Agenda - Environmental Advisory Committee - 20240617Town of Aurora
Environmental Advisory Committee
Meeting Agenda
Date:Monday, June 17, 2024
Time:7 p.m.
Location:Holland Room, Aurora Town Hall
Meetings are available to the public in person and via live stream on the Town’s YouTube channel.
To participate, please visit aurora.ca/participation.
Pages
1.Call to Order
2.Land Acknowledgement
3.Approval of the Agenda
4.Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof
5.Receipt of the Minutes
5.1 Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of May 13, 2024 1
That the Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of
May 13, 2024, be received for information.
1.
6.Delegations
7.Matters for Consideration
7.1 Memorandum from Energy and Climate Change Analyst; Re: Natural
Capital Asset Management Plan Draft Presentation
5
That the memorandum regarding Presentation of the Draft
Natural Capital Asset Management Plan be received; and
1.
That the Environmental Advisory Committee comments
regarding Presentation of the Draft Natural Capital Asset
Management Plan be received and referred to staff for
consideration and further action as appropriate.
2.
8.Informational Items
9.New Business
10.Adjournment
Town of Aurora
Environmental Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes
Date:
Time:
Location:
Monday, May 13, 2024
7:00 p.m.
Holland Room, Aurora Town Hall
Committee Members: Councillor Wendy Gaertner (Vice Chair)
Nicole Arsenault
Shun Chen
Pippette Eibel
Denis Heng
Kristen Martens
Ken Turriff
Members Absent: Councillor Rachel Gilliland (Chair)
Alain Godin
Other Attendees: Natalie Kehle, Analyst, Energy and Climate Change
Emily Freitas, Council/Committee Coordinator
_____________________________________________________________________
1. Call to Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m.
2. Land Acknowledgement
The Committee acknowledged that the meeting took place on Anishinaabe lands,
the traditional and treaty territory of the Chippewas of Georgina Island,
recognizing the many other Nations whose presence here continues to this day,
the special relationship the Chippewas have with the lands and waters of this
territory, and that Aurora has shared responsibility for the stewardship of these
lands and waters. It was noted that Aurora is part of the treaty lands of the
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Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
Monday, May 13, 2024 2
Mississaugas and Chippewas, recognized through Treaty #13 and the Williams
Treaties of 1923.
3. Approval of the Agenda
Moved by Pippette Eibel
Seconded by Kristen Martens
That the agenda as circulated by Legislative Services be approved with the
addition of Jason Cheng as delegation 6.2.
Carried
4. Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof
There were no declarations of pecuniary interest under the Municipal Conflict of
Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50.
5. Receipt of the Minutes
5.1 Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of April 15, 2024
Moved by Shun Chen
Seconded by Nicole Arsenault
1. That the Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of April
15, 2024, be received for information.
Carried
6. Delegations
6.1 Jason Cheng, Climate Action; Re: Invitation to Climate Action Townhall
Hosted by Climate Action Newmarket Aurora
Jason Cheng announced that Climate Action Newmarket Aurora will be
hosting the Climate Action Townhall will be taking place at the Newmarket
Legion on Wednesday May 29, 2024, at 7 p.m. Attendees will be able to
participate in a roundtable discussion on topics such as conscious
consumerism, smart energy choices, and activism.
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Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
Monday, May 13, 2024 3
Moved by Kristen Martens
Seconded by Shun Chen
That the comments of the delegation be received for information.
Carried
7. Matters for Consideration
7.1 Memorandum from Energy and Climate Change Analyst; Re: 2024 Energy
Conservation and Demand Management Plan Draft Report
Staff discussed the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan
Draft Report and introduced Patrick Darby, Energy & Carbon Team
Manager, and Kayden Toffolo, Energy Engineering Intern, of WalterFedy,
who highlighted the accomplishments, data acquisitions, sustainable
building standards, and long-term goals to achieve net zero.
Staff highlighted their findings, including: the difficulty to collect waste
management data, how most emissions come from waste, using
information from fleet to pilot new projects, and how some recreational
buildings having greater emissions such as the Stronach Aurora
Recreation Complex having a 30% GHG impact, possibilities for external
funding for climate action projects, and feasibility studies accompanied by
the asset renewal strategy.
