By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland County will be hosting a March 29 virtual open house and an April 7 virtual public meeting regarding proposed Natural Heritage System mapping and policies for inclusion in the County Official Plan, as part of Northumberland Next – an initiative to update the County Official Plan.

The Northumberland Next initiative will involve a series of amendments to the Official Plan, which will guide community growth and development over the next 30 years.

Required under provincial legislation, the Natural Heritage System will be the first amendment presented to county council as part of the Northumberland Next process. This system, which has been in development since 2018, will preserve and enhance significant natural features and areas across the County such as wetlands, woodlands and watercourses.

Last year, county council was presented with three options for a local Natural Heritage System - Basic, Comprehensive and Enhanced options based on the minimum provincial requirements as well as input from the public. After consideration of feedback gathered from the public during two rounds of consultation between 2018 and 2020, county council endorsed the Enhanced Natural Heritage System Plan on July 22, 2020.

“With our community projected to grow to 122,000 people and 44,000 jobs by 2051, the county has launched the Northumberland Next initiative to evaluate our Official Plan in preparation for this forecasted growth, and ensure we are positioned to meet the evolving needs of our community,” Warden Bob Crate stated in the announcement.

“As a community that is known for its unique and thriving natural features, it is important that we update our plan to include policies and mapping that support a conservation-forward Natural Heritage System that protects and preserves these features for future generations.”

County staff are now considering policy and mapping changes to the Official Plan to implement the endorsed Natural Heritage System Plan. These proposed changes will be presented for feedback during the two upcoming virtual events.

The March 29 open house from 6 to 7 p.m. Will have a 20-minute presentation from county staff and consultants, followed by a question-and-answer period.

Join online: zoom.us/join
Join by phone (toll-free): 855-703-8985
Meeting ID: 864 1631 3406
Passcode: 993411
The April 7 public meeting at 9 a.m. includes a 20-minute presentation to the Economic Development, Tourism, Land Use Planning Committee and members of the public for feedback.
Join online: zoom.us/join
Join by phone (toll-free): 855-703-8985
Meeting ID: 826 9239 2700
Passcode: 465315

Feedback gathered during these consultations will go into a recommendation to County Council later in the year for a Natural Heritage System amendment to the County Official Plan. Once adopted by council, this amendment will be submitted to the province for approval, and then integrated into the County’s Official Plan.

Residents are invited to visit the county’s online consultation portal at JoinIn.Northumberland.ca to learn more about the Northumberland Next initiative, to view an interactive map demonstrating how the Natural Heritage System would be implemented in our community, and to review a copy of the draft Official Plan amendment.