Lanark County Seeking Info About Natural Spaces

Press Release – Lanark County

Lanark County is developing a Natural Heritage System (NHS) Strategy to identify and map natural areas, habitats and ecological connections that support biodiversity and environmental health – and residents’ voices are a critical part of the process.

The NHS Strategy will combine scientific analysis and local knowledge to identify and map important natural areas and wildlife habitats, understand how they are connected across the landscape and provide guidance to help manage Lanark County’s natural heritage system. The NHS Strategy will guide any future Official Plan reviews. 

“We are asking residents, landowners, community groups and others to share places that matter to them,” explained Elizabeth Boldt, Climate and Environmental Coordinator. “Maps and scientific data help us understand Lanark County’s natural heritage system, but local knowledge provides valuable insights that may not be captured in existing mapping and data.”

The NHS Strategy consists of several phases which will be guided by the NHS Working Group, made up by county councillors, local sector representatives and staff. The project includes gathering information and producing a map of core natural heritage features and the corridors linking them together. It will also include the identification of knowledge gaps and risks, and the development of a monitoring plan and methods to support environmental protection and management. North-South Environmental Inc. (NSE) has been hired to support the work. 

Local knowledge combined with scientific analysis will identify natural areas, wood lands and other places that are valued and important locally. The county has developed a mapping survey form to allow the public to pin locations and share observations, photos or comments about forests, wetlands, wildlife habitat, trails, waterways, scenic landscapes or other valued areas. Information shared through this survey will be reviewed alongside available mapping and environmental data as part of the development of the NHS Strategy.

The survey will be open until August 31.

Data collection and the public mapping survey are planned for the summer, with mapping, a technical report, and public consultation taking place this fall. The project is expected to culminate with the strategy development, public consultation and stakeholder engagement in fall 2027.

For questions or help navigating the survey, contact nhs@lanarkcounty.ca.