The Committee discussed the role of data to calculate how much waste
has been diverted such as dog waste, how the recommendations will be
used to stay on track of long-term goals, the use of space heaters,
alternative energy options, and if the report will be shared back to the
buildings that participated in the report. Staff noted that facilities play a
crucial role in the implementation process.
Moved by Ken Turriff
Seconded by Pippette Eibel
1. That the memorandum regarding the 2024 Energy Conservation and
Demand Management Plan Draft Report be received; and
2. That the Environmental Advisory Committee comments regarding the
2024 Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan Draft
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Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
Monday, May 13, 2024 4
Report be received and referred to staff for consideration and further
action as appropriate.
Carried
8. Informational Items
None.
9. New Business
None.
10. Adjournment
Moved by Nicole Arsenault
Seconded by Kristen Martens
That the meeting be adjourned at 8:02 p.m.
Carried
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100 John West Way
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 6J1
(905) 727-3123
aurora.ca
Town of Aurora
Memorandum
Planning and Development Services
Re: Natural Capital Asset Management Plan Draft Presentation
To: Environmental Advisory Committee
From: Natalie Kehle, Energy and Climate Change Analyst
Date: June 17, 2024
Recommendation
1. That the memorandum regarding Presentation of the Draft Natural Capital Asset
Management Plan be received; and
2. That the Environmental Advisory Committee comments regarding Presentation of the
Draft Natural Capital Asset Management Plan be received and referred to staff for
consideration and further action as appropriate.
Background
The Town of Aurora secured the engineering consulting services of SLBC Inc. to assist
in the development of the Town’s first Natural Capital Asset Management Plan
(NCAMP). The draft NCAMP is found in Attachment 1. The presentation of the draft
plan is found in Attachment 2.
The inclusion of natural capital assets into municipal asset management planning is
important to the protection and conservation of the properties in which they are found.
Natural assets include forests, streams, wetlands, green infrastructure, and green
spaces. These assets play a key role in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and
resiliency, such as storing carbon, mitigating storm flows, absorbing flood waters, and
providing protection from storm surges. However, historically natural assets have not
typically been categorized or valued as municipal assets.
With the introduction of Ontario Regulation 588/17, Asset Management Planning for
Municipal Infrastructure, Ontario became the first province in Canada to regulate asset
management planning at the municipal level. In accordance with the regulation,
municipalities are required to inventory, value, and integrate green infrastructure,
including natural infrastructure and by extension natural assets, into their asset
management planning when these assets are directly owned by the municipality.
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Natural Capital Asset Management Plan Draft Presentation
June 17, 2024 Page 2 of 2
This NCAMP identifies the current practices and strategies that are in place to manage
natural assets and makes recommendations where they can be further refined and
improved. The NCAMP includes the following Town-owned assets:
Natural Area Assets: forest and open spaces, waterbodies, watercourses and
wetlands.
Natural Enhanced Assets: urban trees, urban parks, community gardens and pet
cemetery.
Other Town assets such as stormwater and the trail system are excluded from this plan
but included under the Town’s corporate Asset Management Plan (AMP). The NCAMP
aligns with the Town’s corporate AMP and Policy, while in compliance with Ontario
Regulation 588/17.
The NCAMP was developed in consultation with Town stakeholders. Its components
include:
State of Infrastructure
Levels of Service Assessment
Asset Management Strategy
Financial Analysis and Strategy
Continuous Improvement and Next Steps
The deadline for submitting the NCAMP, as required under the O. Reg. 588/17, is July
1st, 2024, in conjunction with the Town’s corporate AMP. The final draft NCAMP is
scheduled to be presented to Council on July 2nd, 2024, at the Committee of the Whole
meeting.
Attachments
Attachment 1 – Draft Natural Capital Asset Management Plan (NCAMP)
Attachment 2 – Natural Capital Asset Management Plan Presentation
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Natural Capital Asset Management Plan
Draft
Rev. 2
May 2, 2024
Prepared by SLBC Inc.
and Green Analytics
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Town of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | i
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
This Natural Capital Asset Management Plan (NCAMP) communicates the requirements for the
sustainable delivery of services through management of natural assets, compliance with
regulatory requirements, and required funding to provide the appropriate Levels of Service (LOS)
over the planning period of 10 years.
Inventory
The Town’s natural assets have an estimated replacement value of $228.2 million. Table ES-1
provides a breakdown of the inventory and replacement value by asset type. Replacement values
for natural area assets were estimated based on average restoration costs per hectare, and do
not include the cost of land.
