Natural asset management provides an opportunity to deliver both core local government services, and other positive outcomes.
The Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from local governments interested in protecting species at risk (SAR) and their critical habitat (CH) while delivering core municipal services through natural asset management, subject to funding confirmation that would cover approximately 70% of local government costs.
The Natural Asset Management and Species at Risk project will expand on a pilot project that MNAI and a community project team recently completed in the Morrison Creek Watershed in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island. That pilot developed a tool to:
- help model species and their habitat
- analyze how those species and critical habitat relate to natural assets that provide infrastructure services (e.g. stormwater management), and
- ultimately develop management options to maximise both.
The objectives of the new Natural Asset Management and Species at Risk project are the same as the pilot, and will follow the same basic method, while further developing and refining the tool to help local governments identify and manage natural assets so they can continue to deliver core services, and, at the same time, protect SAR and CH and enhance biodiversity. This will contribute to national objectives for multi-species and ecosystem-based approaches protecting species at risk.
Assuming the anticipated funding if forthcoming, MNAI will be choosing two local governments based on criteria including:
- Demonstrated commitment to, and progress in, natural asset management
- Corporate-level commitment to the project, for example, an expression of interest signed by Chief Administrative Officer or equivalent
- Strong interest in implementing results of project
- Geographic distribution
Selected local governments can expect to work through the following steps with MNAI :
1. Establish a project team including those with relevant local expertise⠀
Local government responsible for ensuring staff representation in group and for providing names and acting as primary liaison with community members
NAI responsible for hosting and leading required virtual meetings over the course of the project
2. Define a project area⠀
Local government responsible for working with MNAI to develop appropriate project boundaries
NAI responsible for defining boundaries in GIS
3. Gather and process natural assets and SAR/CH data⠀
Local government responsible for gathering and providing relevant data in its possession as well as any locally relevant studies
NAI responsible for gathering any relevant federal, provincial, regional data sets, and processing it in GIS
4. Map natural assets in relation to SAR/CH data⠀
Local government responsible for commenting on MNAI’s mapping to ensure accuracy
NAI responsible for mapping natural assets in GIS
5. Complete a condition assessment for natural assets in the project area⠀
Local government responsible for commenting on MNAI’s desktop condition assessment and working with project team to add any extra field-level data, if warranted
NAI to develop condition assessment using predetermined indicators
6. Develop a comprehensive list of possible management actions⠀
Local government responsible for working with MNAI and project team to develop list of locally relevant possible management actions
NAI responsible for compiling and documenting list
7. Develop priority scenarios to analyze in detail⠀
Local government responsible for working with MNAI and project team to prioritize scenarios
NAI responsible for compiling and documenting scenarios
8. Analyze priority scenarios and management actions⠀
Local government responsible for commenting on and working with MNAI to finalize list
NAI responsible for analyzing priority scenarios and management actions
Timing
The project would launch in Autumn 2021 and end no later than March 31, 2023.
Fees
If selected, local governments will be expected to contribute $18,000 (or approximately 30%) of project costs.
Interested?
Please fill out the expression of interest of form at this link and send to info@naturalassetsinitiative.ca
