Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit Annual Report 2010 Awards and Recognition • The Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit (Co‐op Unit) was the winner of the Sudbury Community Builders Award in the Environment Category for 2010. This award recognizes persons or groups who have had an important positive impact on our environment, both man‐made and natural. The Award was presented to John Gunn, Bill Keller and Tom Johnston at a gala event on Feb. 18, 2010. • Dr. Norman Yan was the recipient of the York University faculty merit award • Before going on sabbatical (through 2009 and 2010) Dr. Randy Dirszowsky laid the groundwork and obtained administrative approval for the development of new programs (and a department) in Environmental Science and Environmental Studies at Laurentian University. The detailed work of obtaining committee approvals continued in his absence and the launch date has been set for September 2011. • Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit / Vale Living with Lakes Centre was the recipient of the Healthy Community Cabinet Award in the Environment category by the Healthy Community Initiative for the City of Greater Sudbury on Nov. 18, 2010. • John Gunn had his CRC position renewed in 2010 and also received a $530 K grant from CFI/OIT to support the equipment needs of the new research program. He was also asked to participate at the 10th anniversary event for the Canada Research Chairs at the Toronto Convention Centre on Nov. 24‐25, 2010 and presented a talk entitled “Can the Environment Save the Economy?” • Dave Pearson chaired the expert panel (Far North Science Advisory Panel) that provided science advice to the Minister of Natural Resources to assist in drafting of the Far North Act, Bill 191. The final report of the panel was submitted is April 2010. Bill 191 was approved by Parliament on Sept. 23, 2010. • TĀLER project: The research team of J. Gunn and W. Keller (Laurentian), N. Yan (York), J. McGeer (Wilfrid Laurier), S. Watmough (Trent) and D. Kreutzweiser (Can. Forest Serv.) was awarded a 5 year $1 M research grant from NSERC/Vale/Xstrata through the Collaborative Research Development program on Aug. 8, 2010. The project entitled "Terrestrial Aquatic Linkages for Ecosystem Recovery" is designed to determine how terrestrial factors affect the recovery processes of aquatic systems under a variety of disturbance types (metal smelting, fire, logging) and to assess potential remedial measures. • The Vale Living with Lakes Centre was selected as one of the top 7 projects in Canada that were supported by the Federal Knowledge Infrastructure Program. Community Outreach • Biodiversity Challenge: Charles Ramcharan served as an environmental advisor. • CBC Radio Interviews: Dr. Charles Ramcharan represented the Co‐op Unit and Laurentian University on numerous occasions throughout 2010 providing information and education on a wide range of subjects from milfoil and cyanobacteria to the effects of snowmobiles on lakes when they fall through the ice. • Central Algoma Freshwater Coalition: Dave Kreutzweiser served as an advisor on development of their lake monitoring program. • Climate Change Consortium: Charles Ramcharan served as an environmental advisor. • EarthDay: The Co‐op Unit participated once again in the Sudbury Earth Day Festival organized by the Greater Sudbury Environmental Network. • Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations (FOCA): Dr. Charles Ramcharan presented a talk at the annual meeting entitled ‘Past, Present, and Future Stresses on Northern Lakes’ in August. • Greater Sudbury Water Alliance: Dr. Charles Ramcharan serves in this group supporting citizens in their efforts to reduce residential phosphorus discharges in the Greater Sudbury area. • Greenspace Advisory Panel: Peter Beckett served as a technical resource person assisting in defining conservation areas in Sudbury. • Healthy Community Cabinet: Charles Ramcharan served as an environmental advisor. • Junction Creek Stewardship Committee: Peter Beckett, John Gunn and Karen Oman, among others, provide considerable technical advice and other resources to this committee. 