Table ES-1 Replacement Value of Natural Assets
Asset
Category
Asset
Class Quantity
Replacement Value a
2024$M % of Total
Natural
Area
Assets
Forest and open space 317.9 hectares b 57.3 b 25.1%
Waterbody 4.0 hectares N/A c N/A b
Watercourse 36.9 km d 62.8 d 27.5
Wetland 72.5 hectares 18.1 7.9%
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Community Gardens 2 locations with
52 plots each
0.45 0.2%
Pet Cemetery 6.4 hectares 0.3 0.1%
Urban Parks 114.2 hectares e 22.8 e 10.0%
Urban Trees 26,380
street and park trees
66.4 29.1%
TOTAL 228.2 100%
a See Appendix B for a summary of unit cost assumptions. Replacement Values do not include land values.
b Includes Sheppard’s Bush Conservation Area and Ducks Unlimited property, which the Town maintains in exchange
for public access.
c For waterbodies, restoration costs were not readily available.
d Includes watercourse segments that traverse Town-owned property.
e Includes manicured grassy areas in Town-owned parks. Excludes naturalized areas and building footprints.
The replacement value of the community gardens is based on recent construction unit costs. The
pet cemetery is a heritage asset that is considered irreplaceable; however, the replacement value
reflects the cost of recent cost of restoration and fencing. Th e replacement value of urban park
areas is based on the cost of sod (including installation). Land costs are not included in the value
of the pet cemetery or the urban park areas.
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Town Of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | ii
The replacement value of trees is based on the trunk diameter replacement method, which
recognizes that large trees are replaced with multiple smaller trees. See Appendix B for unit cost
assumptions.
State of Infrastructure
Natural area assets are typically expected to exist in perpetuity, and will not degrade over time
unless impacted by external threats, such as invasive species, drought, fire or chemical
contamination. As such, asset age and remaining life are not relevant to open spaces, urban
forests, waterbodies, watercourse and wetlands. Based on staff input, the Town’s natural areas
are considered generally to be in Good or Very Good condition. It is recommended that the Town
establish a condition assessment program for natural area assets to confirm their condition and
restoration needs.
Urban parks (manicured grassy areas) and the pet cemetery are also expected to exist in
perpetuity if appropriately maintained. Based on staff input, the pet cemetery is in Good condition,
while urban parks are generally in Fair condition due to the presence of weeds and signs of heavy
use.
The community garden near Alliance Park is 25 years old and is in Good condition. It has an
expected service life of 40 years. The community garden along Hartwell Way is being built this
year and is in Very Good condition. It has an expected service of life 25 years.
Urban trees are expected live 35 to
100 years or more depending on
their species and location. For
example, trees planted in
boulevards generally live
approximately 35 years.
The average age of the Town’s
urban tree inventory is estimated to
be approximately 28 years. The
condition distribution of urban tree
assets is summarized in Figure ES-
1.
Based on data collected for the
2024 Urban Forest Study,
approximately 90% of urban trees
are estimated to be in Good or Very
Good condition.
Levels of Service
The NCAMP presents Community and Technical Levels of Service (LOS) related to capacity,
function and reliability of natural assets. Formal targets have not been established for most of the
Figure ES-1 Condition of Urban Trees
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Town Of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | iii
technical LOS. Instead, the technical LOS will be monitored to track year-to-year changes, and to
observe their relationship with community satisfaction and operational costs.
Moreover, although targets have been set for tree canopy and tree diversity, those targets are not
directly applicable to the Town’s asset performance, because the targets apply to all trees within
the municipal boundaries, whereas the Town's asset performance relates specifically to Town-
owned trees.
For example, the Town’s tree canopy target is 40%; however, the AM Plan defines LOS
performance based only on Town-owned trees, since the Town only directly manages Town-
owned assets. However, Town-owned trees provide an estimated 6.3% of canopy coverage,
which makes the Town a major contributor to the community’s ability to meet the 40% target.
Similarly, the Town’s tree diversity goal is that no species represents more than 5% of the tree
population. This target applies to all trees within the municipal boundaries; however, for the AM
Plan it has been applied to the inventory of Town-owned trees. Several Town-owned tree species
exceed the the diversity target as a proportion of the Town-owned inventory, and the Town is
working to achieve the diversity target as part of it’s long-term tree planting and tree replacement
program.
