July 30, 2017

To: President of Trent University, Research Chair of TRIP, Trent Board of Governors, and the City of Peterborough

Re: Trent Land's Plan - Proposed and Ongoing Developments

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Trent University - it is a special place - for students, faculty, and the Peterborough community. Trent is known for its rich academic life, where classrooms extend beyond the walls to extensive outdoor spaces rich in flora and fauna. Characterized by significant natural features, it provides habitat for many plants and animals. Given climate change, the alarming erosion of biological diversity (1), and the global scale of these environment crises, Trent's natural spaces are important.

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We are excited that UNESCO has recognized Peterborough-Kawartha-Haliburton as a Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development and proud that Trent was the first university in Canada to establish an Environmental Studies program (2). We are inspired by Trent's national recognition in Environmental research and the over $50 million dollars that it has attracted in the last 5 years (2).

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Recently, Trent University has partnered with the City of Peterborough for a campus conversion to industrial, commercial, and residential development. Over 400 acres – “equivalent to 315 football fields” (10) of forests, drumlins, wetlands, and open green space are targeted for development. Of immediate concern is the 85 acre industrial park (TRIP; 3), paired with the expansion of Pioneer Rd, that poorly positions high impact activities within expansive green space. Wildlife is mobile and we know that over 800 species, 25 of which are threatened with extinction, currently move freely among these habitats. Yet, TRIP will bring more roads and more traffic. It will replace and fragment habitat and wildlife, and result in incompatible land use, urban sprawl, and cumulative impacts.

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We can and must do better. Let's P.L.A.N. and address these issues before it is too late.

 

Issue 1.  Broad scale, comprehensive mapping of biophysical features, wildlife, and habitat values, including areas that are critical for wildlife connectivity, has not been completed although necessary to direct and evaluate environmentally sustainable planning. For example, the widening of Pioneer Rd and increase in traffic (between the Wildlife Sanctuary and the rest of Trent's Campus) will act as a barrier and source of mortality for wildlife, with no mitigation efforts undertaken or suggested.

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Action 1. Prioritize (P) – The conservation of biodiversity and functioning ecosystems must be a priority in land-use planning. Land-use changes are associated with declining biodiversity worldwide (4). Habitat loss and degradation pose a direct threat to species by decreasing the area that species can occupy, and by fragmenting populations into isolated patches (8). Minimizing habitat loss and fragmentation is the best way to maintain wildlife, ecosystem values, and reduce impacts of climate change (4,5).

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Issue 2.  Integrated environmental planning to ensure environmental sustainability and the conservation of natural values has NOT been completed in advance of development plans. There are no ecological setbacks, buffers, or transition areas to help maintain their integrity – not for hedgerows, wetlands, surface water systems, established Nature Areas, nest sites, etc. Instead, TRIP is designed to place roads and/or walkways along or through hedge rows and nature areas, fragmenting and degrading habitat while increasing hazards.

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Action 2.  Land Use Planning (L) – land-use planning from an ecosystem perspective must be adopted to support Environmental Sustainability. Ecosystem management provides an overriding philosophy for environmental sustainability and conservation planning. It is founded in science, relies on scientific data (6), and emphasizes proactive management for environmental and biological values rather than reactive restoration & mitigation (6,7).

 

Issue 3.  Although environmental sustainability has been identified as a key driver for Trent Land's Plan and subsequent development proposals, comprehensive environmental data, decision goals, alternative scenarios, and selection criteria have not been made accessible. Natural heritage and Species at Risk reports were only completed this month (July 2017); this is after 1) the TRIP development plan had been approved by the Trent Board of Governors, 2) construction and service upgrades along Pioneer Rd had started, and coincident with approval by the City Planning Committee. Notably, the studies are limited in their spatial coverage, fail to capture critical aspects of wildlife ecology and connectivity, and involve limited field investigation.

