Gatineau Park: The Capital s Natural Jewel. Presented by Christie Spence Canadian Institute of Forestry AGM Ottawa, September 28, 2017

Gatineau Park: The Capital s Natural Jewel Presented by Christie Spence Canadian Institute of Forestry AGM Ottawa, September 28, 2017

Gatineau Park The Capital s Conservation Park - foremost green space in Canada s Capital Region 361 km 2 - natural lands with road network, enclave communities (private property) 15 minutes to Parliament Hill

Background Order in Council to create Park in July 1938 1950 Gréber Plan proposes major expansion 33,000 hectare park Successive land acquisitions by NCC since 1959 Long-term objective to acquire National Interest Land Mass properties Authority granted to the NCC to acquire any lands in 2008 41 properties acquired since 2008

Environment 80% forests, 50 lakes Numerous water courses & wetlands, open fields Rare ecosystems: Eardley Escarpment Pink Lake Over 5,000 species >150 Species at Risk Environmental legal obligations

Recreation and Culture 600,000 people make 2.6 million visits year round Outdoor recreation: Beaches, hiking, cycling, parkways, camping, picnic areas, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, downhill skiing Heritage sites Economic impact: $241.5 million annually to GDP

Challenges

Other Natural Resource Challenges Conserving Species at Risk Invasive species: Emerald Ash Borer, Dog-strangling vine, Eurasian Water Milfoil, Garlic Mustard, etc. Ecological isolation Impacts of climate change: floods, fire

NATURAL CAPITAL The Economic Value of the Na9onal Capital Commission s Green Network

The Study Area FIGURE 1. NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION S GREEN NETWORK LA PÊCHE VAL DES MONTS L'ANGE GARDIEN 10% of lands in Canada s Capital Region: CANTLEY PONTIAC CHELSEA GATINEAU 473 km2 OTTAWA Municipal Boundaries Gatineau Park Greenbelt Other NCC Land National Capital Region 5 0 5 10 km 2.2 Gatineau Park Gatineau Park, located where the Canadian Shield meets the St. Lawrence Lowlands and the Ottawa River meets the Gatineau River in the province of Québec, is home to many unique and diversified ecosystems and heritage features. It covers 36,131 hectares (361 square kilometres) and represents 7.7% of the total NCR area. Just 15 minutes from Parliament Hill, Gatineau Park is a prime destination for visitors and residents alike, with more than 2.7 million visits each year. Activities such

Ecosystem Services SUPPORTING PROVISIONING REGULATION CULTURAL Landscape Aesthetics Nature appreciation Biological Control Nutrient Cycling ` Food Products Pollination Climate Regulation Non- Timber products Erosion Control Soil Formation Air Quality Regulation Water Quality Regulation Timber

Ecosystem Services Ecosystems: Provide or produce services useful to humans Contribute to health, well-being, and a healthy environment: Clear air, fresh water, recreation, aesthetic value, etc. Reduce costs associated with infrastructure: Water filtration, erosion control, flood prevention, etc.

Types of benefits Direct benefits: monetary value Construction wood Agricultural products Fresh water Non-woody forest products Indirect benefits : not traded in traditional markets Air quality control Water filtration Climate regulation and carbon sequestration Wildlife habitat Erosion control

Methodology 1) Spa9al designa9on of the study area 2) Classifica9on and mapping of the land use cover 3) ES valua9on 4) Calcula9on of total ES valua9on and breakdown by cover classes 5) Spa9al analysis of ES valua9on

2) Classification and mapping of the land use cover Land use cover class Area (ha) Area (%) Rural Wetlands 2417 4.4 Urban Wetlands 36 0.1 Rural Forests (Broadleaf) 15,208 27.6 Rural Forests (Mixedwood) 21,660 39.3 Rural Forests (Coniferous) 1260 2.3 Urban Forests (Broadleaf) 511 0.9 Urban Forests (Mixedwood) 983 1.8 Urban Forets (Coniferous) 58 0.1 Agriculture (Barley) 104 0.2 Agriculture (Beans) 3 0.0 Agriculture (Berries) 17 0.0 Agriculture (Corn) 769 1.4 Agriculture (Fallow) 1 0.0 Agriculture (Oats) 3 0.0 Agriculture (Other grains) 27 0.0 Agriculture (Pasture/forages) 2320 4.2 Agriculture (Soybeans) 2362 4.3 Prairie and Pasture Cropland Urban Forest Rural Forest Urban Wetland Rural Wetland Aquatic Area Built-up Area Other 0 5 10 km Agriculture (Wheat) 20 0.0 Freshwater Systems 2722 4.9 Urban/developed 4642 8.4 TOTAL 55,123 100.0