The Town’s population is expected to grow 11.8% from 66,370 in 2024 to 74,210 by 2034. Due
to land constraints and high land costs, the Town does not plan to expand its natural area assets,
urban parks, community gardens and trails to keep up with population growth. As such, the
capacity LOS for these assets will decrease, meaning that more people will share use of these
assets. This may be viewed negatively by some users, but the higher levels of use also represent
higher efficiency due to increased benefits being derived from each asset. The Town may seek
alternative ways to increase natural area asset capacity for residents, for example, through
agreements with external parties or re-purposing existing Town properties.
Asset Management Strategy
Risk Management
Risk treatments recommended by the Town’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan and reinforced by
recommendations from the Urban Forest Study include:
1. Regularly review of the tree and plant selection list.
2. Before extreme weather events, assess the costs and benefits of increasing the current
tree inspection and maintenance process.
3. After extreme weather events, continue applying procedures in the Park Maintenance Plan
to inspect parks.
4. To manage non-climate threats, establish a program to monitor and assess degradation
of natural assets due to invasive species, pests, diseases, contamination, overuse,
misuse, unauthorized edge encroachment or other disturbances.
5. To manage wildlife threats, explore options for managing beavers and formalize an
approach to reducing their negative impacts on the tree canopy and drainage.
In addition, asset failure risk was assessed for individual urban trees, and it was found that 0.1%
of urban trees were considered Very High risk, representing a total of approximately 60 trees and
a replacement value of $95,000. Replacement of these trees should be prioritised.
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Town Of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | iv
Lifecycle Management
Recommended lifecycle activities for each lifecycle stage include the following:
• Plan and Design
o Continue updating the Stream Management Master Plan and Urban Forest Study every
10 years
o Incorporate the Pet Cemetery into Official Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan
when these are updated.
• Construct and Secure
o Due to land constraints and the high cost of land it is not feasible for the Town to maintain
the current LOS of natural area assets and natural enhanced assets per 1,000 people.
o Given these constraints, construct and secure strategies should focus on working toward
meeting the Town’s 40% canopy cover target.
• Monitor and Maintain
o Establish a program to assess and monitor degradation of natural assets, as described
in Section 4.3.1, Recommendation 4 – Manage Non-Climate Threats. This should include
assessing the condition of any newly acquired lands if any are secured.
o Continue executing operations and maintenance activities recommended by the Stream
Management Master Plan, including conducting regular field walks.
o Continue maintaining trees in accordance with the Park Maintenance Standard and
implement recommendations from the 2024 Urban Forest Study.
o Continue maintaining urban parkland in accordance with the Park Maintenance Standard.
o Continue formalizing maintenance standards for community gardens and pet cemetery,
then implement.
• Rehabilitation and Restoration
o Implement restoration needs identified through the assessment of natural assets.
o Complete the improvements identified in the 2019 Stream Management Master Plan.
o Continue replacing trees based on annual inspections, the Urban Forest Study and
reports by residents and staff. Prioritize the trees identified as Very High risk. As trees
are replaced, consider the recommendations in the regularly-updated Tree and Plant
Selection list.
Financial Strategy
Scenario Evaluation
The following three scenarios for investing in the management of natural assets were assessed:
• Scenario A: Status Quo
• Scenario B: Status Quo with Moderate Rehabilitation, Monitoring and Maintenance
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Town Of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | v
• Scenario C: Status Quo with High Rehabilitation, Monitoring and Maintenance
As indicated by their names, the strategies differ primarily in their level of monitoring and
maintenance of natural assets. Scenario A: Status Quo includes monitoring and maintenance of
natural enhanced assets, but very little for natural area assets. Scenario B initiates rehabilitation,
monitoring and maintenance for natural assets. Scenario C is similar to Scenario B, but includes
funds for more aggressive rehabilitation, monitoring and maintenance.
None of the Scenarios include the addition of natural area or enhanced assets. That means the
existing natural area and enhanced assets will need to support the growing population.
Table ES-2 summarizes the costs of each scenario. The table shows that 10-year costs range
from $17.12 million for Scenario A (Status Quo) to $25.48 million for Scenario C (High).
