City of Niagara Falls - Permit for activities to achieve an overall benefit to a species

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Type d'acte: Permit for activities to achieve an overall benefit to a species

Numéro du REO
019-5679
Numéro de référence du ministère
WC-C-002-22
Type d'avis
Instrument
Loi
Endangered Species Act , R.S.O. 2007
Affiché par
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Étape de l'avis
Décision
Décision publiée
Période de consultation
Du 11 août 2022 au 10 septembre 2022 (30 jours) Fermé
Dernière mise à jour

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Cette consultation a eu lieu :

du 11 août 2022
au 10 septembre 2022

Résumé de la décision

The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has issued an overall benefit permit to the City of Niagara Falls for a bridge replacement that may impact American Water-willow, a species at risk plant. The permit includes actions to minimize adverse effects and benefit the species, and monitoring and reporting requirements.

Détails de l'emplacement

Détails de l'emplacement du site

Beck Road Bridge, over Lyon’s Creek, Niagara Falls, ON

Carte de l'emplacement du site

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Promoteur(s)

City of Niagara Falls
4310 Queen Street
Niagara Falls, ON
L2E 6X5
Canada

Détails de la décision

On June 23rd, 2023, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks issued an overall benefit permit to City of Niagara Falls under subsection 17(1) of the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) concerning American Water-willow and its habitat.

The permit enables the applicant to replace the existing Beck Road Bridge, in the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The permit authorizes City of Niagara Falls to adversely impact:

  • American Water-willow individuals
  • approximately 31.2 m2 of American Water-willow habitat

Protecting species under the Endangered Species Act

Our government is committed to protecting species at risk and providing strong environmental oversight, while working to support infrastructure projects in the province.

Businesses, municipalities and other proponents are expected to take steps to ensure their projects avoid any adverse impacts on species at risk or their habitats. However, where avoidance is not possible, the ESA gives the Minister the discretion to authorize activities if certain conditions can be met.

The permit includes conditions that requires City of Niagara Falls to undertake measures that will:

  • minimize adverse effects to American Water-willow
  • achieve overall benefits to American Water-willow within a reasonable timeframe

Actions to minimize adverse effects to species

The permit requires City of Niagara Falls to carry out actions to minimize adverse effects on American Water-willow, including:

  • engaging qualified professionals to oversee that the permit conditions and mitigation measures are properly implemented on the site
  • providing species education and awareness training to all construction personnel working on site
  • salvaging and relocating individual American Water-willow plants likely to be impacted by the project, before construction begins
  • using cofferdams to minimize impacts to Lyon’s Creek and adjacent American Water-willow habitat
  • using measures to avoid the establishment of competing vegetation, including invasive species, while cofferdams are in place
  • using sediment and erosion control methods to avoid water quality impacts
  • ensuring water flow from dewatering does not adversely affect remaining plants near the site
  • installing exclusion fencing to prevent construction equipment, materials, and personnel from encroaching further into American Water-willow habitat
  • inspecting and repairing the exclusion fencing
  • monitoring mitigation measures to ensure they are effective and in good working order
  • replanting individuals and restoring damaged habitat, after construction

Actions to achieve an overall benefit to species

The permit requires City of Niagara Falls to carry out actions to achieve an overall benefit for both species within a reasonable timeframe. This includes:

  • creating at least 27.2 m2 of new habitat and establishing a new population at a suitable location
  • implementing an enhanced monitoring program to assess the feasibility of establishing new populations, and restoring historic populations, by investigating at least two of the following:
  • transplantation methods
  • propagation techniques
  • environmental factors
  • installing educational signage in collaboration with a local stewardship organization

These actions are expected to result in the following benefits for American Water-willow by:

  • increasing the area of occupation of American Water-willow by establishing a new population
  • addressing knowledge gaps on the feasibility of establishing new populations and restoring historic populations
  • improving public awareness

Other information

The following reasonable alternatives, including alternatives that would not adversely affect the species, were considered:

  • not proceeding with the bridge replacement, despite the remaining life of the bridge being 1-5 years
  • rehabilitating the existing bridge, extending its life by 5-10 years
  • constructing a new bridge in a new location
  • constructing a new bridge in the same location but with a shift in the alignment by several metres
  • proceeding with the bridge replacement by constructing a new wider bridge with the same alignment

The best alternative is to proceed with the bridge replacement by removing the existing bridge and constructing a new wider bridge at the same location and alignment. This alternative addresses the lifespan and safety concerns while minimizing the overall footprint of the project.

Ontario has published a government response statement (GRS) under section 12.1 of the ESA with respect to American Water-willow. The permit reflects the following objectives outlined in the GRS for these species:

  • maintaining current populations
  • assessing the appropriateness and feasibility of re-establishing populations
  • protecting habitat

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Documents justificatifs

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Certains documents justificatifs peuvent ne pas être accessibles en ligne. Si tel est le cas, vous pouvez demander à consulter les documents en personne.

Veuillez communiquer avec le bureau mentionné ci-dessous pour savoir si les documents sont accessibles.

Species at Risk Branch
Address

40 St Clair Ave West
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2
Canada

How to Appeal

Les appels ne sont pas autorisés

Ce type d’acte ne peut être porté en appel. En savoir plus sur notre processus de consultation.