2 • NSERC Scholarships and Fellowships Selection Committee: Dr. Yves Alarie was a member in 2010 representing Earth Science and Ecology. • Picture our Lakes Photography Contest: The Co‐op Unit again took a lead role with Artists on Elgin, in a contest to celebrate the more than 330 lakes in the city’s boundaries. Over 300 photos were submitted. At the awards presentation at City Hall, the Co‐op Unit was represented by Dr. Charles Ramcharan who delivered a presentation on the status of City Lakes. The Co‐op Unit continues to work toward its goal of promoting lake stewardship within the general public through this contest related education. • Rainbow Routes: Peter Beckett is an Environmental Advisor for Rainbow Routes and has led field trips and contributed to the development of curriculum for schools called “Learning with Trails”. The Ramsey Lake Road Trail has been completed. • Source Water Protection Program: Charles Ramcharan has served as an environmental advisor. • VETAC: Peter Beckett chairs this committee and participates in various subcommittees. Vale Living with Lakes Centre Project Update A picture is worth a thousand words. It’s almost done and the movers arrive April 11, 2011. Oct. 27, 2010 Jan. 26, 2011 3 Vale Living with Lakes Centre Financial Goals 1. Complete construction under budget ($20.52M) 2. Reduce annual operating costs through investment in “green infrastructure” – save $1M over 20 years 3. Complete research enhancement Fund ($7M for scholarships, equipment and staff) Living with Lakes Centre Fundraising Revenue Capital Project Vale $4,500,000 Industry Canada (Knowledge Infrastructure Program) $5,152,676 Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities $5,000,000 FEDNOR $2,475,000 NOHFC $2,000,000 CFI OIT $800,000 F. Jean MacLeod Trust $150,000 City Of Sudbury $100,000 Holcim Foundation $25,000 Other Private Contributions $49,824 Total Funding $20,252,500 Research Enhancement – Goal $7,000,000 Ministry of the Environment $840,000 City of Greater Sudbury $400,000 EJLB Foundation $30,000 Next 50 Campaign $83,000 Total Research Funding to Date $1,353,000 Research Funding Target $7,000,000 Still to Raise $5,647,000 Far North Science Advisory Panel David Pearson (chair) and John Gunn were members of the Far North Science Advisory Panel that submitted its report, “Science for a Changing Far North”, to the Ministry of Natural Resources in June 2010. The Panel reviewed the drivers of environmental and ecological change in the region and made 6 recommendations with a further 13 components. Recommendations 4 emphasized the need for a landscape scale approach to planning and the vulnerability of the ecosystems to multiple stressors, especially in the light of rapid climate change; urged that the existing moratorium on large scale hydroelectric developments be maintained; highlighted the need for science information in the context of an adaptive management approach; and argued that the design of communication and transmission corridors should from the outset recognize community needs and ecological features. Panel members attended the two‐day “Science for a Changing North” workshop held at Laurentian in late October 2009. The report is available at http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/FarNorth/2ColumnSubPage/266512.html The recommendations are as follows: 1) Create a coordinated government‐wide strategy for the management of interim and on‐ going development 2) Immediately designate the “Ring of Fire” as a priority management area with an interim sub‐regional planning process. 3) Immediately establish the “Far North Land Use Strategy” i) Conduct land use planning to protect the ecological integrity of the region as a whole while also achieving socio‐economic objectives; ii) Mitigate climate change by preventing or minimizing the loss of carbon storage in biomass and soil; iii) Consider the impacts of climate change in land use planning; iv) Establish a framework for protecting areas of cultural and ecological significance; v) Use watersheds or other natural boundaries as the basis for establishing protected areas; vi) Coordinate planning and management across administrative boundaries. 4) Plan development incrementally, in a considered, proactive fashion i) Assess and manage cumulative impacts; ii) Maintain the existing moratorium on large scale hydro‐electric development and extend it to include inter‐basin water diversions; iii) Plan transportation and transmission corridors in a coordinated fashion, recognizing community needs and protecting significant ecological features; iv) Prevent the introduction of invasive species. 5) Apply the best continuous learning approaches through adaptive management i) Base management decisions on the best available knowledge but regularly revisit and revise strategies as the knowledge base improves; ii) Support planning and management with an appropriate decision‐support system. 6) Provide communities and governments with the necessary information resources for planning and management i) Create a Far North information system to facilitate the use of best available knowledge, including Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge; 5 ii) Improve the available information base through a comprehensive inventory, enhanced monitoring, and special studies. NSERC CRD Program‐ TĀLER Terrestrial Aquatic Linkages for Ecosystem Recovery 2010‐2015 This industrial research grant program is supported by NSERC, Vale Ltd. and Xstrata Ltd. and is designed