As the Status Quo scenario, Scenario A represents the anticipated annual funding available, and
is used to calculate the funding gap, or additional funding needed, for Scenarios B and C. The
table shows that an average of $0.36 million/year would be needed for Scenarios B and $0.84
million/year would be needed for Scenarios C.
Table ES-2 Cost Comparison 2025-2034
Scenario A
Status Quo
Scenario B
Moderate
Scenario C
High
Total Cost 2025-2034
(2024 $, millions) $17.12 $20.68 $25.48
Average Annual Cost
(2024 $, millions/year) $1.71 $2.07 $2.55
Anticipated Annual
Average Funding
(2024 $, millions/year)
$1.71 $1.71 $1.71
Average Annual Gap
(2024 $, millions/year) -- $0.36 $0.84
Table ES-3 compares the benefits or outcomes of each scenario. As shown in the table, Scenario
A only replaces 43% of the known dead and dying trees, and does not plant any new trees to
contribute to achieving the canopy target. Moreover, natural area condition assessments, invasive
species control and targeted seeding and planting will not be conducted. This Scenario will leave
the Town and its natural assets unprepared for hazards such as extreme weather, invasive
species, encroachment and misuse.
Scenario B replaces 100% of the known dead and dying trees, and plants 200 new trees to
contribute to achieving the canopy target. Moreover, natural area condition assessments will be
completed on all properties in the first 6 years before transitioning to a 10-year cycle. Moderate
programs of invasive species control and targeted seeding and planting will also be conducted.
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Town Of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | vi
Table ES-3 Benefit Comparison
BENEFITS 2025-3034 Scenario A
Status Quo
Scenario B
Moderate
Scenario C
High
Construct and Secure
Net New Trees Planted 0 200 trees 2000 trees
Rehab and Restore
Dead and Dying Trees
Replaced
284 trees
(43% of those
identified in 2024)
666 trees
(100% of those
identified in 2024)
760 trees
(100% of those
identified in 2024 +
others that may die
over time)
Invasive Species Control
(hectares treated) 0 22.2 ha 66.5 ha
Targeted Seeding and
Planting
(hectares treated)
0 3.8 ha 7.3 ha
Stream Rehabilitation
projects completed 5 projects 5 projects 5 projects
Monitor and Maintain
Condition Assessment
(hectares assessed) 0
620.4 ha
(all assets in first 6
years, followed by
10-year cycle)
664.7 ha
(all assets in first 5
years, followed by
10-year cycle)
Tree Maintenance
Increases with Net New
Trees
n/a Yes Yes
Urban Park Maintenance Same as current Same as current Same as current
Plan and Design
Stream Management
Master Plan
Updated in 2029
Yes Yes Yes
Urban Forest Study
Updated in 2034 Yes Yes Yes
Tree Inventory
Updated in 2025 Yes Yes Yes
Scenario C is similar to Scenario B, but aims to replace 100% of the known dead and dying trees,
and allows for replacement of an additional 94 trees which may fall into Very Poor condition over
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Town Of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | vii
the next 10 years. Two thousand (2000) new trees will be planted to contribute to the tree canopy
target. Natural area condition assessments will be completed on all properties in the first 5 years
(1 year faster than Scenario B) before transitioning to a 10-year cycle, and invasive species
control and targeted seeding and planting will also be conducted at a higher rate. This will better
position the Town for the identified risks to its natural assets.
Recommended Scenario
The costs and benefits are estimates of the potential needs that should be verified through field -
based assessments of the natural assets. For this reason, Scenario B is recommended, because
it includes a moderate program of assessment, maintenance and res toration activities. The data
collected through the assessments will enable the Town to determine whether these programs
should be reduced or expanded in the future.
To fund Scenario B, the Town may
• seek additional revenues through taxation or grants
• re-allocate funds from other programs (this may result in reduced levels of service in other
prorams).
Moreover, although the Town recognizes that land constraints make future purchases of natural
area assets unlikely, it is recommended that the Town continue to seek alternative ways to
increase natural area asset capacity for its residents, for example, through maintenance
agreements with external parties similar to the Town’s existing agreements for use of the Duck’s
Unlimited property and Sheppard’s Bush Conservation Area. There may also be opportunities for
the Town to re-purpose some of its existing properties.
Plan Monitoring and Improvement
Per O.Reg. 588/17, the Town will conduct an annual review of its progress in implementing this
AM Plan and will update the AM Plan after at most 5 years.
