no charge.
§ 545-260.2. Pet shops to obtain animals from specified sources. [By-law 182-2013] Every keeper of a pet shop must obtain cats and dogs from only the following sources: A. municipal animal shelters; B. registered humane societies; C. registered shelters; and D. rescue groups.
Notes: • This approach discourages irresponsible breeders and impulse buying. • At the time of adoption, shelters generally provide better screening processes for new owners than pet stores, as well as welfare education. • This improves adoption rates at shelters.
VI. HOMELESS AND FERAL CATS There is widespread consensus amongst humane societies, SPCAs and rescues that Canada has a cat overpopulation crisis, yet only 38% of Canadian municipalities perceive there to be a cat overpopulation
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problem (Humane Canada, 2017). Talking to local cat-care organizations is a good way to determine whether your community has an issue.
Pet and feral cat populations interact (through both reproduction and straying), and any plan to address cat and bird welfare must include a strategy for feral cats. The bylaws above help reduce the influx of new cats to the stray and feral populations, but they do not directly address any existing population of feral cats. In the absence of a feral cat program, rapid population growth is inevitable.
Not all homeless cats are feral: some are strays, who are friendly to human contact. It’s an important distinction because feral cats are often unsuitable for adoption, but strays typically are. Every effort should be made to distinguish between the two, since homeless stray cats can likely be directed to local shelters or rescues to be rehomed.
Feral cat management is a contentious issue, and there is no perfect solution that provides for care of the cats and immediate protection of birds and wildlife, though employing methods to reduce the population of feral cats is generally accepted as an important objective. Euthanasia is not recommended as an approach to feral cat population control. It is not acceptable in animal welfare circles (unless done for medical reasons) and is generally opposed by the public. While feral cat programs such as trap, neuter, vaccinate, release do not provide any immediate protection for birds and wildlife, they more easily attract community, volunteer and charitable support and, if done properly, they decrease the feral cat population, which will help protect birds in the long run.
Sometimes the issues around feral cat care can cause conflict between nature conservation and animal welfare advocates. Our recommendation for successfully navigating that potential conflict is to gather the stakeholders together with an agenda to develop consensus on the best path forward. Face-to-face communications offer an opportunity to garner support for the strategy and create consensus around a concerted community effort based on common ground – a love for animals.
Beyond ensuring that bylaws do not preclude feral cat care programs – feral cat care providers should not be considered “owners” under responsible pet ownership bylaws, and therefore not subject to roaming at large, licensing or identification requirements – municipalities can address feral cat populations by:
• working with local organizations to develop a co-ordinated feral cat strategy involving vaccination, spay/neuter, care, re-homing of sociable cats, and monitoring of population size; • ensuring that any strategy is designed for both cat welfare and reduction of the population, and includes elements designed to identify stray cats and return them to their owners or re- home them; • prohibiting the feeding of outdoor cats unless part of a registered TNR or sterilization program; • including mechanisms for tracking results; • undertaking public education to encourage spaying or neutering loosely owned and feral cats whom people are feeding outside of formal feral cat care programs; • enacting policy to ensure feral cat colonies are not located in, or are re-located from, any areas of particular environmental significance (see below).
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Notes: • Feral cat management must be administered with the goal of not only feral cat welfare but also reducing the population over time. • Improving vaccination rates limits public health risk and increasing sterilization rates reduces nuisance behaviours. • Local governments must work with local humane and cat-care organizations to develop a feral cat response program.
VII. PROTECTION OF DESIGNATED AREAS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE In addition to working with registered organizations and individuals to manage feral cat colonies, municipalities can identify environmentally-sensitive areas, such as Important Bird Areas, and natural habitats where feral colonies should not be located, and from which any existing feral colonies should be relocated to a less sensitive area.
The methods of identifying these areas and types of areas include but are not limited to: • Local knowledge from naturalist and birding groups • Provincial or municipal mapping of environmentally-sensitive areas • Recovery Strategies and Action Plans for federal Species at Risk • Important bird and biodiversity areas
Most medium- to large-sized municipalities have policy statements with regard to natural areas, natural policy areas, environmentally-sensitive areas, conservation areas, or otherwise identified natural features on the landscape. For example, the City of Toronto has the following statement on protection within its “Ravine Strategy:” Ravines are fundamentally natural spaces. Ecological function and resilience is the foundation for long-term sustainability of the ravines and watersheds. We are all guardians of these spaces and must treat them with care and respect. All actions related to ravines should be guided by the overarching goal of protecting these spaces by maintaining and improving their ecological health.
Within such a strategy, a statement to inform management with regard to addressing a serious threat to ecological health is helpful. Given the estimated impact of domestic cats on wildlife populations, we recommend that municipalities include a statement similar to the following within their policies or strategies intended to protect ‘ecological health,’ ‘biodiversity’ or ‘natural areas.’
A sample statement: “In recognizing the impact of outdoor domestic cats (Felix catus domesticus) on wildlife, the City will discourage, by humane means, the presence of cats within roaming distance of all areas identified within the City’s policies and schedules as important for biodiversity and ecological health, such as: natural features, natural parks, natural areas, ravines, and natural corridors. This includes, but is not limited to, feral cat colonies, whereby no new colony can be established near an environmentally significant area, and any existing feral colony must be relocated away from all natural areas within five years, or if species at risk are vulnerable, as soon as possible. To the greatest extent possible, relocated cats will be sterilized, rehabilitated, identified, and adopted out.”
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If there is no bylaw limiting pet cats from roaming, the following statement should be added. The City recognizes that, in the absence of a no free-roam bylaw, there is a need to educate residents living adjacent to natural areas of the consequences of allowing their pets (cats and dogs) to enter these areas unsupervised.
Notes: • Areas of concentrated bird and wildlife activity should be protected. • Gathering information on local environmentally-significant areas can inform the selection of priority areas for cat management and other environmental efforts. • This approach reassures the bird conservation and naturalist community that cat management is being conducted with consideration for birds and wildlife. • Relocation of existing feral cat colonies must be done carefully in order to succeed, preferably by a cat- care organization with suitable expertise.
VIII. RESPONSIBLE CAT OWNERSHIP EDUCATION PROGRAMS The importance of public communications on the twin issues of cat and bird welfare cannot be overestimated. All of the above recommendations are most effective if they are contextualized as part of a community initiative to improve the welfare of both cats and birds. Convening the stakeholders and working to create a community-wide strategy ensures that messages across all channels are consistent. There are public education opportunities within many organizations’ existing activities, including the municipality itself – websites, social media, humane education and nature education programs, schools, cat adoption kits, etc. – which can help reach all segments of the community. Keep Cats Safe & Save Bird Lives (www.catsandbirds.ca / [email protected]), has research and resources to help craft messaging that promotes community involvement in solving cat and bird welfare issues, including template articles for municipal websites, resources for cat-care organizations to use in adoption kits or when an owner is reclaiming a lost cat, resources for cat owners, case studies, and more.
Local government can support responsible cat ownership by working with animal welfare organizations, pet stores, veterinarians, and nature organizations to communicate the following to the public: • The benefits of keeping cats indoors or under supervision outdoors, including: cats living longer, healthier lives; reduced feline exposure to diseases, poisons and parasites; lower vet bills; reduced likelihood of injury from fights with other cats, dogs or wildlife; reduction of the negative impacts on birds and other wildlife; and reducing the possibility cats will become lost; • The benefits of sterilizing cats, including reducing the likelihood of certain diseases; reducing nuisance behaviours associated with mating and fighting; and limiting the possibility of contributing to cat overpopulation; • The benefits to the community and the reduction of cat overpopulation due to adopting cats from shelters rather than purchasing them from pet stores; • How bylaw compliance (identification, licensing, no roam compliance) supports a community effort that improves cat and wildlife welfare; • There are lots of resources available to help cat owners transition their cats, care for indoor cats and supervise cats so they can enjoy the outdoors. • Inform the public that abandoning a pet cat is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada.
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CONCLUSION
Municipal participation is essential if Canada is to succeed in protecting our bird populations and improving the welfare of our cat populations. Addressing the crisis for Canada’s cats and birds will require changes in human attitudes and behaviour, and those changes won’t happen overnight. While municipalities have much to do in terms of regulation through bylaws and enforcement, another critical component of the path forward is to convene local stakeholders – cat-care groups, nature organizations and municipal representatives alike – so that all parties may develop a coherent strategy and communications plan together. The group can gather information about shelter and municipal capacity to ensure the strategy is practical with the resources available. It is recommended that public education efforts begin prior to the introduction of any new bylaws, and that enforcement be treated as an opportunity to build public awareness and compliance. Nature Canada and its regional and local partners in the Keep Cats Safe & Save Bird Lives program have chosen a “cat-friendly” path forward to address this issue. We help municipalities take a collaborative approach to strengthening their communities’ strategy, bylaws, enforcement approach, and public education. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.
Solving these human-created problems is an essential part of building healthier and more sustainable communities – something that we are committed to as a nation.
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REFERENCES
BC SPCA, “How Will Spaying or Neutering Help My Pet.” Downloaded July 24, 2018 from https://spca.bc.ca/faqs/%E2%80%8Bhow-will-spaying-or-neutering-help-my-pet/ J
Cluny South for BC SPCA. 2016. How to Say Spay. Downloaded July 24, 2018 from https://spca.bc.ca/wp- content/uploads/BC-SPCA-UBC-Research-Report-How-to-say-spay.pdf
Humane Canada, 2017, Cats in Canada 2017: A Five-Year Review of Cat Overpopulation. https://www.humanecanada.ca/cats_in_canada_2017
Lord, Linda, Weiss, Emily and Slater, Margaret. 2007. Frequency of Lost Dogs and Cats in the United States and the Methods Used to Locate Them. Animals 2012, 2, 301-315.
Nanos Research for Nature Canada. 2016. Canadian Cats and their Supervision Outdoors.
Olsen, 2001: Olsen, Tammy F, and Allen, Andrew L, “Causes of sudden and unexpected death in cats: a 10 year retrospective study” Canadian Veterinary Journal, January 2010.
Appendix 1
Blancher, P. 2013. Estimated number of birds killed by house cats (Felis catus) in Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology 8(2): 3.
BirdLife International. 2017. Invasive alien species have been implicated in nearly half of recent bird extinctions. Downloaded July 24, 2018 from http://datazone.birdlife.org/sowb/casestudy/invasive-alien- species-have-been-implicated-in-nearly-half-of-recent-bird-extinctions-
Calvert, A. M., C. A. Bishop, R. D. Elliot, E. A. Krebs, T. M. Kydd, C. S. Machtans, and G. J. Robertson. 2013. A synthesis of human-related avian mortality in Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology 8(2): 11.
North American Bird Conservation Initiative. 2012. The State of Canadian Birds.
North American Bird Conservation Initiative. 2016. The State of North American Birds.
Appendix 2
Calvert, A. M., C. A. Bishop, R. D. Elliot, E. A. Krebs, T. M. Kydd, C. S. Machtans, and G. J. Robertson. 2013. A synthesis of human-related avian mortality in Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology 8(2): 11.
Humane Canada, 2017, Cats in Canada 2017: A Five-Year Review of Cat Overpopulation.
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APPENDIX 1: THE BIRD POPULATION CRISIS Canada’s bird populations are declining at a precipitous rate. The State of Canadian Birds (NABCI Canada, 2012) shows that overall, Canadian bird populations have declined 12% since 1970. While a few groups of birds are increasing due to large-scale conservation efforts, some groups– aerial insectivores (birds that capture insects while in flight such as swallows) grassland birds, and shorebirds – show major declines of 40 to 60% in this same period, with some species declining by more than 90%. The number of bird species at risk has doubled since 2001. More recently, The State of North American Birds (NABCI, 2016) report demonstrated that a full one third of North American bird species are in need of urgent conservation action. The crisis in bird populations is part of a wider crisis in wildlife populations that are succumbing to human pressures. We can and must address the causes of wildlife declines that we are directly responsible for if we are to maintain the earth’s biodiversity.
Scientific analysis of the reasons for these declines indicate that, while the indirect human-related causes – habitat loss, climate change, pollution, etc. – may be primary drivers of bird population declines, the direct impacts of various human activities are enormous. Thirteen different direct impacts were examined in one study, and the top four – collisions with windows, vehicles, transmission lines and predation by cats – were estimated to cause 130 to 433 million birds mortalities annually (Calvert, 2013). Of these, the top direct source was predation by cats, estimated to be between 100 and 350 million birds annually, or 2 to 7% of the entire bird population of southern Canada (Blancher, 2013). In other words, cat predation is believed to account for two-thirds of all the direct human impacts estimated in this study. It is important to note that these figures are estimates derived from other studies, many of them taking place in other countries, and it is particularly difficult to assess the size of the population of outdoor cats and arrive at an approximation of their impact. It is also important to note is that, unlike Europe and Asia, where cats have a much longer history and presence, domestic cats are relatively new to the Americas – having arrived on colonial ships. Bird species that nest or feed on or near the ground are especially vulnerable to cat predation. Impacts are highest in densely-settled areas in southern Canada and during times when young birds are fledging and have difficulty flying.
On a global scale, cats have been linked to the extinction of 42 species of birds – second only to rats, which are linked to the extinction of 49 bird species (Birdlife, 2017). These have virtually all been island-dwelling species on islands where cats were introduced either deliberately or accidentally.
Of course, cats are not to blame for this situation – they are just being cats. By cultivating State of Canada’s Birds (NABCI, 2012) responsible pet ownership and creating comprehensive management strategies, municipalities can contribute to the solutions for both cats and birds.
