Committees approve wildlife strategy and action plan

The City’s Environment and Climate Change Committee and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approved an updated wildlife strategy and action plan for Ottawa. In a joint meeting today, the Environment and Climate Change Committee and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approved an updated wildlife strategy and action plan to address persistent wildlife issues across Ottawa. There have been significant environmental changes since the current wildlife strategy was adopted in 2013. Ottawa has seen accelerated climate change impacts, greater prevalence of wildlife-transmitted diseases, increased human population with more people making use of Ottawa’s natural spaces, and greater recognition of the value of green and natural infrastructure. The City strengthened environmental policies when it adopted a new Official Plan in 2021, designating, for the first time, a connected system of natural areas to maintain the integrity of Ottawa’s natural landscapes and wildlife habitats. While the Official Plan will continue to be the City’s most important tool for protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat, the strategy also outlines a 10-point action plan that seeks to:

• Conserve wildlife habitat: Protecting habitat is the most effective way to reduce and manage human-wildlife conflicts. The City will continue to implement the environmental policies in the new Official Plan to conserve habitats in the long term, and to acquire additional natural lands.
• Improve public information, outreach and education: City staff will work to improve public knowledge around preventing and resolving human-wildlife conflicts.
• Monitor wildlife-transmitted diseases: Animal-transmitted diseases have become more prevalent since 2013 and the City will build on work done with Ottawa Public Health to monitor these diseases and the implications for managing wildlife and greenspaces. 
• Develop a plan to implement Official Plan policies on wildlife crossings and protection: Staff will identify and prioritize City road segments where wildlife crossings and other protection measures should be considered.
• Identify a means to recoup costs when the City assumes ownership of features to mitigate and compensate for habitat loss: New developments are often required to include features that mitigate and compensate for protected species and their habitats. Developers regularly seek to use City property, such as green space and road allowances, when building such features. The City would develop a financial means to recoup associated maintenance and replacement costs.
• Improve communication with the agricultural community about the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (OWDCP): Administered by municipalities, the OWDCP compensates agricultural producers for loss of domestic livestock to wildlife. The City will seek to increase familiarity with this program and consider ways to improve delivery. 
• Engage a wildlife resource specialist: Funding exists to create a wildlife resource specialist position. Once hired, the specialist would lead City wildlife response and management activities, supporting public education, outreach and other actions outlined in the strategy.
• Maintain existing beaver management solutions and evaluate alternative practices where possible: Current beaver management practices will remain legislatively necessary, both for municipal drains and engineered stormwater infrastructure, to ensure stormwater runoff is safely collected and managed to prevent flooding while protecting the environment. Outside of these instances, the City will explore using alternative beaver management practices, including flow devices and pond levelers.
• Support implementing the large wild mammal response protocol: The new wildlife resource specialist will coordinate the protocol for responding to reports of large wild mammals and directing them back into natural areas.
• Negotiate adopting Coyote Watch Canada’s Municipal Canid Response Strategy for a three-year pilot: The City will seek an agreement with Coyote Watch Canada (CWC) for a three-year pilot, implementing their approach to human-coyote conflicts. CWC provides trained volunteer teams to help with education, investigation, prevention and enforcement.

City Council will consider the Wildlife Strategy on Tuesday, June 25.