The Town is committed to continually improving how assets are managed and how services are
delivered. Development of AM Plans is an iterative process that includes improving data,
processes, systems, staff skills, and organizational culture over time. Key recommendations
include:
• Data
o Establish condition scoring criteria for natural assets and assess condition.
o Establish land classifications that will be applied consistently to assets in all Town
documents, including the AM Plan and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
• Technology
o Continue the initiative to implement a work order management system, which will be used
to track maintenance and repair activities and costs at an asset level. This information
can be used to improve future needs forecasting and budgeting.
• Processes
o Establish processes to keep tree data current as trees are replaced or maintained.
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o Monitor LOS performance relative customer satisfaction and cost to inform future target
setting.
o Use Town-wide tree targets to guide development of Town-owned tree targets
o Consider building on the initial risk assessment for natural assets to further inform and
prioritize risk mitigation actions for natural assets.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Alignment with Regulatory Requirements ..................................................................................... 1
1.3 Relationship with Other Documents .............................................................................................. 2
1.4 Key Partners .................................................................................................................................. 2
1.5 Goals and Objectives of Natural Asset Management ................................................................... 3
1.6 Corporate Asset Management System ......................................................................................... 3
1.7 Organization of Document ............................................................................................................ 4
2 STATE OF INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................................... 5
2.1 Asset Hierarchy and Inventory ...................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Asset Valuation ............................................................................................................................. 2
2.3 Asset Age and Remaining Life ...................................................................................................... 3
2.4 Asset Condition ............................................................................................................................. 4
2.5 Confidence in Data ........................................................................................................................ 7
3 LEVELS OF SERVICE .......................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Levels of Service Framework ........................................................................................................ 8
3.2 Legislative Requirements ............................................................................................................ 10
3.3 Corporate Levels of Service ........................................................................................................ 10
3.4 Community and Technical Levels of Service .............................................................................. 11
3.5 Levels of Service Outlook ........................................................................................................... 13
4 ASSET MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ................................................................................. 16
4.1 Risk Assessment ......................................................................................................................... 16
4.2 Asset Management Strategies .................................................................................................... 22
4.3 Summary of Lifecycle Management Needs ................................................................................ 27
5 FINANCIAL STRATEGY ..................................................................................................... 30
5.1 Scenario A: Status Quo ............................................................................................................... 30
5.2 Scenario B: Moderate Rehab, Monitoring and Maintenance ...................................................... 34
5.3 Scenario C: High Rehab, Monitoring and Maintenance .............................................................. 37
5.4 Summary and Recommendation ................................................................................................. 40
6 NCAMP IMPROVEMENT AND MONITORING ................................................................... 43
6.1 AM Plan Improvement Recommendations ................................................................................. 43
6.2 AM Plan Monitoring and Review ................................................................................................. 45
6.3 Performance Measures ............................................................................................................... 45
Appendix A: Establishing NCAMP Inventory ......................................................................... 46
Appendix B: Unit Cost Assumptions ...................................................................................... 48
Appendix C: Map of Recommended Monitoring Frequency ................................................. 50
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Appendix D: Detailed Financial FORECAST Tables .............................................................. 51
Figure Index
Figure 1-1 Strategic Plan line-of-sight to Work Plan ..................................................................................... 4
Figure 2-1 NCAMP Inventory ........................................................................................................................ 1
Figure 2-2 Portion of Replacement Costs by Asset Type ............................................................................. 3
Figure 2-3 Condition of Urban Trees ............................................................................................................ 5
Figure 3-1 Levels of Service Framework ...................................................................................................... 9
Figure 3-2 Forecast Population and Employment Growth .......................................................................... 13
Figure 4-1 Natural Asset Management Lifecycle ........................................................................................ 22
Table Index
Table 1-1 Key Partners in the AM Plan ......................................................................................................... 2
