Background

 Perth County Comprehensive Review

View the Perth County Official Plan Update-Comprehensive Review

 Perth County Directions Report

This document provides:

• n overview of the provincial policy that sets the framework for the New Official Plan's land use, housing, and population growth policies
• a summary of initial public engagement findings
• policy considerations and recommendations for the New Official Plan.  

View the New Official Plan Policy Directions Report

 Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study - Background

What is the Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study (PNHSS)?

The Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study (PNHSS) is a ecological, science based study that provides an assessment of all the natural features and their function throughout the County including: areas of natural and scientific interest; wetlands; woodlands; valleylands.  

Why did Perth County do a Natural Heritage Study when the Official Plan already has Natural Heritage Policies?

The study considers the size, proximity between and actual linkages of these natural features in order to study them as an ecological system rather than individual landscape features.  The current Perth County Official Plan was created in the late 1990s and still looks at natural features individually.  The new study uses a different approach to assessing the value and function that natural areas provide. The new Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) also requires that Perth County use a 'system' approach to identify and protect our natural environment.

The PNHSS was developed to ensure that the system approach used in Perth County would be science based and as accurate as our latest mapping tools allow. The study provides a snapshot of the Natural Heritage system in Perth County at a given time and will allow for change to be calculated when new aerial photography becomes available every five years.

How were the Natural Heritage features and areas that make up the system identified?

Vegetation areas of 0.5 ha or larger (called vegetation communities in the study) were identified by searching aerial photography from 2015 and interpreting certain 'markers' for each vegetation community.  Each community was categorized by a computer model and put into 'groups' or 'patches' depending on criteria like size, proximity between, diversity and other measures that helped to evaluate the relative importance of each area or feature. Each criteria was developed through review of literature on scientific research.  Vegetation groups and patches that meet one or more criteria are considered to be Ecologically Important at the County level. Some Natural Heritage features identified as Ecologically Important in Perth County also meet the definition of 'significant' as per the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS). 

What Natural Heritage features and areas are included?

• Provincially Significant Wetlands, Provincially Significant Woodlands, Provincially Significant Valleylands and Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest
• Ecologically important and locally significant areas include: woodlands, wetlands, thickets, young plantations, meadows, local Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, and other connecting features

What is the difference between Natural Heritage and Cultural Heritage?

Natural Heritage refers to areas in the landscape where vegetation, topography or surface water exist. These areas inherently serve as an integrated part of our ecosystem ensuring the ecological health of our environment and exist in both rural and settlement areas. Natural Heritage provides important environmental functions such as wildlife habitat, storm water management, improvement of water quality, erosion reduction, air purification and provide attractive spaces in our community for passive recreation.

Cultural Heritage primarily focuses on constructed, built features, and archaeological areas possessing historical value to a community (i.e., historical settlement areas). The PNHSS or Natural Heritage policies do not include Cultural Heritage features or systems.

 Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study - Report

This Study will be used to direct updated natural heritage policies for the new Official Plan.  The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) was retained to develop a local framework for this project. 

View the Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study (October 2018)

View the Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study Update (June 2019)