Conservation Land in the City’s Wellfields
The City of Charlottetown owns and manages 657 acres within four wellfield sites in Brackley, Union, Suffolk and Miltonvale. These lands not only are the source for the City’s municipal public water system, but they are also areas of natural diversity, providing wildlife habitat while supporting important groundwater retention.
Thanks to an innovative collaborative project with the City of Charlottetown and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), these wellfield sites will now be managed under the guidance of Forestry Management Plans to enhance their biodiversity. The wellfields sites have also received formal recognition of their meaningful contribution to nature conservation on PEI and in Canada and are being classified as an OECM.
What are OECM’s?
Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM’s) are a new federally mandated conservation approach, separate from protected areas. The OECM tool is little known outside specialist circles. OECM’s can play an important and complimentary role in biodiversity conservation.
OECM’s are different that PEI’s traditional protected areas. Protected areas are dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity, such as the PEI National Park or the Royalty Oaks Woodland Natural Area within Charlottetown. Protected areas are cared for by groups who manage these areas for a conservation outcome. OECM’s are places that are achieving long-term conservation of biodiversity, outside of protected areas. In an OECM, conservation is achieved as a by-product of other forms of land management. It is an area that is already under responsible stewardship, accomplishing conservation while also serving other purposes. If the governing body of these lands’ consents, these areas can be identified, recognized, and reported as OECM’s.
OECM’s as a conservation tool are only beginning to emerge on the global stage. Biodiversity loss is happening around the world. There is a global goal to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030; 190 counties committed to this goal through the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022 during the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15). Experts say we cannot rely entirely on protected areas to conserve the nature humans need to thrive. OECM designation can advance effective conservation, alongside protected areas. The OECM tool recognizes the communities managing their lands – while conserving nature.
The City of Charlottetown joins a handful of municipalities in Atlantic Canada who are recognizing municipal lands as conservation (such as municipal nature parks) and is only the second example of a municipal water supply area being recognized as conservation lands in Atlantic Canada.
What are the community benefits?
Areas set aside for nature are good for humans and our natural communities in several ways. Natural assets support wildlife habitat, enhance carbon storage, maintain water quality, and act as a safety net for biodiversity. An OECM designation for wellfield sites strengthens these crucial natural assets. This designation also helps advance action 7.1.2 in Charlottetown’s Climate Action Plan - Continue to protect and enhance City wellfield sites through actions guided by the Wellfield Protection Plans and Forest Management Plans.
OECM lands are included in the public Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD). This means that the City’s wellfield properties will now be recognized as a contribution to the Province of PEI’s protected areas goal of 7%, and Canada’s protected and conserved areas goal of 30%.
Maps
Brackley Site
Miltonvale Site
Suffolk Wellfield Site
Union Wellfield Site