Table 2-1 Assets covered by this AM Plan ................................................................................................... 6
Table 2-2 Replacement Value of Natural Capital Assets .............................................................................. 2
Table 2-3 Average Service Life and Age of Natural Capital ......................................................................... 4
Table 2-4 Tree Condition Rating ................................................................................................................... 5
Table 2-4 Asset Condition ............................................................................................................................. 6
Table 3-1 Legislative Requirements ........................................................................................................... 10
Table 3-2 Corporate Strategic Plan Pillars of Success ............................................................................... 10
Table 3-3 Current Level of Service Performance ....................................................................................... 12
Table 3-4 Level of Service Outlook ............................................................................................................. 13
Table 4-1 Risk Rating Overview ................................................................................................................. 17
Table 4-2 Risk Assessment of Threats and Hazards ................................................................................. 17
Table 4-3 Consequence of Failure (CoF) Rating Scale .............................................................................. 19
Table 4-4 Probability of Failure (PoF) Rating Scale ................................................................................... 19
Table 4-5 Risk Evaluation Matrix Framework ............................................................................................. 20
Table 4-6 Risk Evaluation Matrix (2024 $, millions) – Urban Trees............................................................ 20
Table 4-7 Long-term Strategic Planning Activities ...................................................................................... 23
Table 4-9 Monitor and Maintain Management Strategies ........................................................................... 24
Table 4-10 Rehabilitate and Restore Management Strategies ................................................................... 26
Table 5-1 Scenario A: Status Quo Lifecycle Activities ................................................................................ 32
Table 5-2 Scenario A: Finanical Needs Forecast 2025-2034 ..................................................................... 33
Table 5-3 Scenario B: Moderate Lifecycle Activities ................................................................................... 34
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Town Of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | xi
Table 5-4 Scenario B: Financial Needs Forecast 2025-2034 ..................................................................... 36
Table 5-5 Scenario C: High Lifecycle Activities .......................................................................................... 37
Table 5-6 Scenario C: Cost Forecast 2025-2034 ....................................................................................... 39
Table 5-7 Cost Comparison 2025-2034 ...................................................................................................... 40
Table 5-8 Benefit Comparison .................................................................................................................... 41
Table 6-1 Asset Management Improvement Recommendations................................................................ 43
Table A-1 Data Utilized ............................................................................................................................... 46
Table A-2 Conversion of ELC Category to Asset Class groupings ............................................................ 46
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Town Of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | xii
List of Abbreviations
Abbreviation Definition
AM Asset Management
CAO Chief Administrative Officer
CCAP Climate Change Adaptation Plan
CRV Current Replacement Value
dbh Diameter at breast height
EAC Environmental Advisory Committee
ELC Ecological Land Classification
EVNCA Economic Valuation of Natural Capital Assets Report
GDS Green Development Standards
LOS Levels of Service
NCAMP Natural Capital Asset Management Plan
OP Official Plan
OPA Official Plan Amendment
O.Reg. Ontario Regulation
SOI State of Infrastructure
TCA Tangible Capital Asset
TRCA Toronto Region Conservation Authority
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Town of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | 1
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The Town of Aurora is a municipality located within the boundaries of York Region. The Town has
a population of over 60,000 residents and covers over 49 square kilometers of land, comprised
of built and natural assets.
This Natural Capital Asset Management Plan (NCAMP) communicates the requirements for the
sustainable delivery of services through management of natural assets, compliance with
regulatory requirements, and funding to provide the appropriate Levels of Service (LOS) over the
planning period of 10 years.
1.2 Alignment with Regulatory Requirements
Municipalities in Ontario have been using asset management processes to manage their built
assets for decades. However, it has only been over the past five to ten years that municipalities
have begun incorporating natural capital (e.g., wetlands, forests, meadows, watercourses, trees,
parkland) into this framework. This shift has been triggered in part by:
(a) A growing need to repair aging municipal “grey” or built infrastructure with limited municipal
tax dollars, which has pushed governments and others to start to explore alternative and
complementary solutions.
(b) Climate change which, among other things, is putting municipal infrastructure at greater
risk of failure.
(c) A growing recognition of the essential services provided by natural assets to communities
at the local scale along with numerous co-benefits.
In Ontario, this shift is also being driven by Ontario Regulation (O.Reg.) 588/17 Asset
Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure under the Infrastructure for Jobs and
Prosperity Act (2015), which came into effect January 1, 2018. O.Reg. 588/17 made Ontario the
first province in Canada to regulate asset management planning at the municipal level and to
require consideration of both human-made and natural assets as part of this process. Ontario
remains the only Province with this type of legislation. O. Reg. 588/17 requires all municipalities
in Ontario to have a comprehensive asset management plan that identifes current LOS in place
for all municipal infrastructure assets by July 1st of 2024, and a plan that includes proposed LOS
by July 1st of 2025.