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Action 3.  Application (A) - apply the best information and decision making tools to encourage transparency and sound development decisions. Do the work in advance of approvals and before any construction begins. For planning decisions to be ecologically sound, information must be linked to a decision-making framework (6,11) and available for peer review and public scrutiny. Scenarios, built with clear measurable objectives and criteria, allow for the evaluation of future consequences under varying conditions.  It is necessary that proposed developments be identifiable on site maps that include the surrounding environment and highlight potential impacts and conflicts (6). Coarse or large scale analysis provides meaningful background to the planning process and greater certainty that ecological values will be properly incorporated and addressed.

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Issue 4.  A number of changes have been made to the Zoning By-Laws and Official Plan to extend what would be considered acceptable land-use on Trent Campus (3). At the same time, a number of developments have been proposed with significant forward movement and expenditure. However, environmental and cumulative impacts resulting from the developments and associated transportation and service upgrades have not been comprehensively evaluated. In addition to TRIP, an Arena Complex with over 500 parking spaces and covering approximately 20 acres is proposed at the junction of Nassau Mills Rd and Pioneer Rd; this will encroach on significant wetlands, the Wildlife Sanctuary, and remove the campus tree nursery.

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Action 4.  Negatives (N) - negative effects accumulate and must be evaluated through cumulative effects analysis. Land-use planning that proceeds by making decisions at the local scale supports the accumulation of negative environmental impacts (7,8). Often described as ‘death by a thousand cuts’, the natural environment is transformed through progressive encroachment and reductions with little or no concern for the larger picture (10). Environmental sustainability requires the assessment of cumulative effects.

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We highlight major concerns in the planning and rapid development of Trent's Campus while recommending 4 actions under P.L.A.N. to “bring scientific understanding of natural system into the planning process”(6). We encourage Trent University and the City of Peterborough to recognize the significant ecological values of the campus and apply strong conservation leadership to address the most imposing challenges of our time.

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Sincerely,

Debbie Jenkins, PhD Candidate, Environmental & Life Sciences, Trent University

Maggie Boothroyd, MSc Candidate, Environmental & Life Sciences, Trent University

 

 

References

1) Tittensor, D.P.; Wapole, M.; Hill, S.L.L.; Boyce, D.G.; Britten, G.L.; et al. 2014: A mid-term analysis of progress toward international biodiversity targets. Science 346, 241-244.

2) Trent University, 2014: Trent University Strategic Research Plan (SRP) Summary: Planning Horizon 2014-2018.

3) Humble, J. 2017. Master Plan – Trent Research and Innovation Park. Report to City of Peterborough Planning Committee.

4) Newbold, T.; Hudson, L.N.; Hill, S.L.L.; Contu, S., Lysenko, I.; et al. 2015: Global effects of land use on local terrestrial biodiversity. Nature 520, 45-50.

5) Shafer, C.L. 2015: Land use planning: a potential force retaining habitat connectivity in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and beyond. Global Ecology and Conservation 3, 356-278.

6) Theobald, D.M.; Hobbs, N.T.; Bearly, T.; Zack, J.A.; Shenk, T.; et al. 2000: Incorporating biological information in local land-use decision making: designing a system for conservation planning. Landscape Ecology 15, 35-45.

7) Karr, J.R. 1990: Biological integrity and the goal of environmental legislation: Lessons for Conservation Biology. Conservation Biology 4, 244-250.

8) Tillman, D.; Clark, M.; Williams, D.R.; Kimmel, K.; Polasky, S.; Packer, C. 2017: Future threats to biodiversity and pathways to their prevention. Nature 546, 73-81

9) Gascon, C.; Williamson, G.B.; da Fonseca, A.B. 2000: Receding forest edges and vanishing reserves. Science 2888, 1356-1358.

10) Jenkins, D. 2017: Trent Campus – crucible for Ecology. The Arthur. Peterborough and Trent University Independent Press.

11) Wang, J.; Jing, Y.; Zhang, C.; Zhao, J. 2009: Review on multi-criteria decision analysis aid in sustainable energy decision-making. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review 13, 2263-2278.