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APPENDIX 2: THE CAT POPULATION CRISIS Canada’s cat population is also in trouble. There are an estimated 9.3 million pet cats in Canada (Humane Canada, 2017) and a rough approximation of an additional 1.4 to 4.2 million feral cats (Blancher, 2013). Each year in Canada, hundreds of thousands of animals enter shelters and the vast majority of these are cats. Some are pets surrendered by their owners who can no longer care for them, while others are found roaming as strays. Some are never adopted. More than 260,000 homeless cats in Canadian shelters did not find new homes in 2016 (Humane Canada, 2017). Twice as many cats are admitted to shelters as dogs, despite the populations being of similar size. The proportion of those cats who are juvenile is also twice as high as for dogs, indicating an ongoing problem of unwanted litters. Animal welfare organizations are sometimes unable to accept cats and kittens due to the risk of overcrowding shelters, inadequate staffing and strained financial resources. Too often, pet owners with unwanted animals abandon them or stop caring for them – which is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada. Feral and stray cats are a common sight, and there is widespread public concern for their welfare. Typically, cats do not receive as much veterinary care and attention as dogs and suffer from a problematic public perception about their value, especially compared to dogs. And this is reflected in shelter outcomes: while 68% of stray dogs in shelters are reclaimed by their owners, the figure is only 10% for stray cats (Humane Canada, A single unspayed cat 2017). and her progeny can give birth to 25 to 50 Cats are prolific breeders, able to produce 2 to 3 litters per year with an kittens in just 18 average of 3 to 5 kittens per litter. This is compounded by the fact that months. cats become fertile at as young as 4 or 5 months.
Veterinarians agree that indoor cats live longer and need less medical care than outdoor cats. Roaming cats are exposed to the risk of injury by cars; fights with other cats, dogs and wildlife; ticks and fleas; poisons; and potentially fatal diseases like rabies, feline leukemia, cat scratch disease and distemper, some of which are transferable to humans.
While some progress is being made to improve cat welfare and reduce overpopulation, change is not happening quickly enough to overcome the crisis.
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APPENDIX 3: SAMPLE MESSAGING
• COMMUNICATE THE NORM
• INCREASE SELF-EFFICACY (REAL AND PERCEIVED)
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• SHOW THE DESIRED BEHAVIOUR
LEVERAGE INFLUENCERS AND EARLY ADOPTERS
“A number of years ago, I lost 2 cats to road accidents within days of each other, and now all my cats (5 of them!) are safe inside. My oldest two are now 17 and 19, and my younger cats are 7, 6.5 and 6, and have never been outside. They are happy playing indoors and watching my bird feeder from the window. Lots of toys and games keep them active. “ – Martha Franklin, http://catsandbirds.ca/blog/a- crew-of-safe-cats (an ‘early adopter’)
An influencer -
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APPENDIX 4: AVAILABLE RESOURCES
Nature Canada / Keep Cats Safe & Save Bird Cat-proofing your Garden Lives Humane and natural ways to keep your neighbours’ cats out of your garden
For Municipalities
Calgary Case Study Keeping Birds Safe at Your Feeder For the Public A guide to food choices, placement and plantings that help keep birds safe at your feeders.
How Birds are Vulnerable to Cats A guide to the feeding and nesting habits, reproductive patterns and physical characteristics that make birds vulnerable to outdoor cats – even if the cats aren’t hunting.
How Cats are Vulnerable to Wildlife A guide to the threats that wildlife can represent for cats, including predation, close encounters with wildlife defense mechanisms, pests, parasites, and Hard copies of our brochure and bookmarks are diseases. available by request in English or French from [email protected]. Educational Program A cats & birds educational program for Grades 4 to Safe, Happy Cat 9, suitable for use by teachers, humane and wildlife A guide on how to keep an indoor cat sufficiently educators. stimulated and exercised. Junior Bird Guide Safe Outdoor Options A 30-page booklet for kids to learn about birds, how An outline of the safe outdoor options (catios & to identify them, and what they can do to protect leash walking) birds.
Leash Training Your Cat Angel Catbird Graphic Novels & Poster A step by step guide to leash training your cat Margaret Atwood’s graphic novels, published in
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Page 54 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 55 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says | Audubon J
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News North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says
For the first time, researchers have estimated the volume of total avian loss in the Western Hemisphere—and it’s not just threatened species that are declining. Many backyard favorites are also losing ground.
By Jillian Mock
September 19, 2019
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By Jillian Mock September 19, 2019
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Almost anywhere you go, you can find birds. They scurry through the waves on every beach, sing as they wing over every prairie, raise Find Your Bird-Friendly Plants
chicks in nests in every wood, and visit every backyard. But while Native plants provide birds with the food they need. Use birds remain everywhere, people are actually seeing far fewer of our database to discover the best plants for birds in your them than just 50 years ago, according to a new study. It estimates area. that North America is home to nearly three billion fewer birds today compared to 1970—that’s more than 1 in 4 birds that have disappeared from the landscape in a mere half a century. Search the Database “This was an astounding result, even to us,” says lead author and Cornell Lab of Ornithology conservation scientist Ken Rosenberg.
The study, published today in the journal Science, marks the first time experts have tried to estimate sheer numbers of avian losses in the Western Hemisphere. Typically, conservation studies focus on a specific species, habitat, region, or type of threat. By taking a higher-level view, the study highlights that many birds we still consider common, ranging from Baltimore Orioles to Dark-eyed Juncos to Barn Swallows, are actually posting heavy population losses over time.
Altogether, the research team—which included collaborators at the American Bird Conservancy, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, the Canadian Wildlife Service, and other institutions—analyzed the breeding population of 529 species by pooling data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey, Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service waterfowl surveys, and 10 other datasets. They also analyzed more recent data collected by weather radar technology that can track large groups of birds as they migrate to estimate their numbers.
The weather radars indicated a 14 percent decrease in nocturnal spring-migrating birds in the last decade alone, helping the authors to verify the longer-term survey trends—especially for those breeding in remote northern habitats that aren’t as well monitored. Using models that incorporated all the data, they estimated the net number of birds lost over time, across various habitats and bird groupings.
Bringing so many different datasets together is tricky work, says Nicole Michel, senior quantitative ecologist at the National Audubon Society, who was not an author of the study but provided some underlying data. The authors had to account for differences in collection methods, location, species elusiveness, and even the attentiveness of the data collectors themselves. Even with this detailed approach, the study didn't capture every North American species, and declines of each individual species included have varying uncertainty ranges, based on data available. Sea and shorebird data proved particularly limited, says Rosenberg, and many elusive birds had to be left out entirely.
Despite these gaps, the overall picture is clear, especially because the radar and survey data tell the same story of losses, Michel says. “Unfortunately for the birds, I think we can be very confident in these results,” she says. Scott Loss, an Oklahoma State University ecologist not directly involved in the study, agreed: “We know birds are in decline, but this is a really sobering picture of that decline," he says.
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Wetland
Boreal forest rassland
Forest generalists
Click the graphic above to see how the relative number of birds in each breeding habitat changed from 1970 to 2017. The colors indicate the percentage of decline (Red >30%; Orange <30%) or gain (Blue). The size of each circle represents the relative abundance of birds per habitat type.
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As expected, the study showed that birds that breed in at-risk habitats such as grasslands and the Arctic tundra are declining drastically. Grasslands in particular posted the biggest losses, with more than 700 million breeding individuals lost across 31 species since 1970, a more than 50 percent decline (see habitat breakdown below).
Far more surprising were far-reaching declines across habitats and bird types, says Michel. About 90 percent of the missing birds came from 12 distinct and widespread bird families, including warblers, sparrows, blackbirds, and finches. Common birds found in many different habitats—even introduced, ubiquitous species like European Starlings— experienced some of the steepest drops. Feeder birds like the Dark-eyed Junco declined by nearly 170 million individuals, the study's models estimated, while White-throated Sparrows dropped by more than 90 million.
There isn’t one single factor that can account for these pervasive losses, says Rosenberg. Habitat loss is likely an important driver in Grasslands in particular posted some biomes, but can’t explain the widespread declines on its own, the biggest losses, with more than says Arvind Panjabi, avian conservation scientist at Bird Conservancy 700 million breeding individuals of the Rockies and a study co-author. Multiple, complex lost across 31 species since 1970. environmental factors including pesticide use, insect declines, and climate change, as well as direct threats like outdoor cats and glass skyscrapers, are also hitting birds from a range of angles. For migratory species, long journeys and changes to winter habitats could pose additional challenges. The study itself doesn’t look at causes, but the results point to how human influence over the last 50 years has chipped away at bird populations, says Michel.
“My hope is that this will spawn a greater awareness that we really need to take care of our environment,” Panjabi says. “In order to prevent another third of our birds disappearing before too long, we need to change how we do things.” Kevin Gaston, an ecologist at the University of Exeter not involved in the work, said such a possibility should concern everyone: "We’re undermining the role that these organisms have in structuring landscapes, in providing ecosystem goods and services and benefits," he says.
But while the results are troubling, there is some good news. Not all birds declined and some species even showed steady gains over time. Waterfowl as a group, for example, saw a population increase of 34 million individuals since 1970, thanks largely to wetland conservation efforts. Raptors, such as the Bald Eagle, also fared better with a gain of 15 million individuals thanks largely to a ban on DDT in 1972. The numbers show that taking steps like wildlife management, habitat restoration, and political action can be effective to save species in steep decline.
The study serves, in many ways, as a wake-up call. By making the dramatic losses concrete, Rosenberg hopes people will be jolted into action. Today, Cornell and its partners (which includes the National Audubon Society) launched the
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website 3BillionBirds.org to share the findings and promote bird-saving solutions, including seven steps that anyone can take in their own lives.
“The takeaways are that this is disturbing and that we need to do something soon,” Michel says. “But we’re seeing wonderful reasons for hope as well.”
Habitat Breakdown
Western Meadowlark. Photo: James Halsch/Audubon Photography Awards
1. Grasslands: These are among the most threatened biomes on the planet. Loss of habitat to urban and agricultural development, along with liberal pesticide use, has had detrimental effects on the birds that rely on these habitats. The study found that grasslands have lost nearly 720 million birds since 1970—a greater than 40 percent decline.
Spotlight Bird: The Western Meadowlark is widespread across grasslands in the western United States, Mexico and Canada. These yellow-bellied birds feed primarily on insects and seeds, often probing the soil with its bill to find food. This meadowlark is still common, but trends show populations have declined in recent decades.
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Evening Grosbeak. Photo: Kathy Webb/Great Backyard Bird Count
2. Boreal forest: Clearing for oil and gas development, logging, widespread fires, and climate change all threaten boreal forest habitat. It has also historically been difficult to monitor boreal forest species and the threats to them. Some 500 million birds have been lost in this habitat since 1970—a more than 30 percent decline.
Spotlight Bird: In the last century or so, the Evening Grosbeak spread from its historic territory in the western United States and Canada to conifer forests in the eastern side of the continent. These chunky-billed finches eat mostly seeds, including in backyard feeders. Although still common across their range, grosbeak numbers have taken a hit in recent decades and the eastern population has started to decline for unclear reasons.
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Dark-eyed Junco. Photo: Rebecca Fackrell/Great Backyard Bird Count
3. Forest Generalist: Habitat loss and fragmentation are a major issue in all forests. Logging, wildfires, and human development all threaten to carve up North America’s woods. Warming temperatures could also change the plant composition of forests. About 482 million individuals have been lost since 1970, a nearly 20 percent loss, according to the study.
Spotlight Bird: Dark-eyed Juncos can be found across nearly every forest of the United States, Canada, and Alaska. While considered one species, these sparrows come in several different color patterns depending on the region. The birds are still very widespread, but this study indicates there are still considerably fewer juncos today than there were 50 years ago.
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White-crowned Sparrow. Photo: Matthew Endersbe/Audubon Photography Awards
4. Habitat Generalist: These birds thrive in at least three different kinds of habitat. The considerable loss of generalists that thrive across biomes and across the continent point to multiple factors chipping away at bird populations gradually, over time. About 417 million birds have been lost since 1970, the study estimates— a more than 20 percent loss.
Spotlight Bird: White-crowned Sparrows are common birds that nest across Alaska and Canada, and south along the Pacific Coast and mountains of the West. In winter, they spread across the southern states and into Mexico. Named for the black and white stripes on their heads, these birds fascinate scientists with the distinct local dialects in different regions. While still considered widespread, the analysis found this species has fewer individuals among its ranks.
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Wood Thrush. Photo: Nate Rathbun/USFWS
5. Eastern Forest: This biome includes all forests south of the boreal forest in Canada and the eastern United States. Many of these forests were cleared in the 1800s and then regrown in the 1900s. Logging, clearing for development, and climate change all affect these forest landscapes. What’s more, many forest songbirds are migratory and winter in Central and South America, where they are facing threats that scientists are just beginning to understand. About 167 million birds have been lost since 1970, the study estimates— a more than 20 percent loss.
Spotlight Bird: The Wood Thrush breeds in forests in the eastern United States and Canada and migrates south to spend the winter in the tropical forests of Central America. Populations have been declining for decades, raising concerns among conservationists. The spotted-bellied birds are susceptible to nest parasitism from cowbirds and may also be suffering from habitat loss in their winter range.
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Pinyon Jay. Photo: Pam Koch/Great Backyard Bird Count
6. Western Forest: Western forests are all those south of the boreal in western Canada and the United states, and including the mountain forests of northern Mexico. Wildfire is a bigger threat in western forests than it is in eastern forests. These forests also face threats from logging, clearing for development, fragmentation, and climate change. About 140 million birds have been lost since 1970, the study estimates— a nearly 30 percent loss.
Spotlight Bird. True to its name, Pinyon Jay feed mainly on seeds on pinyon pine in the pinyon-juniper forests of the western United States. As such, the range of these dusty blue birds is closely tied with the fate of this unique habitat. Drought, insects, heat, and habitat loss all threaten the trees and the jays.
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Snowy Owl. Photo: Karyn Schiller/Audubon Photography Awards
7. Arctic Tundra: Climate change looms large over the tundra and is the primary threat to this nesting habitat for many birds. Warming temperatures melt permafrost and threaten to put migrating birds out of sync with the food they depend on during the brief northern summer. About 80 million birds have been lost since 1970, the study estimates— a more than 20 percent loss—though there is a wide range of uncertainty in this habitat due to data collection challenges.
