Bill C-696: Act to amend the Rouge National Urban Park Act (ecological protection)

C-696 Second Session, Forty-first Parliament, 62-63-64 Elizabeth II, 2013-2014-2015 HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA BILL C-696 An Act to amend the Rouge National Urban Park Act (ecological protection) first reading, June 17, 2015 Ms. Sitsabaiesan 412308 SUMMARY This enactment amends the Rouge National Urban Park Act to (a) make watershed health and ecological integrity priorities in the management of the Park; (b) provide for the establishment of a scientific advisory committee to provide advice regarding the management of the Park; and (c) recognize that the practice of agriculture is to continue in the Park. Available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address:http://www.parl.gc.ca 2nd Session, 41st Parliament, 62-63-64 Elizabeth II, 2013-2014-2015 house of commons of canada BILL C-696 An Act to amend the Rouge National Urban Park Act (ecological protection) 2015, c. 10 Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: 1. Section 4 of the Rouge National Urban Park Act is replaced by the following: Park established 4. (1) Rouge National Urban Park, which is described in the schedule, is established for the purposes of protecting, enhancing, restoring and presenting the natural and cultural heritage of the Park — which includes a farming community that engages in sustainable farming prac-tices — and encouraging Canadians to discover and connect with their national protected heritage areas. Dedicated to Canadians (2) Rouge National Urban Park is dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment, and the enhancement and restoration of the Park must be continued and the Park made use of so as to leave it unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. 2. Section 6 of the Act is replaced by the following: Factors to be considered 6. (1) The Minister must, when considering any aspect of the management of the Park, give priority to the restoration and maintenance of ecological integrity through the protection and restoration of natural resources and natural processes, while also giving consideration to cultural heritage, farming, and public infrastructure needs. For greater certainty (2) For greater certainty, the Minister must, in carrying out his or her duties under subsection (1), recognize and take into consideration the fact that agriculture continues to be practised in the Park. 3. Section 8 of the Act is replaced by the following: Advisory committee 8. (1) The Minister must establish a committee to advise the Minister on the management of the Park. The advisory committee may include representatives from provincial and munic­ipal governments, Aboriginal organizations, non-governmental environmental and agricultural organizations, and other organizations that the Minister considers appropriate. Scientific advisory committee (2) The Minister must establish a scientific advisory committee to advise the Minister on the management of the Park. The committee must include landscape ecology and agricultural scientists from the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, Canadian universities and non-profit organizations with local expertise. 4. (1) Subsection 9(1) of the Act is replaced by the following: Management plan 9. (1) Within five years after the establishment of the Park, the Minister must prepare a management plan that sets out a long-term vision for the Park and a set of ecological integrity and watershed health objectives and indicators that provide for ecological monitoring and reporting and performance evaluation. The Minister must cause the management plan to be tabled in each House of Parliament. (2) Paragraph 9(2)(a) of the Act is replaced by the following: (a) the protection, restoration and enhancement of ecological integrity and watershed health, including the protection, enhancement and restoration of the Little Rouge River main ecological corridor between Lake Ontario and the Oak Ridges Moraine; (3) Paragraph 9(2)(c) of the Act is replaced by the following: (c) environmental guidelines for the infrastructure within and adjacent to the Park, to encourage a net gain in the Park’s ecological integrity and watershed health and an increase in its size over time. (4) Subsection 9(3) of the Act is replaced by the following: Review of management plan (3) The Minister must review the management plan at least every five years and must cause to be tabled in each House of Parliament a report on the progress that has been made towards achieving the management plan objectives set out in subsections (1) and (2), together with any amendments that have been made to the management plan. 5. Section 12 of the Act is replaced by the following: Clearing of public lands 12. (1) Following consultation with the advisory committee established under subsection 8(1), the superintendent may issue, amend, suspend and revoke any permit or other authorization for the clearing of public lands in the Park for the purpose of installing or maintaining public infrastructure, including public utilities or transportation corridors. Matters to be considered (2) Before issuing a permit or other authorization under subsection (1), the superintendent must be satisfied that (a) there are no reasonable alternatives; (b) all relevant environmental impacts have been carefully assessed; (c) there has been adequate consultation with the Parks Canada Agency, Aboriginal organ­izations, stakeholders and the general public; and (d) all reasonable measures will be undertaken to avoid or mitigate harmful environmental impacts — or compensate for them — so as to achieve a net gain in the Park’s ecological integrity and watershed health and an increase in its size over time. Refusal if adverse impacts (3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), the superintendent must refuse to issue a permit or other authorization referred to in subsection (1) if the clearing of public lands or the installation or maintenance of public infrastructure is likely to cause significant adverse environmental impacts even if measures are adopted under paragraph (2)(d) to minimize environmental impact. 6. Subsection 20(1) of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (v): (v.1) the improvement of air quality, the abatement and monitoring of climate change, and the adaptation to climate change; Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons