City of Markham Natural Environment Report Markham Highway 404 North Collector Roads February 28, 2020 B000801 Submitted by: CIMA Canada Inc 415 Baseline Road West, 2nd Floor Bowmanville, ON L1C 5M2 City of Markham Natural Environment Report Markham Highway 404 Collector Roads Schedule ‘C’ Class Environmental Assessment Project No. B000801 PREPARED BY: ______________________________ Elysia Friedl Junior Environmental Professional ______________________________ Valérie Bédard, B.Sc. Project Manager, Environment VERIFIED BY: ______________________________ Kai Markvorsen, B.Sc. Project Manager, Environment CIMA+ 415 Baseline Road West, 2nd Floor Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 5M2 905-697-4464 February 28, 2020 Markham Highway 404 North Collector Roads EA Natural Environment Report February 2020 Table of Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 2. Scope of the Assessment .................................................................................... 1 3. Landscape Features ............................................................................................. 2 Ecoregion ................................................................................................................. 2 Surficial Geology, Bedrock Geology and Topography.......................................... 2 Watershed ................................................................................................................ 2 Watershed and Watercourses .................................................................................... 2 Wetland Habitat ........................................................................................................ 3 Vegetation Community ............................................................................................ 3 Bird Community ....................................................................................................... 6 Amphibian and Reptile Community ........................................................................ 6 Mammal Community ................................................................................................ 6 Insect Community .................................................................................................... 6 Aquatic Community ................................................................................................. 7 4. Assessment of Natural Heritage System ........................................................... 7 Result of Background Review................................................................................. 7 Provincial Designations .............................................................................................. 7 Conservation Authority Designation ........................................................................... 8 Municipal Planning Designations ............................................................................... 8 Species at Risk Screening .....................................................................................12 Significant Wildlife Habitat Assessment ...............................................................14 5. Preferred Alternative .......................................................................................... 14 6. Potential Impacts and Proposed Mitigation Measures ................................... 17 Impacts to Bruce & Berczy Creek Provincially Significant Wetland Complex ...17 Impacts to Significant Wildlife Habitat and Species at Risk, Wildlife and Migratory Birds .......................................................................................................................19 Impacts to trees and woodlands ............................................................................20 Impacts to Biodiversity through the spread of Invasive Plant Species ..............20 Impacts to Air Quality Associated with Construction Activities .........................21 B000801-Natural Environment Report_v09 FINAL.docx i Markham Highway 404 North Collector Roads EA Natural Environment Report February 2020 Impacts associated with changes in noise levels ................................................22 Spills Management Associated with Construction Activities ..............................22 7. Policy and Legislation Review .......................................................................... 22 Environmental Assessment Act ............................................................................22 Fisheries Act ...........................................................................................................23 Migratory Birds Convention Act ............................................................................23 Planning Act ............................................................................................................23 Provincial Policy Statement .......................................................................................24 Region of York Official Plan ......................................................................................24 City of Markham Official Plan ....................................................................................26 Endangered Species Act ........................................................................................30 Conservation Authorities Act.................................................................................30 Invasive Species Act ..............................................................................................31 Actions Required During Final Design ..................................................................31 8. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 33 9. References .......................................................................................................... 34 List of Appendices Appendix A – Records of Correspondence Appendix B – Photographic Log Appendix C – Biological Inventory Lists B000801-Natural Environment Report_v09 FINAL.docx ii Markham Highway 404 North Collector Roads EA Natural Environment Report February 2020 1. Introduction CIMA Canada Inc. (CIMA+) was retained by the City of Markham to conduct a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) for the Highway 404 North Planning District Secondary Plan. The study area extends approximately 400 metres north of 19th Avenue in the north, 600 metres north of Elgin Mills Road in the south, to Highway 404 in the west and Woodbine Avenue in the East (Figure 1). The project has been categorized under the MCEA process as a Schedule ‘C’ Class EA project which has the potential for significant environmental effects as outlined in the Municipal Class Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (October 2000, as amended in 2007, 2011 and 2015). This Natural Environment Review is provided as part of the background information necessary for the evaluation of alternatives. 2. Scope of the Assessment Previous studies have been completed for the Study Area from 2008 to 2015 to support development plans in the area. Available existing information relevant to the Study Area was reviewed to document known or potential natural heritage features and functions. These data sets included: • Aerial imagery (current and historic); • Ontario Geological Survey Maps; • Prior site investigations and reports conducted in relation to the proposed development; • 2008 Highway 404 North Planning District (OPA 149); • 2010 Master Environmental Servicing Plan (MESP); • 2015 Road Crossing of Highway 404 EA; • Data published through wildlife atlases; • Environment mapping in Official Plans; • Fish and wildlife data records from the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC); • Watershed monitoring reports related to the Rouge River Watershed; • Natural heritage features identified through Land Information Ontario; and • Data sets provided by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) A site visit was completed within the preferred road corridors by CIMA+ biologists on June 11th and 12th, 2019 to confirm presence or absence of the features identified from the background review, and make general observations of habitat conditions on site. Site photographs from this B000801-Natural Environment Report_v09 FINAL.docx 1 Markham Highway 404 North Collector Roads EA Natural Environment Report February 2020 site visit are presented in Appendix B, and incidental observations of wildlife were all recorded and are provided in section 4.6 to 4.11. 3. Landscape Features Ecoregion The study area is located within Ecoregion 7E (Lake Erie-Lake Ontario). 7E is the most southern ecoregion and extends from Windsor and Sarnia in the east to the Niagara Peninsula and Toronto, with the shoreline on Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario. The flora and fauna of this ecoregion are the most diverse in Canada, and this ecoregion supports the largest remnants of tall-grass prairie in the province (Ministry of Natural Resources, 2019). Surficial Geology, Bedrock Geology and Topography The Ontario Geological Survey Surficial Geology of Southern Ontario Map (Miscellaneous Release— Data 128) describes the soils of the south-east portion of the Study Area as fine textured massive to well laminated glaciolacustrine deposits made of silt and clay with minor sand and gravel. As for the north-west