Spotlight Bird: Snowy Owls breed on the open tundra of the Arctic and spend their winters in the balmy climes of Canada, Alaska, and the northernmost regions of the United states. Its nests are merely an unlined depression in the tundra. With this ecosystem warming faster than any other part of the globe, continued changes could further affect this species’ breeding success.
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Cactus Wren. Photo: Megumi Aita/Audubon Photography Awards
8. Arid Lands: Land clearing for urban expansion is a big threat to this habitat, as major southwestern cities like Phoenix grow. Oil and gas development also threaten to take out swaths of this habitat. About 35 million birds have been lost since 1970, the study estimates— about a 15 percent loss.
Spotlight Bird: True to their name, Cactus Wrens often build nests in cacti in the arid southwestern United States and Mexico. These sociable birds like to hang out in pairs or family groups and making loud, raspy calls. Although still generally considered widespread, the birds may be declining in parts of their range in Texas and California.
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Sanderling. Photo: Traci Sepkovic/Audubon Photography Awards
9. Coasts: Human activity—like driving on the beach, letting dogs and kids run loose on the beach, bringing gull- attracting food to the beach—can disturb birds attempting to incubate eggs and raise chicks. Climate-related factors pose a threat as well, as sea-level rise encroaches on nesting grounds and an uptick in tropical storms washes out beaches. The study estimates about 6 million birds have been lost in this habitat since 1970. However, many coastal birds weren’t included in the analysis because there wasn’t enough robust population data, says Rosenberg. And some species the scientists looked at, like Oystercatchers, actually showed population increases over time.
Spotlight Bird: While these small sandpipers breed only on high Arctic tundra, Sanderlings are commonly seen scurrying up and down beaches of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts of North America for most of the year. Scientists think these birds are declining, owing at least in part to their reliance on a few specific stopover habitats during migration.
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Wood Duck. Photo: Scott Suriano/Audubon Photography Awards
10. Wetlands: Some wetland species, waterfowl in particular, have seen population gains over the last few decades due in large part to political action and careful land management and restoration. Not all wetland birds have thrived, however. Marsh birds in particular have struggled as their habitat is drained for development, the ocean encroaches on coastal marshes, and contamination of chemicals and heavy metals as well as invasive species make these habitats less than suitable. The study estimates that this habitat has gained 20 million birds since 1970, an increase by more than 10 percent.
Spotlight Bird: Magestic Wood Ducks are found in wooded ponds, swamps, and rivers across the United States and some areas of Canada and, occasionally, Mexico. In the late 19th century, Wood Duck populations took a serious hit from habitat loss and hunting pressure. The ongoing recovery of Wood Duck populations is held up as a win for wildlife management.
Related
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oroboros • a year ago I see this study is a litmus test for people's politics and pet peeves. In four comments we have:
1) A joke about windmills as opportunity to bash Trump 2) A chemtrail conspiracy 3) The feral cat bandwagon 4) Immigrants are to blame (hint: study is North America and includes countries south of the United States in its scope)
For anyone interested in actually reading the study, the PDF is here. 3 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > oroboros • a year ago Kudos, Mike, I couldn't agree more, although--not politics as much as numbers--when immigration makes your nation one of the 8 fastest growing on the planet (and the ONLY developed nation with an exploding population), it affects birds, bird habitat, everything, just as Clinton's Council on Sustainability and the Rockefeller Commission warned would happen, with the Rockefeller Commish warning that the day the U.S. reached 300 million would be a very bad day for the U.S. AND the world for environmental reason. Who among us--in a nation with a now-deregulated corporate media that buries the population topic (unlike Cronkite)--is aware that our nation reached that appalling number in 2006 and is already at 328 million--oops, so yesterday, make that 330 million, to be 400 million before 2050 (likely 2040) and, depending on the models, in excess of 500 million long before 2100? So, yes--P.C. or not--immigration--driver of 92 percent of our growth--does affect birds, every car to hit a bird, every building to put windows in the way of a bird, every human activity to take critical habitat, pollute the water, TAKE THE WATER, hurts birds and every other creature. 2 △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›
bluidevil > Kathleene Parker • a year ago yes △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›
Raphael > oroboros • a year ago It is what you get when Audobon moves away from Bird Conservation and into politics. Go back read through past reports... bird losses were from cats, buildings, etc... up until Climate Change became the newest trillion dollar industry. So unless Audobon normalized data to account for the increase in feral/stray cat population, a population that grows exponentially, then it's report is about worthless because they are (purposely?) omitting a key component of bird loss. Have the looked at the impact of low cost to use LED lights... causing people and business to leave their lights on longer? Yet we know that urban lights confuse birds, especially migratory birds. Interesting that you would poopoo the Immigrants idea since the study includes countries south of us. Interesting, so does immigration. I've read the report. Don't confuse it with an actual scientific study. It's NOT. It's an annual report for donations. Nothing more. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
NomNomNom > Raphael • 8 months ago I've been an environmentalist all my life, specifically with our avian friends. I have seen dirty and trashed environments/streams cleaned up. I've seen river otters come back to local waterways, a species that hasnt been seen in over 100 years. The Bald Eagle was taken off the endagered species list and there are now breeding pairs found along the Pennsylvania interior! I've seen open corn fields which only benefited a few species, now is converted into suburban sprawl (50% of the acreage left to wild). The barren corn fields are now young forests and brush fields. Animal life is flourishing, and so are the mammal/meso-predetor populations because of the white-tailed deer populations going crazy. Coyote and black bear are now in our backyards...in suburban Philadelphia and downtown Philly!
There was no mention of "climate change" when i was a child. sure, we heard about the ozone hole and PCBs, but never did we talk about "climate change". I agree that the world is in constant flux. I can see it. I observe it. I think our world is getting better, not worse. I struggle sometimes to believe the politicized institutions such as Audubon. They've become an political action committee and are driving good people away from a formerly great organization. I just hope they don't drive people away from being interested in our beautiful wild world. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
susan_s_hebert > NomNomNom • a month ago A bit of history: Audubon has always been political, albeit on the side of birds; the first wave of Audubon organizers had wild bird feathers banned from the millinery trade, which killed for feathers millions of birds a year. The ozone hole is part of climate change; it was called “global warming” when you were a child. And the world is being damaged by the continued loss of Amazon rainforest. When you were a child, the East Coast woods were blazoned by flowering dogwood trees in spring, all lost to warming that allowed fungus to proliferate. Stately hemlocks, providing seed and shelter to countless species are also missing, largely due to warming that allowed a fungus to proliferate.
I grew up in New Jersey, where a deep ravine that was cool in summer and warm in winter gave shelter to countless species of birds--that ravine is now bare of the hemlocks, moss, wild orchids, salamanders, and birds that populated it in a wonderful wild cacophony of color. The wonderful fall wildflowers growing on the top are dead and gone, as are the beautiful tulip, chestnut, and dogwood trees of its rim. And this is better? △ ▽ • Reply • Share › https://www.audubon.org/news/north-america-has-lost-more-1-4-birds-last-50-years-new-study-says 17/24
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James D. McCullough > oroboros • a year ago Thanks for the link. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
laurelladesborough • a year ago IF Audubon wants to make a HUGE difference for native birds in the US, then Audubon needs to GET WITH THE PROGRAM of removing feral cats from the wild instead of the head in the sand about cats. Feral cats can be removed from the wild and put into containment facilities for those who do not want them euthanized. This practice has been done and it works. Cats are an invasive species and a constant and serious threat to native wildlife. So, Audubon, get with the program. Write articles. Support removing feral cats and support keeping house cats indoors or in catios. This is not rocket science. 2 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > laurelladesborough • a year ago Yet, I live where there are NO feral cats, in the wilds of New Mexico where any cat on the lam is quickly picked off by predators. Yet, New Mexico's birds are in trouble too. Might it be disappearing habitat, pesticides and unending human demands on a finite planet are the cause? I suggest everyone read a recent NPG paper on why Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson organized the first Earth Day. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Bob Smalser • a year ago Did y'all think we could add the infrastructure for 130 MILLION additional people since 1970 without some sort of impact on nature? And you keep inviting more in with promises of sanctuary and benefits. Those 30-60,000 per month crossing our southern border illegally add up. 3 △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > Bob Smalser • a year ago Another post disappeared, so I'll try again. You've nailed it, Bob. We Americans--thanks to deregulated corporate media, I call them "Radio Free Wall Street"--are absolutely unaware that the U.S. stands alongside China and India as one of the world's most populated nation: China, India and the U.S. in that order. But it isn't just illegal immigration. Changes in 1965 put LEGAL immigration through the roof, or at four times what was allowed post-1918. We as a nation need a discussion about the wisdom of continuing to admit OVER A MILLION LEGAL immigrants a year, 92 percent (with illegal immigration) of what can only be call a U.S. population explosion, since births haven't driven U.S. growth significantly since the 1980s. Three presidential commissions-- including Clinton's Council on Sustainability--warned that immigration should not be allowed to explode the U.S. population, exactly what our "leaders" are allowing, even promoting. Read my lips: We are at 330 million, will likely be 400 million by about 2040, with numbers at 2100, depending on models, ranging from over 500 million to over 800 million, OR NEARLY A BILLION AMERICANS in the highest per capita carbon footprint nation (nearly 3 times China's per capita carbon footprint) on Earth. 2 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > Bob Smalser • a year ago THANK YOU, BOB! And, I'm old enough to remember how, in 1970, Walter Cronkite and every reporter on every network was all over the topic of POPULATION, and I'll add the reason why Earth Day founder, Gaylord Nelson organized the first Earth Day: to focus on why human population growth was destroying the Earth. Today's DEREGULATED media outright lie about the topic by headlining our falling birthrate and, falsely allude to likely and absurd "labor shortages" in the future. Yeah, sure in one of the fastest growing nations on Earth! Do any of you understand our nation's demographic reality? It is our own U.S.A. IN THE LIST OF THE WORLD'S 3 MOST POPULATED NATIONS, as media ignore the fact. Read my lips: China, India and the U.S. IN THAT ORDER, and births haven't driven U.S. growth since the 1980s, so where are the 28 MILLION TO 30 MILLION new people in our nation a DECADE COMING FROM? Immigration, illegal AND LEGAL, because, since 1965 legal immigration has been through the roof and our "leaders"--dutiful Wall Street minions one and all--won't acknowledge it or address it, partly because WE DON'T DEMAND, IN OUR IGNORANCE, THAT THEY DO! △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
John • a year ago Laurelladesborough and Bob Smalser you two hit the nail on the head . I see many house cats out in our neighborhood . My next door neighbor has told me on numerous occasions how here cat is always bringing home dead birds . I like cats but people who own them should not let them out to roam around and kill birds . What Bob said is spot on . You put 20 deer on 100 acres they do well until 5 years later when those 20 deer now number 100 and the available food and habitat can't support them , something has to give . 2 △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›
gholfdude • a year ago • edited I'm on the feral cat bandwagon. They are a disgusting, invasive species just like the zebra mussel, but since they are "cute" and are "pets" no one will do anything. A predator with no checks and balances as provided by nature will continue killing the defenseless species under it. The one species who could stop this, is doing nothing. Indeed, we humans with our "house" cats are no better. When they are let out they wreak havoc on birds, especially the ground-dwelling variety, in their neighborhood. Barn/rural cats are worse. All cats are an invasive species. Any other invasive species is eradicated, why not cats? Those who own them should have to be licensed and follow sensible precautions. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
James D. McCullough • a year ago https://www.audubon.org/news/north-america-has-lost-more-1-4-birds-last-50-years-new-study-says 18/24
Page 70 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says | Audubon James D. McCullough a year ago When, if ever, will people wake up? We pollute, consume, exploit, and destroy. The animals go extinct, the temperatures rise, the polar caps melt, the oceans swallow the land, the rain forests burn, the acid rain falls, the pollinators die off, the coral reefs disappear, the plastic accumulates, and millions of people starve and die of disease. But we just go right ahead mining, drilling, dumping, polluting, consuming, exploiting and destroying. May God have mercy on us all. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
zendae > James D. McCullough • a year ago "And should the children weep, Our spinning world will sing their souls to sleep. When we have gone without a trace The universe will suck me into place. We work the black seam together..." 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Pete > James D. McCullough • a year ago We are doing all those things less than ever. The air and water are cleaner. There is more being spent on environmental science than ever. And yet the decline increases. The habitat has not changed here in the Poconos in 25 years and yet, teh Juncos and Sparrows and Woodpeckers are gone. The woods is silent. Better look for another cause. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
James D. McCullough > Pete • a year ago I don't think the water in Pennsylvania is cleaner. I have traveled to Monroe and Pike counties with some regularity over the past 40 years, and I agree with you, the woods have changed. https://pennenvironment.org... △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > James D. McCullough • a year ago I couldn't agree more, and it kinda seems to come down to what God will do, since we seem unwilling to use the brains He gave us to protect HIS planet. I hear that India is at the brink of catastrophe, possible famine like they experienced in the 1950s before the Green Revolution. Will that wake us up and make us realize that, while some of the measures at this point must be draconian, we can still dig our way out of this, but we can't do it under what Dr. Al Bartlett called, Disney's First Law: Wishing will make it so! △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
James D. McCullough > Kathleene Parker • a year ago As I've heard many times over recent years: "Hoping something will happen is not a plan." △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > James D. McCullough • a year ago Yet it seems to be our "leaders," a term I use advisedly, answer on every front seems to be maybe if we ignore it--and just do what makes everyone happy at this minute--maybe it'll go away. Ignore the largest species extinction since the die off of the dinosaurs? I don't think so. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
James D. McCullough > Kathleene Parker • a year ago Ignore the science linking increased carbon emissions with increased global temperatures which results in climate change? I'm flabbergasted some "leaders" still question this fact, asserting it is mere hypothesis. While skepticism is good for science, willful ignorance is not a virtue in any endeavor. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Yosef > James D. McCullough • a year ago • edited That particular science is fraudulent and politically motivated, and - just like any scientific theory - is indeed mere hypothesis. In this case, what the science is doing is to fudge the actual raw temperature figures such that they're making seem like they're rising ever higher and higher (especially at night and in winter) in a way that they're really not. Plus, trends that are seen by journalists, politicians/policymakers, and thus the general public are set to start at a specific date in what geologically is an absolute millisecond (e.g. the 1920s, the 1960s, the 1980s), when in reality there've been worse wildfires, heat waves, etc. than what we've witnessed these days. See the following video for yourselves, if you haven't already been convinced:
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Page 71 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says | Audubon see o e
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Pete > Yosef • a year ago • edited Yes, many people just regurgitate, what, the DEMS mantra. Carbon dioxide is needed for trees to grow and produce wildlife food. Her in my neighborhood we have not had a good year for black cherries or beechnuts for years. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
James D. McCullough > Yosef • a year ago • edited The emissions are being largely absorbed by the oceans, resulting in de-oxygenation of the water and the kill-off of marine life. https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/d... △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > James D. McCullough • a year ago I live in Los Alamos and, as a reporter covered their scientists studying this in the 1990s. First, is there climate change and, second--and these were highly skeptical folks--are humans causing it. Ultimately, both proven their satisfaction, but we had a media problem that then they were putting front and center every goofball who disagreed with the 99 percent of scientists who saw the problem. But I try to take the long view (although like it or lump it, if Trump slows immigration he's helping the problem, as an exploding U.S. population, as the Sierra Club used to say-- before backing of the subject in exchange for millions--is a global problem), which is we MUST listen to 54 national academies of sciences and stop growth, including (or perhaps most particularly) in the highest per-capita carbon nation by a HUGE margin, the U.S. Honestly, I'm seeing two political parties failing in so many ways--and my profession, the media, just fanning the flames of anger and misinforming, rather than informing--that I think we need a revolution, making direct rule via votes on the internet the final word in such critical issues with part of that that corporate media--"Radio Free Wall Street"--must butt out! △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
James D. McCullough > Kathleene Parker • a year ago • edited I've been thinking about global overpopulation since I was a teenager. I'm of the opinion it is a self-limiting or self- correcting problem; i.e.,when the human population becomes too large for the Earth to sustain, there will be a die- off of humans. The population reduction will be due to lack of food, water, habitat, medicine and employment. Fewer humans results in less procreation, and perhaps a more normal balance between population and resources will be achieved. In any event, you are right. There has been a massive global and U.S. population explosion. My opinion is it'll get worse before it gets better, but it'll get better eventually for those who remain. http://www.yalescientific.o... △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
cshav10 • 8 months ago What has occurred in the last 50 years? Intense radio frequency radiation pollution from satellites and phone towers. Yet Audobon issues articles arguing for 5G even as it's raising money to research the causes. Audobon is a paid industry shill and not an environmental advocate. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Marcy Gold • a year ago I read this article on the disappearance of birds in the world with great sadness. Yet, nowhere in the article is it mentioned that our massive global WiFi internet network is creating an enormous problem with the radiation emitting throughout our planet.