Communiquer avec nous

Contact

April Mitchell

Phone number
Office
Species at Risk Branch - Land and Water Division
Address

435 James St. South
Suite 114
Thunder Bay, ON
P7E 6T1
Canada

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Proposition initiale

Numéro du REO
019-5679
Numéro de référence du ministère
WC-C-002-22
Type d'avis
Instrument
Loi
Endangered Species Act , R.S.O. 2007
Affiché par
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Proposition affichée

Période de consultation

11 août 2022 - 10 septembre 2022 (30 days)

Pourquoi une consultation n’est pas nécessaire

Although the permit proposal does relate to a plant, we are not required to consult on this permit proposal as the proponent is a municipality, and therefore does not meet the required criteria set out in subsection 1.3(6) of Ontario Regulation 681/94 of the Environmental Bill of Rights,1993. We are voluntarily posting this notice to advise the public of this proposal and to invite the public to submit written comments to the contact person identified in this notice.

Détails de la proposition

The City of Niagara Falls has submitted an application for an overall benefit permit under clause 17(2)(c) of the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) for impacts to American Water-willow so it can replace Beck Road Bridge over Lyon’s Creek, City of Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The proposal may adversely impact:

  • American Water-willow individuals
  • approximately 31.2 m2 of American Water-willow habitat

Protecting species under the Endangered Species Act

The Ontario government is committed to protecting species at risk and providing strong environmental oversight, while working to support development opportunities in the province.

Ontario provides protections for species at risk and their habitats under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). Sections 9 and 10 of the ESA provide protection for individual members of a species and their habitat if that species is listed on the Species at Risk in Ontario list as either:

  • extirpated
  • endangered
  • threatened

American Water-willow is listed on the Species at Risk in Ontario List as threatened; therefore, it is protected.

Habitat protection under subsection 10(1) of the ESA applies to American Water-willow.

Under clause 17(2)(c) of the ESA, the Minister may issue a permit authorizing a person to engage in an activity that would otherwise be prohibited by sections 9 or 10 of the ESA if the minister believes that:

  • an overall benefit to the species will be achieved within a reasonable time through the conditions of the permit
  • reasonable alternatives have been considered, including alternatives that would not negatively affect the species, and the best alternative has been adopted
  • reasonable steps to minimize negative effects on individual members of the species are required by conditions of the permit

Providing an overall benefit to a protected species under the ESA means improving circumstances for the species in Ontario. Overall benefit is:

  • more than "no net loss" or an exchange of "like for like"
  • grounded in the protection and recovery of the species at risk
  • more than mitigation measures or "replacing" what is lost

Actions to achieve an overall benefit to species

The City of Niagara Falls is working to identify proposed actions that would achieve an overall benefit for American Water-willow. These may involve:

  • establishing a new population of American Water-willow at a suitable location in the area
  • conducting detailed mapping and population monitoring of the existing, restored and new populations to examine population dynamics
  • comparing the success of transplanting and propagation to better understand the feasibility of restoring historic populations
  • increasing public awareness with educational signage, in collaboration with a local non-profit stewardship organization

Reasonable alternatives being considered

The City of Niagara Falls has explored alternatives, including alternatives that would not adversely affect American Water-willow and their habitat. These include:

  • not proceeding with the proposed project, despite the remaining life of the bridge being 1-5 years
  • rehabilitating the existing bridge, extending the life by 5-10 years
  • constructing a new bridge in a new location and removing the existing bridge
  • constructing a new bridge in the same location, but shifted by several metres and removing the existing bridge
  • proceeding with the proposed project, including removing the existing bridge and constructing a new wider bridge within the same alignment

The City of Niagara Falls has concluded that the best alternative involves removing the existing bridge and constructing the new wider bridge within the same alignment. It addresses the lifespan and safety concerns while minimizing the overall footprint of the project.

Actions to minimize adverse effects on the species

The City of Niagara Falls is seeking ways to minimize adverse effects on the American Water-willow and its habitat. These may include:

  • using cofferdams to minimize impacts to Lyon’s Creek and adjacent American Water-willow habitat
  • salvaging and relocating individual American Water-willow plants likely to be impacted by the project, prior to construction
  • using exclusion fencing to prevent construction equipment, materials, and personnel from encroaching further into American Water-willow habitat
  • ensuring that all personnel are made aware and trained on how to identify the American Water-willow, its habitat and mitigation measures, before construction
  • using measures to avoid the establishment of competing vegetation, including invasive species, while cofferdams are place
  • using sediment and erosion control methods to avoid water quality impacts
  • ensuring water flow from dewatering does not adversely affect remaining plants near the site
  • monitoring mitigation measures to ensure they are effective and in good working order
  • replanting individuals and restoring habitat, after construction

Other information

The Province has published a government response statement under subsection 12.1 of the Endangered Species Act, 2007 with respect to American Water-willow. The response statement will be considered before a decision to issue an overall benefit permit.

Posting this proposal on the Environmental Registry does not imply that the minister will issue a permit. A permit may only be issued where the legal requirements set out in clause 17(2)(c) of the Act have been satisfied.

Documents justificatifs

Consulter les documents en personne

Certains documents justificatifs peuvent ne pas être accessibles en ligne. Si tel est le cas, vous pouvez demander à consulter les documents en personne.

Veuillez communiquer avec le bureau mentionné ci-dessous pour savoir si les documents sont accessibles.

Species at Risk Branch
Address

40 St Clair Ave West
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2
Canada

Commentaire

La consultation est maintenant terminée.

Cette consultation a eu lieu 11 août 2022
au 10 septembre 2022

Communiquer avec nous

Contact

April Mitchell

Phone number
Office
Species at Risk Branch - Land and Water Division
Address

435 James St. South
Suite 114
Thunder Bay, ON
P7E 6T1
Canada