3) ES valuation 1) Market pricing: Determined value of economic rents for agricultural systems (food products) 2) Replacement cost method: Used the value of the social cost of carbon (expected damage due to climate change) to assess value of the climate regulation service. 3) Benefit transfer method: Database contains 149 monetary estimates from 78 different studies published between 1990 and 2016, and mainly from sites in the United States, Canada, and European countries. Used to assess most nonmarket ES.

4) Calculation of total forest ES value Ecosystem Services Nb. of $ estimates Total area (ha) Min. value Max. value Mean St. deviation Method Total value ($k/y) ($ per hectare per year) Urban Forests 15 1552 6816 14,333 9352 14,514.3 Global Climate Regulation 1 - - 241 nd RC 374.0 Air Quality 1 - - 554 nd BT 859.8 Water Provisioning 3 203 609 340 233 BT 527.7 Waste Treatment 1 - - 140 nd BT 217.3 Erosion Control 3 111 396 211 160 BT 327.5 Pollination 1 - - 31 nd MP 48.1 Biodiversity Habitat 3 444 7160 2688 3873 BT 4,171.8 Disturbance Prevention 2 4975 5085 5030 78 BT 7,806.6 Pest Management 1 - - 42 nd BT 65.2 Nutrient Cycling - - - - - - - Recreation 1 - - 75 nd MP 116.4 Rural Forests 36 38,128 521,2 16,991 4183 159,489.4 Global Climate Regulation 1 - - 241 nd RC 9188.9 Air Quality 1 - - 10 nd BT 381.3 Water Provisioning 5 123 3053 839 1252 BT 31,989.4 Waste Treatment 4 26 806 318 344 BT 12,124.7 Erosion Control 6 1 536 137 202 BT 5,223.5 Pollination 1 - - 31 nd MP 1,182.0 Rural Forest (Coniferous) Biodiversity Habitat Rural Forest (Deciduous) Disturbance Prevention Rural Forest (Mixed) Pest Management Urban Forest (Coniferous) Nutrient Cycling Urban Forest (Deciduous) Recreation Urban Forest (Mixed) 14-2 3 1 0.1-14 0.1-11,349-42 848-2186 - 28 318 75 3673-20 462 nd BT - BT BT MP 83,347.8-1067.6 12,124.7 2859.6 BT: Benefit transfer; RC: Replacement cost; MP: Market pricing 0 5 10 km

4) Calculation of total ES value Ecosystem Services Urban Forests Rural Forests Wetlands Croplands $ per hectare per year Prairies, grasslands Agricultural Products - - 919 116 - Global Climate Regulation 241 241 1168-418 - Air Quality 554 10 - - - - Water Provisioning 340 839 31 - - - Freshwater Systems Waste Treatment 140 318 15,893 - - 48 Erosion Control 211 137-106 109 - Pollination 31 31 - - 31 - Biodiversity Habitat 2688 2186 21,461-2324 10 Disturbance Prevention 5030-20,766 - - - Pest Management 42 28 - - 42 - Nutrient Cycling - 318-174 147 - Aesthetics - 75-76 76 4 Recreation 75 75 75 88 75 75 TOTAL 9352 4183 59,394 1363 3338 137

5) Spatial analysis of ES valuation $0 - $1,000 $1,000 - $3,000 $3,000 - $5,000 $5,000 - $10,000 $10,000 - $50,000 More than $50,000 0 5 10 km

Overview of results Wetlands $59 394/hectare/yr Urban Forests $9 352/hectare/yr Rural Forests $4 193 /hectare/yr Prairies and grasslands $3 338 /hectare/yr Crop lands $1 363 /hectare/yr Aquatic habitats $137 /hectare/yr

Conclusion Value of some ecosystem services estimated: -not a precise measurement. NCC lands provide ecosystem services with a minimum value of $332 million per year,, for a total value of greater than $5 billion over 20 years. Enhance awareness of values of publicly held lands in Canada s Capital input to long-range planning and decision-making.

Link to study http://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/posts/natural-capital-the-economicvalue-of-ncc-green-spaces

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