There is an International petition being circulated to halt 5G at www.5gspaceappeal.org 5G will make the issue 100 times worse since there will be WiFi stations every few yards to enable us to increase our internet speed. Everyone looking down at their phones instead of looking at the birds in their backyards will be happy with the increase in speeds and the ability to have driverless cars. But at what cost?
Birdlife will be decimated across the globe as they have been since the 1970s. Anyone see a correlation? Cancer, memory loss, neurological damage, autism, ADHD has increased exponentially in humans since the advent of the high speed internet radiation all around us. It astonishes me that people are not seeing that this as a problem when thousands of scientific articles have mentioned the issue. Of course, the telecoms are putting profit over our entire planet. We are so short-sited as a civilization. Profits over existence. So very sad.
Please pass this petition on to all of your friends and colleagues: www.5gspaceappeal.org/ This is an International Appeal Petition being circulated and signed by thousands of scientists, medical experts, environmental organizations and concerned citizens.
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brentturcotte • a year ago A big part of the decline in birds reflects the decline of insects. In temperate areas, the data suggest that the quantity of insects has declined by about 75% https://www.audubon.org/news/north-america-has-lost-more-1-4-birds-last-50-years-new-study-says 20/24
Page 72 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says | Audubon declined by about 75%.
On the other hand, even if human beings did everything right, maintaining the number of people on the planet will reduce the amount of food available for all other life. So the 25% decline, though bad, is not quite as bad as it sounds.
Personally, I am wondering how other groups are fairing quantity wise such as herps, plants, mussels, etc. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
bluidevil • a year ago What is obvious for example in the 'coastal ' graph. It's shrinkage is widely known as the over development and concreting of the seashores and beach streets. Over development and an exploding population by open borders and insane immigration has pushed all the animal Kingdom very very hard. Majority of the US population is now within a very short time close to all coastlines. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > bluidevil • a year ago I grew up in Colorado. Then, the mountain valleys were empty and, mostly, filled with wildlife or a few grazing cows. Today, they're filled with "rural sprawl," with, often, active pressure on wildlife officials to get rid of the deer and elk that presume to eat peoples' rose bushes, constant problems with people and bears "interacting." Add in cars hitting animals, competition for water, with animals always at the short end of the spigot, and I fear I'll be slow to forgive the absence of so many major environmental groups in speaking out against an exploding U.S. population and two political parties that forget their own leaders' wisdom on the topic of population not that long ago. As Bob says, 130 million more people. You think that helped wildlife? 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
bluidevil > Kathleene Parker • a year ago Very true, as a native Floridian and roots back over 100 years in the state; have witnessed and studied the destruction of native vegetation that survived with sparse or flood waters is plowed up for manicured lawns and the planting of some Asian so called exotic plants that need massive water to survive. As for the coastline, the newbies that arrive all want to be by the beach, but freak out when hurricanes are developing, and vacate their concrete skyscrapers built just a stones throw from the ocean. All birds and mammals have dwindled in numbers from over development and more highways. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
mikevet6970 • a year ago You completely left out the fact that over one million birds are being killed by wind turbines. It is probably a lot more because the wind turbines self report. 2000 a month bald eagles, ospreys, owls, Falcons and other similar species are killed every month. Now you know over a million birds a year are killed by wind turbines report on these killing machines. Or is it not politically correct to do so. Audubon Society very disappointed in your part in the coverup why birds are disappearing. As a protector of birds do something about the killing machines known as wind turbines. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > mikevet6970 • a year ago I tend to agree. I live in New Mexico and as I drive toward Texas and see all those hundreds of wind turbines and everyone pretending their so green, I know each and everyone is the graveyard for birds. But then, too, I once read a shocking article on how "hard" our tall buildings are to migrating birds, many of whom migrate at night and don't notice what's in their way. I lived in a passive/active solar house with very little dependence on the grid, quite pleased we were being so green. You cannot imagine how upset I was to learn that--fall and spring (likely due to the angle of the sun)--we experienced major bird strikes to the glazing for the passive solar. The most defining moment was when a Western blue bird plowed into a window and was killed. I was furious and determined. My answer? Windsocks hung in front of the worst windows, shiny stickers on the OUTSIDE of windows, steps that pretty much ended the problem, but throughout the life of the house, how many will do that? T 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker • a year ago Complicated data or no, I want to understand glyphosate and other pesticide residues, MOST ESPECIALLY on the seed we all put in our bird feeders. Organically grown bird seed? I haven't even FOUND such a thing, but I do know where I live, on New Mexico's Pajarito (little bird) Plateau, that I've shut down my feeders. I simply cannot continue when I've long seen too many birds sick and dying, too many birds with weird growths on their beaks, or eye problems, too many birds--especially finches--around my yard, goofy, sick, dying and, if weighed, thin and horribly under weight. I read a MIT study "Glyphosate: Precursor to Modern Disease," on this insecticide"s likely (this is research from institutions all over the world) impact on humans, and that is FAR more than cancer, as it harms the microbes in our gut, something that when Roundup was licensed, wasn't even on anyone's radar. So, why do we not think, especially as birds eat huge amounts of human-provided seeds, it isn't affecting them too? I've decided my beloved birds--though I enjoy watching them at feeders--are better off out doing what nature intended, finding hopefully less pesticide-ridden foods in nature. But I stand in the camp that any product containing this controversial chemical has no place on Planet Earth! △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
John K • a year ago Obviously, it's the windmills! It couldn't be what we're doing to the environment or Trump would say so! 郎 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Kathleene Parker > John K • a year ago I yearn for the day when we Americans could discuss something without--ala DEREGULATED CORPORATE MEDIA'S THEME-- having to trash someone vilify someone boil it all down to good versus evil when we're dealing with complicated stuff here and https://www.audubon.org/news/north-america-has-lost-more-1-4-birds-last-50-years-new-study-says 21/24
Page 73 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says | Audubon having to trash someone, vilify someone, boil it all down to good versus evil, when we re dealing with complicated stuff here and stuff that deserves better than the tone that media (I've spent 40 years in journalism.) has now set for the nation. I'd suggest you all research revocation of the Fairness Doctrine, the 1996 Telecommunications Act and reconsider EVERYTHING you hear or see in media and the motives of the 6, oops, make that the 5 entities that now control everything we're ALLOWED TO HEAR, might be. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Sheen • a year ago Seems to me as if all of the chemicals that they are spraying in our skies, without our consent, would play a big part in this. △ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›
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Page 75 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink
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Review Open Access Published: 03 April 2019 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies
A. Alonso Aguirre , Travis Longcore, Michelle Barbieri, Haydee Dabritz, Dolores Hill, Patrice N. Klein, Christopher Lepczyk, Emily L. Lilly, Rima McLeod, Judith Milcarsky, Caroline E. Murphy, Chunlei Su, Elizabeth VanWormer, Robert Yolken & Grant C. Sizemore
EcoHealth 16, 378–390(2019) 8757 Accesses 25 Citations 198 Altmetric Metrics
A Correction to this article is available
This article has been updated
Abstract
One Health is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort that seeks optimal health for people, animals, plants, and the environment. Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is an intracellular protozoan infection distributed worldwide, with a heteroxenous life cycle that practically affects all homeotherms and in which felines act as definitive reservoirs. Herein, we review the natural history of T. gondii, its transmission and impacts in humans, domestic animals, wildlife https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 1/60
Page 76 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink both terrestrial and aquatic, and ecosystems. The epidemiology, prevention, and control strategies are reviewed, with the objective of facilitating awareness of this disease and promoting transdisciplinary collaborations, integrative research, and capacity building among universities, government agencies, NGOs, policy makers, practicing physicians, veterinarians, and the general public.
Introduction
Toxoplasmosis, caused by infection with the coccidian Toxoplasma gondii, is a significant public health problem worldwide. An estimated 8–22% of people in the USA are infected, and similar prevalence exists in the UK (Dubey 2002; Dubey and Jones 2008; Jones et al. 2001, 2003, 2007). In Central America, South America, and continental Europe, estimates of infection range from 30 to 90% (Dubey and Jones 2008; Dubey 2010; Minbaeva et al. 2013; Wilking et al. 2016).
These infections have significant consequences affecting mortality and quality of life. In the USA, where over a million people are infected each year and approximately 2839 people develop symptomatic ocular disease annually, the cost of illness has been estimated to be nearly $3 billion and an 11,000 quality-adjusted life-year loss annually (Jones and Holland 2010; Batz et al. 2012; Hoffmann
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Page 77 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink et al. 2012). Mead et al. (1999) suggested that T. gondii is one of three pathogens (along with Salmonella and Listeria) that account for > 75% of all deaths due to foodborne disease in the USA. Scallan et al. (2011) estimated that Toxoplasma caused 8% of hospitalizations and 24% of deaths in the USA resulting from foodborne illnesses.
As a global strategy, One Health recognizes the interconnectedness of the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment from the local to the global levels and employs a holistic approach encouraging and expanding transdisciplinary collaborations, integrative research, capacity building, clinical practice, policy, and communication among many stakeholders. This approach can overcome bureaucratic boundaries and represents an opportunity for new partnerships focused on solutions for humans, animals, plants, and the environment (Zinsstag 2012; Rubin et al. 2014; Aguirre et al. 2016). Toxoplasmosis qualifies as a One Health disease because it significantly affects the health of human, domestic animals, wildlife, and ecosystems, and is perceived as a threat by those who rely on animal resources (Crozier and Schulte- Hostedde 2014; Jenkins et al. 2015). The complicated relationships across taxa are compounded by changing practices and attitudes toward the control of owned and unowned (stray and feral) outdoor domestic cats (Felis catus), which are the obligate
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Page 78 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink reservoirs of the parasite in urban and suburban settings, where native wild felids are largely absent (Afonso et al. 2008).
New research on the impacts of toxoplasmosis (Ngo et al. 2017; Suvisaari et al. 2017) increases the need for greater institutional awareness of the pathways of infection and comprehensive and transdisciplinary actions to control transmission using the One Health approach. Such cooperation has thus far been elusive, perhaps in part to a lack of familiarity with the biology of T. gondii or its significant adverse impacts on health (Efunshile et al. 2017). Herein, we review the natural history of T. gondii, its transmission and impacts, and suggest approaches that could help protect human, domestic animal, wildlife, and ecosystem health, with the goal of facilitating a better understanding of this disease and promoting transdisciplinary collaborations, integrative research, and capacity building among universities, government agencies, NGOs, policy makers, physicians, veterinarians, and the general public.
