This comment is specific to…

This comment is specific to the mapping of supposed “wetland hazards”. The maps that are being used in Halton are not ground truthed. Using these maps for land use planning decisions as well as you point out will impact and direct where new development will go. Since your maps lack ground truthing in the rural area as i have personally experienced with our wetlands on our property new development in the rural area will be judged by maps not ground truthed. If and when development application are submitted and the wetland hazard is actually a puddle of water and not significant then very expensive studies will need to be undertaken by the property owner to mitigate the scope of the wetland.
In the rural area this will have an impact on rural farms and rural land owners.
I see the importance of flood hazard mapping in the urban area where it affects people most but in the rural area why is Wetland Hazard mapping a necessity? Last year draft wetland mapping was released in halton and it increased the amount of wetlands by 20% throughout Halton and was not ground truthed. I had to undertake costly wetland evaluations to prove that they were incorrect and if i had to go through this on 1 property then this proves that many landowners do not even know that they have wetland maps on their property that were not ground truthed and COULD be incorrect. No one was properly or individually notified that there were changes to wetlands on their properties.
As a result they would not find this out until they apply for a permit for a building or addition or any other form of development. My final comment then is how can you make a policy based on maps that are not ground truthed and has not been perfected . Flood Hazard mapping is very valuable in the urban setting where many people live so why dont you concentrate on that?