Sustaining What We Value

phase I

phase II - Audio Intro by Suzanne Rivard

The Natural Heritage System

Integrating the Social Layers along with our Natural Heritage System

Project Description:

The project's original and primary function was to help strengthen our natural heritage system planning in the region. Secondly, it was to provide tools that can be used to inform decision-makers about what their communities value on the landscape.

Phase I of the Sustaining What We Value Project:

Was funded through Natural Resources Canada GeoConnections fund,

• • Is based in Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Counties, and South Frontenac Township
  • Is working with communities to protect the environmental, economic, social and cultural attributes that we all value in this area.

The Sustaining What We Value Project continues to map both community values and a natural heritage system using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology....Read More and ecological modeling tools. These tools will be used to examine different scenarios for the area that could be used as a roadmap for regional, community planning in the future.

In Phase I, the project worked through a number of different steps:

1. It collected community information about locations of valued areas and reasons for their importance through:

a. The original Project website and former Co-Map community mapping tool,

b. Newspapers

c. Local workshops

2. It brought together community members, agencies and stakeholders with diverse interests to form a Scenario Planning Team.
a. This team worked with the collected public value information, and the most recent scientific knowledge to determine the levels of landscape elements that need to be included in a natural heritage system to best protect our values.

b. Experts in different areas (forests, wetlands, farmlands, economics, cultural, etc) provided context.

c. Different case studies and scenario options were considered.

d. The Terms of Reference for the Phase I Scenario Planning Team can be viewed here.

3. Develop and produce a natural heritage system map using the various levels determined by the Scenario Planning Team.

4. The ecosystem services provided by the natural heritage system will be calculated to estimate the economic value of sustaining these areas for the community.

Phase I Terms of Reference

In Phase II we will place people and their health, social and sustainable economic development values on the landscape. We will also illustrate how these things are linked with the Social Determinants of Health.

"Combining community assets creates a synergy that exponentially increases the capacity of the community to meet the needs of its residents." (Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition)".

Project Region:

Is based in Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Counties, and South Frontenac Township

Phase II, project steps:

1. In Phase II we will increase community interaction and public engagement by adding social media (Facebook, Twitter, Map It - Google Maps)

2. We will bring together local community members, agencies and stakeholders with diverse interests and offer a number of public mapping sessions and learn from each other about the wealth of community capital in our project region.

3. With input from the greater community, we will begin to create local indicators of genuine wealth in our region.

4. We will create our own local, social network of Sustaining What We Value members to share ideas, events and other related initiatives in our Biosphere region. This will help us to improve and enhance current and future sustainability projects and regional planning. Your feedback is welcomed!

Phase II of the Sustaining What We Value project is made possible with funding from:

GEOIDE; The Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport, Healthy Communities Fund and major partnerships with Communities ALIVE, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve; the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit and Ryerson University.

 Network Affiliate Agreement