Natural History of Toxoplasma gondii
Toxoplasma gondii is a member of the Apicomplexa, a diverse group of parasitic protozoans including Babesia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Isospora, and Plasmodium (Kim and Weiss 2004). It was first isolated from a common gundi (Ctenodactylus gundi)
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Page 79 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink in Tunis in 1908 and the same year in a rabbit from South America. Six clades have been characterized using population genetic structure studies indicating that globally diverse isolates originate from a small number of ancestral lineages (Su et al. 2012). It is postulated that T. gondii originated in South American felids with relatively recent expansion through migratory birds and in particular the transatlantic slave trade that promoted migration of domestic cats, rats, and mice (Lehmann et al. 2006). Three predominant archetypal clonal lineages of T. gondii have been identified (Howe and Sibley 1995; Ajzenberg et al. 2004; Dardé 2004; Saeij et al. 2005). Diverse atypical genotypes have also been found in the Americas and China (Miller et al. 2008; Khan et al. 2011; Chaichan et al. 2017). Shwab et al. (2014) used 10 PCR–RFLP markers to classify 1457 T. gondii specimens into 189 genotypes, most of which fell into genotypes 1 through 5. Although no dominant genotype has been found in the southern hemisphere, a few genotypes were predominant in the northern hemisphere, specifically genotypes 1 (type II clonal), 2 (type III), and 3 (type II variant), which comprise the majority of isolates and are prevalent in Europe. Genotypes 2 to 5 (4 and 5 collectively known as type 12, and prevalent in wildlife) are common in North America. Genotypes 2 and 3 predominated in Africa, whereas genotypes 9 and 10 were highly prevalent in China (Wendte et al. 2011; Shwab et al. 2014; Chaichan et al. 2017). Certain
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Page 80 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink genotypes are associated with increased virulence in humans and wildlife (Sibley and Boothroyd 1992; Miller et al. 2004; Carme et al. 2009; Xiao and Yolken 2015). Lorenzi et al. (2016) compared the genomes of 62 globally distributed isolates, identifying that T. gondii is characterized by clade-specific inheritance of large conserved haploblocks with different ancestries that may influence transmission, host range, and pathogenicity. Clonal lineages 1–4 are extremely abundant, with highly similar multilocus genotypes, high levels of linkage disequilibrium, and infrequent recombination.
The parasite can only sexually reproduce and, thereby, complete its life cycle in felids, which are definitive hosts capable of excreting massive numbers of oocysts into the environment via feces (Frenkel 1973). Oocysts will sporulate to contain infectious sporozoites. If as few as a single sporulated oocyst is ingested or inhaled by an intermediate host, including all classes of warm-blooded (homeotherm) vertebrates, T. gondii may then reproduce asexually in the host’s tissues (Miller et al. 1972; Dubey et al. 1996). Asexual reproduction results in the formation of tachyzoites and bradyzoites from sporozoites. While bradyzoites form tissue cysts in the intermediate host, tachyzoites invade many host tissues to include the heart, lung, and central nervous system and will spread by intrauterine infection and transplacental migration to infect the fetus; (Georgi
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Page 81 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink 1985; Markell 1986). The life cycle is completed when the tissues of an intermediate host are consumed by a cat, and sexual reproduction in the definitive host may begin again (Fig. 1). One of the ways by which T. gondii facilitates the completion of its life cycle is host manipulation. Infected rodents, for example, lose their innate fear of cats and demonstrate an attraction to cat urine (Berdoy et al. 2000; Vyas et al. 2007). Host manipulations associated with T. gondii infection have also been observed or hypothesized in other taxa, including primates and birds (Poirotte et al. 2016; Work et al. 2016).
Figure 1
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 7/60
Page 82 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink Life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii and transmission in humans, domestic animals, wildlife and ecosystems
Toxoplasmosis in Humans
Toxoplasmosis is the second leading cause of death among foodborne illnesses in the USA (Scallan et al. 2011; Gao et al. 2016). In humans, symptoms, or lack thereof, at the time of infection do not predict disease manifestation later in life. The disease may be either acute or chronic and can cause active infection at any age (Boyer et al. 2011; Delair et al. 2011). Postnatal T. gondii infection may appear to be asymptomatic or cause fever and lymphadenopathy (Montoya and Remington 1995) and affect any organ, especially the eyes (Delair et al. 2011; Undseth et al. 2014), and cause seizures (McAuley et al. 1994). Virulence varies by strain and susceptibility based on an individual’s genetic traits (Ngo et al. 2017). Genotypes in French Guiana, for example, cause significant damage and even death in adults who are not known to be immunocompromised (Carme et al. 2009). In the USA, an estimated 1.1 million people are infected with T. gondii each year, and approximately 10.4% of the population demonstrate seroprevalence linked to past exposure (Jones and Holland 2010; Jones et al. 2018).
Initial infection acquired by pregnant women may cross the placenta and reach the fetus (McLeod et al. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 8/60
Page 83 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink 2014). Toxoplasma tachyzoites multiply and invade fetal tissues to cause acute or chronic disease (Markell 1986). This congenital infection may be systemic and result in fetal death, premature birth, intrauterine growth retardation, fever, pneumonia, hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, or involve the eyes and brain (McAuley et al. 1994; Peyron et al. 2016). Manifestations of ocular or encephalic disease in the fetus may include chorioretinitis, meningoencephalitis, hydrocephaly, microcephaly, or calcifications of previous areas of necrosis; however, infants generally do not show clinical signs at birth and instead may become deaf later in life. When women acquire the infection more than 6 months prior to gestation, risk of transmission to the fetus is considerably reduced. Although preventable and treatable, congenital, ocular, and postnatal T. gondii infection is not curable and persists in all infected persons (Ortiz et al. 2013; Peyron et al. 2016; Ngo et al. 2017). Latent or primary toxoplasmosis can be particularly dangerous in individuals with compromised immune systems, including those treated with corticosteroids, cytotoxic medicines, and antibody to tumor necrosis factor alpha (Lykins et al. 2016; Wang et al. 2017). Approximately one third of HIV-infected individuals with T. gondii infection develop encephalitis (Walker and Zunt 2005).
Retinal toxoplasmosis (Kianersi et al. 2012) is recognized as a major cause of blindness in many
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Page 84 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink parts of the world (Balasundaram et al. 2010). About 5000 people develop ocular toxoplasmosis in the USA annually (Jones and Holland 2010). Chronic infections, previously believed to be benign, are now a source of increasing concern. Evidence of exposure to T. gondii has been associated with cognitive decline in older individuals (Gajewski et al. 2014) and increased disease overall (Flegr et al. 2014). Furthermore, such serological evidence of T. gondii is associated with a range of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia (Torrey and Yolken 2003; Yolken et al. 2009), depression, suicide attempts (Arling et al. 2009; Flegr et al. 2014), and anxiety disorders. The mechanisms that define these associations are not known with certainty but may be related to the immune response to the tissue cysts and presence of bradyzoite tissue cysts within the brain following infection (Xiao et al. 2016).
Recent studies have demonstrated that undetected environmental oocyst transmission is the major route of T. gondii transmission presenting a direct public and animal health problem (Tenter et al. 2000, Dabritz and Conrad 2010, Boyer et al. 2011, Hill et al. 2005, 2011, Torrey and Yolken 2013; VanWormer et al. 2016). The risk factors for human and animal infection include consuming infected raw or undercooked meat; ingestion of contaminated water, soil, vegetables, or anything contaminated with oocysts shed in feces; blood transfusion or organ
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Page 85 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink transplants; intrauterine or transplacental transmission; and drinking infected unpasteurized milk. The majority (78%) of congenital toxoplasmosis cases from four epidemics in North America originated from oocyst exposure, though only 49% of these cases could be confirmed as foodborne. Two public health studies in Chile evaluated oocyst- acquired infections in pregnant women and in swine, which are a primary food source; T. gondii oocyst- specific IgG antibodies were determined in 193/490 (43%) of serum samples from pregnant women and in 24/30 (80%) of 30/340 (8.8%) the swine (Muñoz- Zanzi et al. 2010, 2012). Oocysts can also contaminate drinking water sources, both small-scale wells (Sroka et al. 2006) and larger reservoirs (Bowie et al. 1997), and can contaminate surfaces, such as dog fur (Frenkel et al. 2003) or keypads (Bik et al. 2016).
Toxoplasmosis in Domestic Animals
Despite a high global prevalence, infected domestic cats typically are asymptomatic and do not have recognizable clinical disease (Hill and Dubey 2014). Nevertheless, clinical signs may include fever, ocular inflammation, anorexia, lethargy, pneumonia, abdominal discomfort, and central nervous system disturbances (Vollaire et al. 2005; Dubey and Jones 2008). Clinical infection is most severe in kittens, and feral domestic cats are at a higher risk of infection than indoor cats (Dubey and Jones 2008).
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Page 86 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink Domestic dogs may also be infected with T. gondii; however, clinical infection is less common than subclinical disease (Dubey et al. 2009; Hill and Dubey 2013). When manifested, clinical signs may affect respiratory, neuromuscular, or gastrointestinal systems and can prove fatal (Dubey et al. 2009). Free- roaming dogs are believed to be at higher risk, though dogs may become infected within households by eating uncooked infected meat (Cabezón et al. 2010).
Toxoplasmosis is common in sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens as intermediate hosts; however, cattle and horses are notably resistant to the disease. In sheep, congenital infection is a leading cause of stillbirth and preterm lamb loss. Lambs that are born infected and survive usually exhibit normal growth, but they still represent a public health risk if their infected meat is consumed (Dubey 2009). Toxoplasmosis can also occur in adult goats, and the disease is more severe than in sheep. Congenital infection results in loss of kids before or after birth. Pigs may become infected with T. gondii by consumption of oocysts, congenitally by tachyzoite transplacental transmission, and through consumption of meat containing T. gondii bradyzoite tissue cysts. Although adult pigs rarely show clinical signs, the meat of infected pigs serves as a source of human infection; young pigs can die from toxoplasmosis without entering the human food chain. Animal infections
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Page 87 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink with T. gondii appear to be largely driven by environmental exposure to the oocysts, and the presence of outdoor domestic cats has been identified as risk factor for infection in farm animals (Vesco et al. 2007). Consequently, non-confinement livestock housing and facilities lacking adequate biosecurity and pest management practices represent significant risk factors for livestock infection (Dubey and Jones 2008; Hill and Dubey 2016).
Toxoplasmosis in Wildlife
Toxoplasmosis is a global disease found in all habitats and regions, from the Arctic to the tropics in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine settings affecting all homeotherms (Sibley 2003). The number of documented infected species is extensive (e.g., Dubey and Jones 2008; Dubey 2010). Detection in apparently healthy, free-ranging wildlife suggests that asymptomatic or subclinical infections may occur. Pathways for wildlife infection include consumption of infected felids, predation or scavenging of infected intermediate hosts, direct ingestion of oocysts in the contaminated environment, and congenital transmission by transplacental transmission of tachyzoites from the infected parent (Fig. 1). Environmental transmission to carnivores and omnivores such as polar (Ursus maritimus), grizzly (Ursus arctos), and black bears (Ursus americanus) can be driven by either consumption of infected meat in prey species or https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 13/60
Page 88 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink direct ingestion of oocysts (Chomel et al. 1995; Oksanen et al. 2009).
Depending on their geographic range, serologic studies in herbivores correlate with density of domestic cats linked to oocyst density (Fredebaugh et al. 2011). For example, Hawaiian geese (Branta sandvicensis) have seroprevalences of 21–48% as a result of exposure to oocysts (Work et al. 2016). Other terrestrial, wild herbivores infected by T. gondii include white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), with reported seroprevalence of 49.5% in suburban areas and 66.1% in urban areas, indicative of a greater prevalence of oocysts in the soil as domestic cat densities increase with human populations (Lélu et al. 2010; Dubey et al. 2014; Ballash et al. 2015).
Infection in marine mammals is geographically and taxonomically widespread, driven by land-to-sea coastal oocyst pollution linked to oocysts from storm water runoff (Cole et al. 2000; Dubey et al. 2003; Littnan et al. 2006; Aguirre et al. 2007; Lindsay and Dubey et al. 2009; Oksanen et al. 2009; Jensen et al. 2012; Rengifo-Herrera et al. 2012). The threatened southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis), exposed through the consumption of invertebrate prey, (Johnson et al. 2009; Shapiro et al. 2014), serves as a sentinel of the land-to-sea flow of T. gondii oocysts originating from runoff carrying infected domestic or wild felid fecal matter (Jessup et al. 2004; Conrad et
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Page 89 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink al. 2005). This route of exposure has been confirmed for other marine mammals (Miller et al. 2002, 2008; Conrad et al. 2005). Similar genotypes have been detected in tissues from sea otters, terrestrial wildlife, i.e., bobcats, mountain lion, and wild canids, and feral domestic cats sharing the California coast (Miller et al. 2008; VanWormer et al. 2014; Verma et al. 2017).
Aquatic invertebrates may significantly influence waterborne transport of Toxoplasma, by enhanced settling and subsequent benthos concentration, and by facilitating ingestion by invertebrate vectors that can transmit the infective stage to susceptible hosts, including marine mammals and humans. Recent studies by Shapiro et al. (2014) have demonstrated the critical role of invisible polymers in transmission of T. gondii in food webs through particle aggregates and biofilms increasing the retention of the parasite in snails grazing on kelp and facilitating infection of California sea otters.
Land-to-sea coastal exposure has resulted in fatal toxoplasmosis in phocids, otariids, mustelids, and cetaceans, negatively impacting some threatened and endangered populations (Holshuh et al. 1985; Inskeep et al. 1990; Migaki et al. 1990; Jardine and Dubey 2002; Dubey et al. 2004; Carlson-Bremer et al. 2015; Barbieri et al. 2016). Yet data on mortality in marine mammals are limited to those obtained through necropsies of stranded animals. More
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Page 90 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink animals die than are found dead every year, particularly for offshore and migratory taxa; hence, the number of affected marine mammals is likely underrepresented.
