This report card was prepared by a team of technical experts from nine individual Conservation Authorities that comprise the Conservation Moraine Coalition (CAMC) to provide science-based information on the environmental health of the Oak Ridges Moraine and adjacent Greenbelt lands.
The report card concludes that while implementation of the Greenbelt Plan and the ORMCP have helped to maintain environmental health, additional municipal tools and stewardship are needed to restore and enhance the environmental health of these lands."
Informing the 2015 review of the Greenbelt Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP), a total of nine indicators were selected to assess the environmental health of Greenbelt lands and waters, grouped into four categories: Forest Conditions, Surface Water Quality, Groundwater Quality, and Stream Temperature and Coldwater Fish.
The report card concludes that while implementation of the Greenbelt Plan and the ORMCP have helped to maintain environmental health, additional municipal tools and stewardship are needed to restore and enhance the environmental health of these lands.
Recommendations also include but not limited to:
- Renew partnerships among the Province, Conservation Authorities, Municipalities, and the agricultural sector to increase funding for watershed stewardship tools and programs.
- Increase implementation and enforcement of municipal tools, like tree cutting and fill bylaws, erosion and sediment controls, and Source Water Protection policies.
- Repeat this report card assessment prior to the next review of the Provincial Plans to assess and report on trends in the environmental health of the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt lands.
Trend information is very important for assessing the effectiveness of the Plans over time. This report card is best considered as baseline information against which future report cards using the indicators and methodology can be assessed for trends.
Read the full report:
