Beaverhills Land Management Framework

The Beaver Hills Initiative (BHI) is a collaborative partnership with three levels of government, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), research institutions, and industry groups who promote cooperative solutions to conserve and sustain the Beaver Hills Moraine. 

The moraine is a regionally significant environmental area that provides recreational opportunities and a unique rural lifestyle valued by residents and visitors alike. It lies within the jurisdiction of five municipalities and contains protected areas managed by federal, provincial, and municipal agencies and ENGOs.

In 2006, the BHI’s Land Use Planners Working Group commissioned an analysis of the environmental sensitivities of the moraine and legislative tools for sustainable development within the moraine. The resulting Land Management Framework document provided municipal planners with information about the moraine’s environmental resources and best management practices to help them coordinate land use policies among all jurisdictions.

In 2014, they commissioned an update to that report; a study that required renewal of GIS constraints analyses of environmental sensitivities, review of current environmental policy, and a survey of current implementation of the LMF.Solstice also completed a separate project to address data gaps in vegetation and wetlands mapping. The update informed recommendations to advance cooperative management in the moraine, including best management practices for land use planners, other land managers, and private landowners.

Solstice Deliverables:

• Searchable digital document for use by varied audiences

• GIS map products available through a ‘web-portal’ allowing viewing, mapping, and display of data

• Implementation recommendations for LMF roll-out and user adoption

• Policy review and recommendations for best management practices in land use planning

Key services provided:

• Environmental Assessment

• Land Use Planning

• Remote Sensing & GIS

• Environmental Sensitivities Mapping

• Policy Review