Toxoplasmosis in Ecosystems
Domestic cats are likely the major source of ecosystem contamination in many areas due to their high abundance on the landscape relative to native felids (VanWormer et al. 2013). A large percentage of domestic cats in the USA may carry T. gondii during their lifetime (Tenter et al. 2000), and each infected cat sheds up to hundreds of millions of oocysts (Dubey 1996), with the high probability that any location with free-roaming cats will become contaminated with oocysts (Torrey and Yolken 2013). Each oocyst may remain infectious for months to years (Tenter et al. 2000; Lélu et al. 2012). Dabritz et al. (2007) estimated that owned, domestic cats in Morro Bay, California, annually deposited 77.6 tons of feces and that free-roaming cats in the same area deposited 30 tons of feces, resulting in an estimated annual oocyst loading of over 4500 oocysts/m2. The greater the number of cats, the greater the accumulation of oocysts, and, presumably, the greater the probability of transmission to humans, other domestic animals, and wildlife.
An estimated 30–80 million feral domestic cats exist in the USA (Loss et al. 2013); all of which defecate https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 16/60
Page 91 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink outdoors, and each of which are at a much higher risk of hosting and spreading T. gondii (Dubey 2010; VanWormer et al. 2013). Unlike with other domestic animals (e.g., domestic dogs), many states do not address who or what entity is responsible for unowned and feral domestic cats. A patchwork of local or nonexistent regulations may increase confusion, hampering the ability to control domestic cats even on one’s own property. This regulatory confusion, combined with the efforts by some private organizations to eliminate all euthanasia for animal control (Longcore et al. 2009; ASPCA 2017), has contributed to the establishment of programs and policies that preserve unowned and feral domestic cats on the landscape. Such programs remain in place despite calls for the removal of unowned and feral domestic cats from the environment for a variety of reasons (e.g., public health, wildlife conservation, animal welfare) from numerous professional organizations and government agencies and evidence of public support (Levy and Crawford 2004; Lohr and Lepczyk 2014). Public opposition to removal policies may be partially influenced by misinformation that minimizes the risks of toxoplasmosis and downplays the role of domestic cats as vectors for disease transmission in many ecosystems as documented in the scientific literature (Loss and Marra 2018).
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Page 92 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink Animal sheltering policies can influence the risk of T. gondii transmission by affecting the number of free- roaming domestic cats. Management policies that remove cats from ecosystems reduce environmental transmission risks by eliminating the interaction of definitive and intermediate hosts. Conversely, policies that intentionally maintain unowned and feral domestic cats on the landscape facilitate and may increase the risk of disease transmission. As a growing number of municipalities and their animal shelters adopt policies that purposely maintain domestic cats unconfined outdoors (Holtz 2014), T. gondii transmission risks for people, domestic animals, and wildlife increase.
A better understanding of the environmental abundance of oocysts is critical to holistic determinations of health risks. Studies indicate that large regions of terrestrial, aquatic, and marine environments may be contaminated (Du et al. 2012a, b; Gao et al. 2016; VanWormer et al. 2013). T. gondii is known to be influenced by environmental conditions, and survival of oocysts in the soil may be influenced by geological and environmental characteristics such as soil temperature, texture, and chemistry (Frenkel et al. 1975; Lindsay and Dubey 2009; Lélu et al. 2012). Broader environmental sampling of oocysts in soil and stormwater runoff should be undertaken and modeled by land use, feline density, and animal shelter policies. The environmental parameters
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Page 93 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink responsible for long-term survival and resistance of oocysts, regional extent of environmental contamination with oocysts, and duration of survival or infectivity of tissue cysts following host death are poorly understood and require additional research. The ubiquity of T. gondii oocysts in the environment increases the likelihood of infection for all at-risk species in the ecosystem. Perhaps the most important ecosystem management tool is to control contaminated runoff to mitigate the health impacts of coastal habitat pathogen pollution.
Envisioning a One Health Response
One Health focuses on transdisciplinary collaborations to solve issues across human health, animal and plant health, and the environment. Accordingly, for the near- and long-term future, One Health has little choice but to engage in the study, mitigation, and prevention of daunting challenges (Aguirre et al. 2016). Critical to One Health will be effective monitoring of toxoplasmosis and T. gondii prevalence. In the USA, toxoplasmosis is not a nationally reportable disease and, thus, its true magnitude is unknown (Jones et al. 2001; Torgerson and Mastroiacovo 2013). Likewise, although the burden of toxoplasmosis in other countries like Brazil is very high, we can only hypothesize, for example, the incidence of congenital disease in children (Dubey et al. 2012). Although some screening of
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Page 94 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink pregnant women and newborns exists in the USA, these programs are largely absent and fall behind the regular screening in many countries (Peyron et al. 2017). Furthermore, screening programs associated solely with congenital toxoplasmosis may miss large segments of the infected population. Enhanced screening programs would deliver greater data that can be used to develop more responsive tools for risk reduction. Integrating human, domestic animal, and wildlife data could better assess risk and devise methods of control.
Current patterns of human-driven environmental change and globalization of travel and trade can enhance the spillover and spillback of Toxoplasma and parasites of animal origin into human populations, introduce pathogens into critically endangered animal populations, and further facilitate propagation locally, regionally, and globally. The odds of an infectious disease pandemic have never been higher. Furthermore, given that most emerging infectious diseases in humans are of animal origin (zoonotic), there is a pressing need to integrate human–animal–ecosystem health within a common framework. The recent convergence of global problems, including global environmental change, biodiversity loss, habitat fragmentation, globalization, and infectious disease emergence, demands integrative approaches breaching disciplinary boundaries leading to “One Health.” This integration
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Page 95 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink requires commitment not only from government agencies, universities, and other organizations but eventually will attempt to generate new international structures (Aguirre 2011; Gortazar et al. 2014; Suzán et al. 2015).
Transdisciplinarity
Simple solutions are rarely evident in addressing regional or global ecological and environmental problems. A multi-pronged, transdisciplinary, One Health approach is required in infectious disease ecology. For example, this approach has been used in echinococcosis in North America (Massolo and Liccioli 2016); during evaluation of rabies control programs in Sri Lanka (Häsler et al. 2014); during parasitic zoonosis surveillance in Australian wildlife (Thompson 2013); and in foodborne diseases resulting from Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and T. gondii, in developed countries (Dixon 2016); in the past 10 years, new tools and institutional initiatives for assessing and monitoring emerging pathogens have been developed. Landscape epidemiology, disease ecological modeling, and web-based Google analytics have emerged. New types of integrated ecological health assessment are being deployed; these efforts incorporate environmental indicator studies with specific biomedical diagnostic tools. Other innovations include the development of noninvasive physiological and behavioral monitoring https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 21/60
Page 96 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink techniques, the adaptation of modern molecular biological and biomedical techniques, the design of population-level disease monitoring strategies, the creation of ecosystem-based health and sentinel species surveillance approaches, and the adaptation of health monitoring systems for appropriate low- income country situations. Ultimately, a data-driven decision support tool must be created to help practitioners and managers devise choices for action and intervention. Epidemiologists, modelers, public health officials, veterinarians, and sociobiologists need to employ strong inference techniques including model selection, disease inference techniques, to apply a rigorous approach to establishing causation in disease ecology (Azeez and Prabhakar 2016). Mathematical modeling, predictive tools, and novel prevention strategies of emerging infectious diseases have evolved enormously in the last decade. These exciting tools now allow for improved characterization and prediction of disease dynamics and disease behavior (Vinetz et al. 2005; Aguirre et al. 2016; Guo et al. 2016).
Toxoplasma gondii is known to be influenced by environmental conditions, and measures to mitigate exposure can affect ecosystem health. The environmental parameters responsible for long-term survival and resistance of the parasite in oocyst form or the duration of survival or infectivity of tissue cysts from an infected animal that dies in the field are
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Page 97 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink poorly understood. Filling these science and knowledge gaps will require effective, truly transdisciplinary collaborations involving scientists from a broad spectrum of disciplines including but not limited to earth, environmental, biological, ecological, social, engineering, and health sciences, and their many subdisciplines (Aguirre and Wilcox 2008).
Integrative Research
Research is needed to integrate data across scales to assess risk and devise methods of control, as links are made between toxoplasmosis and significant adverse health outcomes beyond acute infection in humans, i.e., congenital infection, increased death rates in traffic accidents (Flegr et al. 2002, 2009), and environmental transmission rather than meat consumption emerges as a significant pathway for infection (Dabritz and Conrad 2010; Boyer et al. 2011; Hill et al. 2011; Torrey and Yolken 2013). Soil sampling for oocysts has been undertaken around the world and needs to be expanded and modeled by land use and outdoor cat management policies to understand risk. Relationships of policies for animal sheltering and outdoor cat density and resulting oocyst loads are foreseeable but require integrative research. Such research efforts will require transdisciplinary teams to integrate field and laboratory methods, spatial, geographic, and other mathematical modeling, and veterinary and medical practices. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 23/60
Page 98 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink Future research should also focus on vaccine development. A vaccine is available for sheep in some countries, but no vaccine exists for other livestock, humans, or wildlife. A vaccine for domestic cats was produced, but its implementation has been limited by high costs of production, short shelf life, and lack of interest from domestic cat owners (Dubey 2010). The development of a vaccine, as well as more effective therapies for the long-term effects of tissue cysts in the brain, eye, and other vital organs, remain important goals. Such research would also benefit efforts to conserve highly endangered species in the wild that are at risk from death from toxoplasmosis (Work et al. 2016).
The increasing demand for food safety together with the potential economic impact of legislation aimed at risk reduction has brought attention to the need for the development and standardization of diagnostic tests for Toxoplasma infection. Such tests will need to provide an accurate estimate of risks of transmission of toxoplasmosis to humans and must perform with comparable specificity and sensitivity across a range of animal species. Despite the lack of widespread, effective screening processes are in place for consumer meats, with new standardized tests which may be useful for disease monitoring and control (Nunes Mecca et al. 2011).
Building Local Capacity
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Page 99 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink A key component of a One Health response to toxoplasmosis must include greater communication of the risks and pathways of exposure to T. gondii. Human and veterinary health practitioners, as well as all professionals interacting with the public, should seek to more effectively explain current understandings of the life history, transmission routes, and best practices for avoiding exposure. For example, while acknowledging the risks of infection through consumption of tissue cysts, the risks of oocyst exposure should not be downplayed. Outdoor cats should be prevented from accessing community gardens as a food biosecurity issue and exclude cats from any location where food is grown. Children should avoid areas where cat feces may be found, domestic cat access to the outdoors should be limited, and steps taken to reduce the number of free-roaming domestic cats and the associated number of T. gondii oocysts.
Widespread participation, especially with human and veterinary health practitioners, is necessary to stem the societal and ecosystem impacts of toxoplasmosis. Doctors, public health specialists, veterinarians, and even wildlife biologists should know to caution the public to always wash hands after working in any soil where cat feces may be found, exclude cats from any location where children or others play in a manner that might lead to hand-to-mouth contact with contaminated soil, and take steps to reduce the
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Page 100 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink number of free-roaming domestic cats on the landscape. Children should be taught to wash their hands thoroughly after touching a pet that has access to the outdoors.
Local capacity also includes a commitment to laws to control the number of feral domestic cats on the landscape to minimize the risk of transmission of T. gondii. Current discussions surrounding animal sheltering, as discussed above, often dismiss this risk as minimal and almost never incorporate the clear society-level impacts from chronic infection that have now been shown in the literature for over a decade. Veterinary schools have a particular responsibility to educate their students on the risks of this disease and not to allow specialized programs with outside funding, e.g., “shelter medicine” programs funded by animal rights organizations, to put out messages that undermine established science. Such changes will be difficult, given that promoting unowned free-roaming domestic cats as perfectly acceptable features of the landscape has garnered significant funding. Progress to address this situation can come from a transdisciplinary, integrative approach that considers the substantial advances in research on T. gondii of recent years. In addition, controlling the feral cat population will have a positive conservation outcome for wildlife. For example, annual mortality of wild birds in the USA reaches 2.4 billion and 204 million in Canada due to feral cat predation, increasing the
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Page 101 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink probability of population extinction or decline for some bird species. In addition, 6.3–22.3 billion mammals are killed each year in the USA (Loss et al. 2013, 2015). Comprehensive and sound policies and control interventions based on science are required to reduce these astronomical impacts.
Conclusions
One Health has emphasized the need to bridge disciplines linking human health, animal health, and ecosystem health. Toxoplasmosis demands integrative approaches breaching disciplinary boundaries. This integration is needed to generate new approaches to manage and control the disease. The complexity of toxoplasmosis requires the development of a dashboard system of measures that are a combination of health and ecological indicators, that is, an easy set of indicators for quick reference to identify prevention and management needs.
Transdisciplinarity, integrative research, and capacity building are core elements in establishing One Health interventions that address toxoplasmosis. Innovative participatory methodologies that operationalize knowledge flow among stakeholders should consensually and sustainably address this major problem confronting society, wildlife, and ecosystems globally (Aguirre et al. 2019). The One Health
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 27/60
Page 102 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 12/23/2020 The One Health Approach to Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology, Control, and Prevention Strategies | SpringerLink approach to toxoplasmosis epidemiology and control requires practical, sustainable, and effective solutions with a keen understanding of local socioeconomic and cultural factors as well as a solid grasp of complex local, regional, national, and international health and environmental policies. One Health offers time-sensitive opportunities for practitioners to apply their expertise to give rise to simultaneous benefits for humans, animals, and the environment.
Change history
05 June 2019
This article was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on April 3, 2019 without open access.
References
1. Afonso E, Lemoine M, Poulle M, Ravat M, Romand S, Thulliez P, Villena I, Aubert D, Rabilloud M, Riche B, Gilot-Fromont E (2008) Spatial distribution of soil contamination by Toxoplasma gondii in relation to cat defecation behavior in an urban area. International Journal of Parasitology 38:1017-1023
2. Aguirre AA (2011) Developing global capacity in conservation medicine: Predicting and https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-019-01405-7?fbclid=IwAR0ToWUMD4fHAtiE6pS43XJYEOK3Fj4kkfLkrmB5QQ7YYtEr8OR4Sx15TU8 28/60
Page 103 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 104 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 105 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 106 of 140 Planning & Development Committee MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 12, 2021 Held Electronically, 3:00pm
As per Ministerial Order M192
PRESENT: Councillor David Croal, Chair Mayor Bill Beamish Councillor Aleria Ladwig Councillor Annemarie De Andrade Committee Member Clifford Sutton Committee Member Scott Keck
STAFF: Emanuel Machado, Chief Administrative Officer Lindsey Grist, Director of Corporate Services Lesley-Anne Staats, Director of Planning Kirsten Rawkins, Planner I Lisa Howard, Recording Secretary
CALL TO ORDER
The Chair called the meeting to order at 3:00pm.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The January 12, 2021 Planning and Development Committee agenda was approved as presented.
