The City of Charlottetown has partnered with the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) to develop its own natural asset inventory.
The inventory will include a list of natural assets such as wetlands, streams, fields, and forests, and outline the boundaries of the City’s assets. During this work, the City staff will learn more about what services and benefits these natural assets provide the Capital region as well as gain valuable insight into the condition of each of the natural assets and how best to manage and protect them.
“Much like the success of our Park and Street Tree Inventory, this Natural Assets Inventory will build our knowledge base and help us take stock of all of our natural assets that we are so fortunate to have in Charlottetown,” said Mayor Philip Brown. “What we gain from this partnership will help us build a foundation of good management practices, compile data we can draw from, and assist us in developing management strategies to help protect our assets as we plan for the future.”
MNAI is a non-profit organization that provides scientific, economic, and municipal expertise to support and guide local governments in identifying, valuing, and accounting for natural assets in their financial planning and asset management programs, and in developing leading-edge, sustainable, and climate resilient infrastructure. MNAI’s program provides subsidies to local governments across Canada to help them develop natural asset inventories.
“We’re pleased to partner with Charlottetown to start this critical work,” said Roy Brooke, MNAI Executive Director. “MNAI’s work has shown that natural asset management can help local governments deliver core services in a way that’s cost-effective and resilient to climate change, while enhancing ecosystem health and community resilience.”
The partnership with MNAI will continue into 2021 with the goal of developing a natural asset inventory for Charlottetown, a list of risks associated with those assets, and a roadmap identifying potential next steps. The City will also explore the possibility of creating a publicly available inventory similar to its tree inventory that would provide the public, developers, and researchers with a comprehensive tool that can be easily accessed.
“The threats associated with climate change, invasive species, urban growth and development will require creative and modern solutions,” said Councillor Mitchell Tweel, Chair of the City’s Environment and Sustainability Committee. “Understanding our natural assets will help inform and guide policies and management plans moving towards our goal of being a sustainable city.”
For more information about Municipal Natural Assets Initiative and its inventory program, visit:
https://mnai.ca
For information on the City’s Park and Street Tree Inventory, visit:
www.charlottetown.ca/treeinventory