Red Hill Valley Project“More Than A Road”

October 16, 2006Presented By: Jim Rockwood, B.Sc., Environmental Coordinator Business & Support ServicesCapital Planning and Implementation Div.Public Works Dept.City of Hamilton

November, 2007A.D. A.D. LatornellLatornellConservation SymposiumConservation Symposium

November 2008November 2008

• Terrestrial Restoration

• Wetland Restoration

• Monitoring

Agenda

Is much more thanplanting trees, seeks to restore not only form but function, and

has significant positive impacts on air quality and both water quality and quantity, via interception,infiltration and filtration.

Restoration has value not only on large tracts but in small patches as well ex. pollinators

Ecological Restoration

5T, 6S, 6H,5G

Corridor

Habitat Creation

Habitat Enhancement

~ 108 ha of urban space will be treated as mitigation for 75 ha of lost open green space.

Terrestrial impacts compensated at a target ratio of 1:1

Wetland impacts compensated at a target ratio of 2:1

Ecological Restoration

Project* organized into:

236 sub-polygons,

grouped into 91 polygons,

grouped into 22 complexes.

also 27 distinct corridor seeding areas*does not included Confederation Park works

Riparian

• City of Hamilton and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy entered into 10 agreements

• Agreement on Economic Opportunity

• A new company formed -‘Kayanase’ with a view to long term engagement in restoration work.

• Building capacity – skill sets and infrastructure

Pronounced “guy an assay”

Mohawk word meaning ‘good seed’

Ecological Restoration

• Contract addressed separately from construction...restoration work is the primary goal of the contract, won’t suffer from end of project budget issues.

• Sole sourced from EOI to RFP to Proposal

• RFP Invited Innovation

• There is no warranty...replaced with contingency

Ecological Restoration

Terrestrial Restoration

Design - In addition to site surveys, reference sites are utilized to develop prescriptions,

Lake Ontario dune complex

as well as historical records and documents.

1943

TEMPLATE I: Dry-Fresh oak - maple - hickory deciduous/mixed (+ white pine) forest, early succession stage aspen/poplar, white birch mixed (+ white pine); [FOD2, fod3, fom2, fom5/4]. open, partial canopy or canopy conditions

TEMPLATE II: Fresh - Moist Lowland Deciduous (mixed) Forest/ to swamp (floodprone); [FOD7, FOD8,FOD9, FOM5, swd/m]. open, partial canopy or canopy conditions

TEMPLATE III: Dry Fresh Oak Deciduous Forest; [FOD1, fod2, fod3, fom1, fom5/4].open, partial canopy or canopy conditions

TEMPLATE IV: Escarpment cut -exposed rock cliffs/terraces/alvar [TAS/TAT1, CL, AL]. Open condition only

TEMPLATE V: Open meadow to early successional Dry-fresh aspen/poplar, white birch - Conifer Mixed Forest [CU, FOD3, FOM5/4, fod2/fod9]. Open condition only

TEMPLATE SC: Special case.

Planting TemplatesTerrestrial Restoration

Addition of wood chip mulch both amends and stabilizes.

Terrestrial Restoration

Deep decompaction (1m) should prevent crown die back..

Addition of ~100CM CWD per ha

HC 05 – 4.7 ha

Terrestrial Restoration

HE 16 – 4.5 ha4500 trees / ha installed

Terrestrial Restoration

Site preparation is critical to successful restoration.

localized pit and mound

Glyphosate

Use of glyphosate is not fool proof, seed bank germination can prove problematic and expensive.

Terrestrial Restoration

Sow thistle, Crown vetch, Tartarianhoneysuckle,

Teasel, Spotted knapweed, Birdsfoot trefoil,

Burdock, Canada thistle.

Complex 19-HC 31Rain shadow

Light penetration

Compaction

Salt spray

Squirrel poles

Terrestrial Restoration

Southern Flying Squirrel Mitigation. In partnership with McMaster University, SFS pole baiting and monitoring began in the summer of 2006

Terrestrial Restoration

Table 2.1 Suggested Generic Free-to-Grow Vegetation Targets and Objectives for RHVP Restoration Areas (Numbers expressed as averages across Polygon areas) To be refined based on final detailed Site-Prescriptions and subject to approval by the City

Target Vegetation Canopy Tree Species Shrubs and Understory Tree Groundcover Layer Community Density and Diversity Targets Density and Diversity Targets Objectives (per hectare area) (per hectare area) Minimum Minimum Minimum Minimum Number of Viable Number of Number of Number of F-to-G Stems per Species Viable Stems Species ha per ha Upland and Slope Forest 2500 10 1500 3 Sufficient to control soil erosion; Diversity criteria to be determined Rim Forest 2500 10 1500 3 “ Savanna Woodland 500 5 1500 2 “ Floodplain Forest 1200 8 1500 3 “ Floodplain Forest (restricted)a - - 200 3 “ Meadow 0 - 200 3 500 3 “ Riparian (Open) 0 – 500 3 1500 3 “ Riparian (restricted)a - - 200 3 “ a Restricted refers to areas where growing conditions are restrictive (i.e., under bridge crossings with low clearances that significantly affect light, moisture and height requirements for some species).

Terrestrial Restoration

At 38,500m2 this wetland (fisheries compensation area),was created from a hole left by an MTP borrow area.

Note: the tree stubs and constructed turtle habitat islands.

Note: in situ parent materials high in boron ~4ppm.

Wetland Restoration

~9000 sq. m. wetland constructed in borrow area.

Risk – did we create a wildlife sink?

Wetland Restoration

Red Hill Marsh, a Provincially significant wetland was perched ~ 1.5 m due to sedimentation from RHC

It has been micro graded to allow it to function as a wetland once more providing high value fish habitat (pike spawning).

Wetland Restoration

When opportunity knocks!Wetland Restoration

Integrated Environmental Monitoring Program

Thank you.