REPORTS
Kirsten Rawkins, Planner I - Development Permit for Form and Character for a Garden Suite at 313 Headlands Road
The report titled Development Permit for Form and Character for a Garden Suite at 313 Headlands Road was received.
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT the Planning and Development Committee recommend that Development Permit DP-2020-23 be issued subject to the registration of a Section 219 Covenant to ensure that future parking needs may be met at the request of the Town through the provision of an additional parking space on site, including installation of a culvert as needed per Town requirements.
Page 107 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Planning & Development Committee - Tuesday, January 12, 2021 Page 2 of 2
Director of Planning - Housing Needs Report Implementation Framework
The report titled Housing Needs Report Implementation Framework was received.
RECOMMENDATION(S) THAT Council endorses, subject to future budget constraints, the recommendations in Section 5.1 of the Housing Needs Report Implementation Framework as the basis for the Town’s Housing Strategy under the following categories: 1. Facilitate Development through Plans, Regulations, and Approvals; 2. Investing and Incentivizing Desired Unit Types; 3. Convening Partnerships, Advocating for Housing Needs, and Educating Communities; and 4. Supporting Social Equity.
AND FURTHER THAT staff report back with additional details on how to prioritize and implement the actions with timelines.
INQUIRIES
Des Delany - asking why Habitat for Humanity was not mentioned in the Housing Needs Report and about cost per square foot for Franklin affordable housing project.
NEXT MEETING
The next Regular Planning & Development Committee meeting to be held on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 in the Town Hall Council Chambers at 3:00pm.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 4:23pm.
Lindsey Grist, Corporate Officer William Beamish, Mayor
Page 108 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Town of Gibsons
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Tracy Forster, Administrative Assistant II
DATE: December 21, 2020
SUBJECT: Correspondence for the Week Ending December 21, 2020
Please note: Only correspondence indicated has been forwarded to staff. If you have any questions, or would like staff to follow up with items on the CRF, please contact Lindsey as items do not need to wait for a Council meeting to be actioned.
1. Time Sensitive Material
• 2020-12-15 2021 AVICC CALL FOR RESOLUTIONS – FEB 26, 2021 • 2020-12-15 BC Achievement Foundation re 2021 BC Reconciliation Award - Nov 12-Jan 15
• Regular Correspondence (Including Emails)
• 2020-12 Correspondence from MP Patrick Weiler • 2020-12-16 Andrea Watson, President, SC Skating Club re Sechelt Ice Arena Reopening • 2020-12-16 Donna McMahon - Elphinstone News - The End of 2020 is in Sight • 2020-12-16 Kathy Moore, Mayor, City of Rossland re Letter of Support for The Corporation of The City of Vernon • 2020-12-16 22(1) FOIPPA re Real Estate Debacle • 2020-12-16 UBCM The Compass Newsletter re Housing Supply, Disaster Mitigation Funding, New Poverty Reduction intake, EA Forum • 2020-12-18 22(1) FOIPPA re Footprints in the Mud • 2020-12-18 22(1) FOIPPA re Request for a Ban on Rat Poisons • 2020-12-21 22(1) FOIPPA re Trees
Page 109 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 110 of 140 Town of Gibsons
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Tracy Forster, Administrative Assistant II
DATE: January 4, 2021
SUBJECT: Correspondence for the Week Ending January 4, 2021
Please note: Only correspondence indicated has been forwarded to staff. If you have any questions, or would like staff to follow up with items on the CRF, please contact Lindsey as items do not need to wait for a Council meeting to be actioned.
1. UBCM
• 2020-12-18 UBCM Resolution - City of Kamloops re Overdose Crisis and Call for Overdose Action Plan • 2020-12-22 Mark Sieben, Deputy Solicitor General, Min of Public Safety & Sol General re UBCM mtg – Sunshine Coast RCMP
2. Regular Correspondence (Including Emails)
• 2020-12-21 22(1) FOIPPA re Trees • 2021-01-03 22(1) FOIPPA re Cat No Roam Bylaw • 2021-01-04 22(1) FOIPPA re Building Permit Amendment Request
Page 111 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 112 of 140 Town of Gibsons
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Tracy Forster, Administrative Assistant II
DATE: January 12, 2021
SUBJECT: Correspondence for the Week Ending January 12, 2021
Please note: Only correspondence indicated has been forwarded to staff. If you have any questions, or would like staff to follow up with items on the CRF, please contact Lindsey as items do not need to wait for a Council meeting to be actioned.
1. Regular Correspondence (Including Emails)
• 2021-01-04 SCRD Coast Current Newsletter • 2021-01-06 UBCM The Compass Newsletter - Federal Gas Tax Fund Annual Report, Procedure Bylaw Guide, Funding & Resources • 2021-01-08 Doug Allin, Mark Dunlop, Rick Benson - Softball BC re Request for COVID-19 Relief Funding • 2021-01-11 Melissa Tripp, SC Minor Hockey Assoc re Thank you for Sponsoring a Christmas Tree
Page 113 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 114 of 140
January 8, 2021
Honourable Adrian Dix Minister of Health Government of British Columbia
Delivered via email
Re: Vaccination Priority for Essential Critical Infrastructure Municipal Employees
Dear Minister Dix,
In early December, the BC government announced they secured a minimal number of initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to distribute to those populations identified as the most vulnerable. In the following weeks, the government released a phased approach to administering the vaccine and listed the populations included in each phase. While the City of Nelson acknowledges the extraordinary amount of work the Province has put into developing the distribution process, we would like to request a review of the vaccine distribution priority lists to include essential critical infrastructure employees.
The Province’s website outlines the specific groups that will be first and second priority for receiving the vaccine; the list does not include essential service providers such as water, IT, energy and utility workers. This does not appear to align with the recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization upon which the Province has developed its priorities for the first and second phase of vaccinations. The Committee has indicated municipal workers identified as ‘essential’ should be prioritized to maintain reliable operation of critical infrastructure services and functions.
With COVID-19 cases circulating in rural communities, the risk of an outbreak causing the loss of key personnel trained to manage essential service delivery could exacerbate the current public health emergency. This would have a much larger impact in smaller communities, such as ours, as resources and appropriately trained personnel replacements are more challenging to access than in larger centers. For example, the City of Nelson has five linemen that maintain our electrical distribution & transmission system that serves over 10,000 customers.
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The City recognizes the number of vaccine doses and how they will be distributed throughout BC is a fragile and fluid process. We hope this request can be reviewed and addressed in time to include essential municipal critical infrastructure employees in the second priority group of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out.
We appreciate your timely consideration of this matter.
John Dooley Mayor, City of Nelson
Cc: Premier John Horgan, Office of the Premier Hon. Josie Osborne, Minister of Municipal Affairs Brittny Anderson, MLA, Nelson-Creston Nelson City Council Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments (AKBLG) British Columbia Local Governments
Page 116 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Sunshine Coast Highway Society Southern Sunshine Coast, BC
BY EMAIL
January 5, 2021
Mayor and Council Town of Gibsons
As we begin a new year, with a new Provincial Government, we are writing to again seek your formal support for our cause – the construction of a true, sustainable and environmentally responsible highway on the Southern Sunshine Coast.
The Society is organizing meetings with the new Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Rob Fleming, and Minister of State for Infrastructure Bowinn Ma along with their new senior staff to outline the existing and ever increasing need for a true highway.
In the past, you have confirmed that replacing our current “Goat Trail” with a properly designed highway is a vitally important component of our growing community. The broad community clearly agrees - as you know, over 6,400 residents of the Sunshine Coast expressed their concerns and dissatisfaction in a petition we submitted to the BC Legislature in March 2019.
Since then, the troubles and challenges of the current deficient route have resulted in numerous accidents and fatalities. There has also been a significant impact on business with traffic jams and heavy commercial vehicles travelling through narrow sections and residential neighbourhoods.
While it is easy to see the negative impacts of our current “Goat Trail”, we would suggest that construction of a new highway offers tremendous opportunities – to build an innovative, sustainable and environmentally responsible route that will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
We ask that you confirm your support of the need for a new highway in the very near future so we can confirm such to the Provincial authorities in due course.
Thank you, as always, for your support
Robin Merriott for SUNSHINE COAST HIGHWAY SOCIETY
www.SunshineCoastHighway.ca [email protected]
Page 117 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 118 of 140 Tracy Forster
Subject: FW: 2021 Census of Population / Recensement de la population de 2021
From: "Do Not Reply / Ne Pas Répondre (statcan/statcan)"
(La version française suit.)
Dear Mayor,
I am pleased to inform you that the next census will take place in May 2021. I am writing today to seek your support to increase awareness of the census among residents of your community.
For over a century, Canadians have relied on census data to tell them about how their country is changing and what matters to them. We all depend on key socioeconomic trends and census analysis to make important decisions that have a direct impact on our families, neighbourhoods and businesses. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Canada has adapted to ensure that the 2021 Census is conducted throughout the country in the best possible way, using a safe and secure approach.
Statistics Canada will be hiring approximately 32,000 people across the country to assist with census collection. We would like to work with you and your municipality to ensure that your residents are aware and informed of these job opportunities.
Furthermore, your support in encouraging your residents to complete the census will have a direct impact on gathering the data needed to plan, develop and evaluate programs and services such as schools, daycare, family services, housing, emergency services, roads, public transportation and skills training for employment.
If you would like to express your municipality's support for the census, please share the municipal council resolution text below with your residents:
Be it resolved that: The Council of the Corporation of (NAME OF CITY/TOWN/MUNICIPALITY) supports the 2021 Census, and encourages all residents to complete their census questionnaire online at www.census.gc.ca. Accurate and complete census data support programs and services that benefit our community.
In the coming weeks, a member of our communications team may contact you to discuss ways in which we can work together. Should you have any questions, please contact us at statcan.censusoutreach.west- [email protected].
Thank you in advance for supporting the 2021 Census.
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Page 119 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Yours sincerely,
Geoff Bowlby Director General, Census Management Office Statistics Canada / Government of Canada
Bonjour,
J'ai le plaisir de vous informer que le prochain recensement se déroulera en mai 2021. Par la présente, je sollicite votre appui afin de mieux faire connaître le recensement aux résidents de votre collectivité.
Depuis plus d'un siècle, la population canadienne s'appuie sur les données du recensement pour se renseigner sur l'évolution du pays et sur ce qui compte pour elle. Nous nous fions tous aux tendances socioéconomiques clés et à l'analyse des données du recensement pour prendre d'importantes décisions qui ont une incidence directe sur nos familles, nos quartiers et nos entreprises. En réponse à la pandémie de COVID-19, Statistique Canada s'est adapté afin de veiller à ce que le Recensement de la population de 2021 soit mené partout au pays de la meilleure façon possible, au moyen d'une approche sécuritaire.
Statistique Canada embauchera environ 32 000 personnes partout au pays pour aider à la collecte des données du recensement. Nous aimerions travailler avec vous et votre municipalité afin que les résidents de votre collectivité soient avisés et informés de ces possibilités d'emplois.
De plus, vos efforts pour encourager les résidents de votre municipalité à remplir leur questionnaire du recensement auront une incidence directe sur la collecte des données nécessaires pour planifier, élaborer et évaluer des programmes et des services tels que les écoles, les garderies, les services à la famille, le logement, les services d'urgence, les routes, les transports publics et la formation pour acquérir des compétences nécessaires à l'emploi.
Si vous souhaitez exprimer le soutien de votre municipalité au recensement, veuillez communiquer aux résidents le texte de résolution du conseil municipal suivant :
Qu'il soit résolu que : Le Conseil de la Corporation de (NOM DE LA VILLE OU DE LA MUNICIPALITÉ) appuie le Recensement de 2021 et encourage tous les résidents à remplir leur questionnaire du recensement en ligne au www.recensement.gc.ca. Des données du recensement exactes et complètes soutiennent des programmes et des services qui profitent à notre collectivité.
Au cours des prochaines semaines, un membre de notre équipe des communications pourrait communiquer avec vous afin de discuter des façons de travailler ensemble. Si vous avez des questions, n'hésitez pas à communiquer avec nous au statcan.censusoutreach.west-rayonnementdurec.ouest.statcan@canada.ca.
Je vous remercie à l'avance de votre appui au Recensement de 2021.
Je vous prie d'accepter mes sincères salutations.
Geoff Bowlby Directeur général, Bureau de gestion du recensement Statistique Canada / Gouvernement du Canada
2
Page 120 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021
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Page 121 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 122 of 140 Tracy Forster
Subject: FW: Guiding Lights Across BC - Feb 22 2021 - Town of Gibsons
From: BC Provincial Commissioner
Dear Town of Gibsons,
On behalf of Girl Guides of Canada’s British Columbia Council, I am writing to ask for your support for girl empowerment in BC this February 22 by lighting up your municipal hall or local landmarks in the colour blue with exterior lighting or indoor lighting in building windows. By doing so, you'll be joining dozens of other participating 'blue' sites across BC including the BC Legislature, BC Place, Science World, Canada Place, the Royal BC Museum, Surrey Civic Plaza, Port Coquitlam City Hall, Whistler's Fitzsimmons Bridge, Penticton's South Okanagan Events Centre, Quesnel's Fraser River Footbridge, Trail's Victoria Street Bridge, Parksville's Civic and Technology Centre, North Vancouver's Presentation House Theatre, and many more.
Every year on February 22, Girl Guides celebrate World Thinking Day, a day of international friendship. It is an opportunity to speak out on issues that affect girls and young women, celebrate the founding of Girl Guides, and be connected to the 10 million members around the world who are part of the Guiding movement.
Here in British Columbia, we have thousands of girls and women who are members of Girl Guides of Canada. We have Girl Guide programs in nearly every community in BC ‐ including in Gibsons ‐ and our girls/volunteers light up their communities year‐round through leadership, community service, and efforts to create a better world, by girls. Girls typically participate in annual Thinking Day activities held on/around February 22. Due to the impacts of COVID‐19, our usual large gatherings, campfire singalongs, community events, special camps, and other activities are impacted, so this year will look different than usual.
For Thinking Day 2021, we will be celebrating in a way that is COVID‐friendly, keeps our communities safe, and brings a smile to the faces of girls, families, volunteers, and the public: Guiding Lights Across British Columbia. This community initiative will light up outdoor landmarks, bridges, buildings, stadiums, and other illuminated locations, with blue lights, in celebration of the sisterhood of Guiding across BC and beyond, on February 22. Blue is the well‐known colour of Girl Guides and girls/women in BC have worn their blue Girl Guide uniforms with pride for many generations.
We will be mobilizing our members to admire these lit‐up sites in ways that comply with COVID‐19 rules (both from public health authorities and Girl Guides' own member safety protocols) in effect at that time, posting photos on social media, emailing our members with info about how to participate, and more. We are excited for this open‐air opportunity that will enable everyone to safely celebrate.
Our Girl Guide members and broader network of supporters would be thrilled to have your landmarks lit up as part of Guiding Lights Across British Columbia, and to highlight your participation as part of this province‐wide event. Please contact us at bc‐[email protected] to confirm your ability to participate in this February 22, 2021 activity. 1
Page 123 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021
Thank you for your support for Guiding in BC!
Diamond Isinger Provincial Commissioner (BC) Girl Guides of Canada‐Guides du Canada
Diamond Isinger | Provincial Commissioner | British Columbia Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada
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Page 124 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 The City of North Vancouver OFFICE OF MAYOR LINDA BUCHANAN
January 11, 2021
Hon. George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and Minister responsible for Translink
Sent VIA email [email protected]
Dear Minister Heyman:
Re: Implementing a Province-wide Ban on Anticoagulant Rodenticides
As Mayor of the City of North Vancouver and on behalf of Council, I want to congratulate you on your recent re-election and appointment to the Executive Council.
Despite the ongoing pandemic resulting from the novel coronavirus, we cannot slow down on our response to the climate emergency. I’m encouraged by your background in solutions-oriented negotiations and policy. Now more than ever we need bold, progressive action.
On the North Shore we have had several owls consume rat poison and become dangerously ill. The use of anticoagulant rodenticides poses serious threats to B.C. wildlife and ecosystems through primary and secondary poisoning of non-target species, and have the potential to harm children and pets. To address this issue locally, Council passed a motion just prior to the 2020 Provincial election to ban the use of anticoagulant rodenticides with in the City of North Vancouver.
The motion contained the following active clause:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of North Vancouver create a formal ban on the use of anticoagulant rodenticides on all municipal property and take advantage of opportunities to communicate alternative pest control methods to residents and businesses;
AND THAT Council request that the Mayor write, on behalf of Council, to the Province of BC requesting that the Province ban anticoagulant rodenticides, and that letter be shared with all other local governments in BC.
I therefore humbly request that the Province consider a B.C.-wide ban and find new ways to address the rodent population that does not threaten the wellbeing of other animals dwelling within urban areas.
I appreciate your consideration. Please contact my staff at [email protected] if you require any additional information.
Yours truly,
Mayor Linda Buchanan c.c. Bowinn Ma, MLA North Vancouver-Lonsdale All municipal Councils across B.C. via Clerks Departments
141 West 14th Street, North Vancouver, BC V7M 1H9 | Tel: 604-998-3280 | Fax: 604-990-4211 | www.cnv.org | Doc#1908249
Page 125 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021 Page 126 of 140
TOWN OF GIBSONS
Bylaw No. 1288, 2021
A Bylaw to establish an Advisory Design Panel in the Town of Gibsons
NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Town of Gibsons in open meeting assembled enacts as follows:
1. CITATION
1.1 This Bylaw may be cited as the “Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021.”
2. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVISORY DESIGN PANEL
2.1 An Advisory Design Panel is established to advise Council upon:
2.1.1 The design quality of development applications (including but not limited to form and character Development Permits, Zoning Amendments, and OCP Amendments) referred to it from the Planning and Development Services Department and/or Council and to make recommendations to Council on the approval process.
3. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
3.1 The Design Panel provides a community and quality design perspective on the development application review process and advises Council on the approval process.
3.2 The Design Panel considers the following:
3.2.1 Development Permit Area guidelines outlined in the Official Community Plan;
3.2.2 General principles of good design and practicality of implementing the design improvements as may be suggested by the Design Panel.
3.2.3 New buildings and structures harmonize with neighbouring development;
3.2.4 The building design is of high quality and contributes to the improvement of the public realm;
3.2.5 Ample pedestrian orientation and circulation in commercial and multi-family development;
3.2.6 Integration of economic health, social equity, land use, sustainability, and environmental stewardship into the development;
3.2.7 Due regard for public safety and accessibility;
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Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021
3.2.8 The intended function of the project, and the existing and future context within which the project is located; and
3.2.9 Compliance with other relevant Town bylaws (such as the Tree Preservation Bylaw);
4. COMPOSITION
4.1 The Advisory Design Planning is comprised of six (6) regular members. The Advisory Design Panel shall consist of:
4.1.1 Two (2) architects (members of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia);
4.1.2 One (1) landscape architect (member of the British Columbia Society of Landscape architects) or landscape specialist from a related background;
4.1.3 Three (3) residents and/or property owners of the Town of Gibsons with a combination of backgrounds in:
engineering, urban planning, accessibility, community heritage, real estate, industry, construction, affordable housing, building design, arboriculture, crime prevention, and other fields of specific interest to development form and character.
4.2 Whenever possible, and where professional qualifications identified in section 4.1 are equal, positions on the Design Panel are to be filled by residents and/or property owners of the Town of Gibsons.
5. APPOINTMENT AND MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Council shall appoint all members to the Design Panel.
5.2 Council shall appoint one member as Chair of the Design Panel, and one member as Vice-Chair of the Design Panel.
5.3 The members appointed by Council shall hold office at the pleasure of Council for a two year term commencing January 1st in the year they are appointed and terminating two (2) years later on December 31st, except the initial appointees, three (3) of whom shall hold office from the date of appointment until the 31st of December 2021 and three (3) of whom shall hold office from the date of appointment until the 31st of December 2022.
5.4 Notwithstanding Section 5.3, all members shall continue to hold office until their successors are appointed. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the membership of the Advisory Design Panel, Council shall appoint a person to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term of office of the member being replaced.
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Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021
5.5 Advisory Design Panel members can be removed by a resolution of Council.
5.6 No member of the Advisory Design Panel shall serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms.
5.7 As a condition of appointment, each member shall acknowledge in writing his or her obligations under this bylaw, the bylaws of the Town, and all applicable provisions of the Community Charter and Local Government Act, including but not limited to the conflict of interest requirements contained in Part 4 of the Community Charter.
5.8 All members appointed to the Panel shall serve without remuneration.
6. LIAISONS
6.1 The following representatives will participate as liaisons and as non-voting members on the Design Panel:
6.1.1 A member of Council (or designate);
6.1.2 The Director of Planning (or designate);
6.1.3 The Director of Infrastructure Services (or designate);
6.2 The role of the staff liaisons include:
6.2.1 Providing information and professional advice;
6.2.2 Serving as one of the communication channels to and from Council.
6.3 The role of the Council liaison includes:
6.3.1 Bringing such matters to the Design Panel’s attention as is appropriate for it to consider in support of Town of Gibsons’ Council direction;
6.3.2 Serving as one of the communication channels to and from Council.
7. VOTING
7.1 All matters before any meeting of the Advisory Design Panel shall be decided by a majority of the voting members present.
7.2 All appointed members of the Advisory Design Panel may vote on all questions. In the event of an equality of votes, the question shall be decided in the negative. Any member of the Advisory Design Panel who abstains from voting shall be deemed to have voted in the affirmative.
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Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021
8. ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON
8.1 Council shall appoint a Chairperson from among the Advisory Design Panel members at the beginning of each calendar year who shall preside at all meetings for the balance of the year.
8.2 If the Chairperson fails to attend any meeting of the Advisory Design Panel, the appointed members present shall elect one of their number to be Acting Chairperson and the member so elected shall preside at the meeting.
8.3 If the Chairperson ceases to be a member of the Advisory Design Panel, Council shall appoint a new Chairperson from among the Advisory Design Panel members who shall preside at all meetings for the balance of the year.
8.4 Chairpersonship is limited to a maximum of two years, unless an extension is recommended by the appointed members and approved by Council.
9. QUORUM
9.1 The quorum for the Design Panel is four (4) of the voting members appointed under section 3 (Composition).
9.2 If a quorum is not present within fifteen (15) minutes of the time fixed for a meeting, the Chairperson shall record the names of the members present and the Chairperson shall call another meeting.
10. MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE
10.1 Meetings shall be conducted according to the Community Charter, the Town of Gibsons Procedure Bylaw and in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order.
10.2 The Design Panel shall meet as often as determined by the Director of Planning, in the Council Chambers or another designated meeting space as decided by the Design Panel.
10.3 Meetings shall generally be held once a month and not more than twice a month, as determined by the Director of Planning.
10.5 Save with respect to matters expressly dealt with or provided for in this bylaw, the rules governing proceedings of the Advisory Design Panel shall be those governing the proceedings of Council under the Procedure Bylaw, insofar as the said rules may be applicable.
10.6 The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Advisory Design Panel, and shall preserve order and decide all points of order which may arise, subject to an appeal to the other members present. All such appeals will be decided without debate.
10.7 No act or proceeding of the Advisory Design Panel is valid unless it is authorized by resolution at a meeting.
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Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021
10.8 Any appointed member of the Advisory Design Panel who is absent from five (5) consecutive regular meetings, without leave or valid reason satisfactory to the Advisory Design Panel, shall be deemed to have resigned.
10.9 If the Advisory Design Panel is considering an amendment to a plan or bylaw, or the issue of a permit, the applicant for amendment, or permit is entitled to attend meetings of the Advisory Design Panel and be heard.
10.10 The Planning Department shall contact an applicant for a bylaw amendment or a permit, prior to the meeting of the Advisory Design Panel at which the bylaw amendment or the permit is to be considered, to advise the applicant of his or her entitlement to appear before the Advisory Design Panel. The Planning Department will forward the information to the applicant and the applicant will contact the Chairperson.
10.11 Presentations to the Design Panel shall not exceed ten (10) minutes, with the possibility that a motion can be made to extend the presentation as required.
11. MINUTES
11.1 The Director of Corporate Services shall supply a Recording Secretary for the Advisory Design Panel who shall be responsible for the preparation of the agendas and minutes of the meetings.
11.2 Minutes shall be taken in accordance with the Council Procedure Bylaw and shall also include:
11.2.1 Record of all motions and voting decisions of the Advisory Design Panel members;
11.2.2 An overview of the primary factors considered by the Advisory Design Panel in making a decision.
11.2.3 Summary of dissenting opinions, if any.
11.3 Minutes of the Advisory Design Panel shall be signed by the Chairperson or Acting-Chairperson presiding at the meeting.
11.4 Minutes shall be made available to all members of the Advisory Design Panel, Council, and the public.
12. ANNUAL BUDGET
12.1 All items of revenue and expenditure relating to the activities of the Advisory Design Panel shall be included in the annual budget.
12.2 No expenditure shall be made by the Advisory Design Panel that is not provided for in the annual budget of the Town of Gibsons or the annual budget as amended.
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Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021
12.3 All monies received by the Advisory Design Panel shall be paid into the hands of the Financial Officer of the Town of Gibsons for deposit to the credit of the Town in a general fund bank account.
12.4 Accounts for authorized expenditures of the Advisory Design Panel shall be paid by the Financial Officer of the Town of Gibsons in the same manner as other accounts.
13. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
13.1 If a Advisory Design Panel member attending a meeting of the Advisory Design Panel considers that he or she is not entitled to participate in the discussion of a matter or to vote on a question in respect of a matter because the Advisory Design Panel member has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the matter or for any other reason, the member must declare this and state the general nature of why the member considers this to be the case.
13.2 After making the declaration in accordance with Section 13.1, the Advisory Design Panel member
10.2.1 must not take part in the discussion of the matter and is not entitled to vote on any question in respect of the matter,
10.2.2 must immediately leave the meeting or that part of the meeting during which the matter is under consideration, and
10.2.3 must not attempt in any way, whether before, during or after the meeting, to influence the voting on any question in respect of the matter.
13.3 When the Advisory Design Panel member’s declaration is made under Section 13.1
10.3.1 the person recording the minutes of the meeting must record the member’s declaration, the reasons given for it, and the times of the member’s departure from the meeting room, and if applicable, the member’s return, and
10.3.2 the person presiding at the meeting must ensure that the member is not present at the meeting at the time of any vote on the matter.
14. AUTHORITY
14.1 The Design Panel has no decision-making authority.
14.2 The Design Panel has no delegated authority from Council.
14.3 The Design Panel is reminded that it cannot direct staff or take any action contrary to existing Council policies and directives.
Page 132 of 140 Regular Council Meeting Agenda - 19 Jan 2021
Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021
READ A FIRST TIME this the day of , 20XX
READ A SECOND TIME this the day of , 20XX
READ A THIRD TIME this the day of , 20XX
ADOPTED THIS the day of , 20XX
William Beamish, Mayor Lindsey Grist, Corporate Officer
Certified a true copy of “Town of Gibsons Advisory Design Panel Bylaw No. 1288, 2021”.
Lindsey Grist, Corporate Officer
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