The definition of what constitutes a municipal infrastructure asset for the purpose of O. Reg 588/17
includes “green infrastructure”, which is defined in the regulation as an:
infrastructure asset consisting of natural or human-made elements that provide
ecological and hydrological functions and processes and includes natural heritage
features and systems, parklands, stormwater management systems, street trees,
urban forests, natural channels, permeable surfaces and green roofs.
In accordance with the requirements of O.Reg. 588/17, this NCAMP is posted on the Town’s
website, along with related background documents.
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1.3 Relationship with Other Documents
Asset management planning is a medium to long-term planning activity that relies on input from
strategic planning activities and informs shorter-term decision making. The NCAMP provides a
framework to validate the Town’s budgeting processes and assist in prioritizing work activities,
including capital projects, based on risk. It also discusses LOS that support goals in the Town’s
strategic plan, and lifecycle management strategies intended to reduce the overall cost of asset
ownership.
The NCAMP is intended to be read with other Town policies and planning documents, including
the following:
• Climate Change Adaption Plan (CCAP), 2022
• Green Development Standards (GDS), 2022
• Economic Valuation of Natural Capital Assets Report (EVNCA), 2013
• Town of Aurora Strategic Plan: 2011-2031
• Town of Aurora Official Plan 2023 Consolidation (OP)
• Town of Aurora Secondary Plans
• 2023 Parks & Recreation Master Plan
• 2023 Parks Maintenance Standard
• 2024 Urban Forest Study
The 2022 CCAP recommends climate action items, including one to update the Town’s 2013
EVNCA and one to incorporate natural capital assets into the Town’s AM Plan. This NCAMP
partially updates the EVNCA by presenting the value of Town-owned natural assets, and it
incorporates natural capital assets into the Town’s AM Plan.
1.4 Key Partners
Key partners in the preparation and implementation of this AM Plan are shown in Table 1-1.
Table 1-1 Key Partners in the AM Plan
Key
Stakeholder
Role in Asset Management Plan
Town of Aurora
Council
Council is dedicated to serving the residents and businesses of the Town of Aurora in
a responsive and effective manner, through leadership and legislative action, for the
present and future well-being of the community.
Environmental
Advisory
Committee
(EAC)
. The EAC acts as a link between citizens and the Town to facilitate the resolution of
environmental concerns and to assist in implementing projects that will enhance the
community environment.
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Key
Stakeholder
Role in Asset Management Plan
Chief
Administrative
Officer (CAO)
and Senior
Leadership
Team
The CAO provides leadeship that supports the policies and programs that drives the
organization forward, focusing on ensuring the Town has efficient and effective
systems in place to support the responsible growth of Aurora. The CAO provides
corporate oversight to the program to ensure that the goal and directions of the asset
management program are maintained, and the program remains consistent with the
overall strategic plan.
Finance
Finance provides historic Tangible Capital Asset (TCA) amounts, and historic and
current capital and operating budgets. Further, Finance provides coordination on input
data and development of the AM Plan from each of the service and program areas.
Various Town
Departments
Various town deparments provide input data, forecasts and text for the AM Plan
related to their service and program area or area of functional expertise.
1.5 Goals and Objectives of Natural Asset Management
The Town is seeking to create a detailed and comprehensive NCAMP that will serve as an
extension to the Town’s current AM Plan.
The goal in managing natural and enhanced assets is to meet the defined LOS (as amended from
time to time) in the most cost effective manner for the present and future community.
The key elements of natural and enhanced AM are:
• Providing a defined level of service and monitoring performance
• Managing the impact of growth through demand management and asset investment
• Taking a lifecycle approach to developing cost-effective management strategies for the long-
term that meet the defined level of service
• Identifying, assessing, and appropriately controlling risks
• Linking to a long-term financial plan which identifies required, affordable expenditure and
how it will be financed.
1.6 Corporate Asset Management System
AM Plans aim to provide a line of sight between corporate strategic priorities, and tactical
planning, including annual budgeting and business planning. Tactical plans are then used to guide
work delivery, including capital delivery, operations and maintenance. The line of sight is
illustrated in Error! Not a valid bookmark self-reference..
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Figure 1-1 Strategic Plan line-of-sight to Work Plan
1.7 Organization of Document
The contents of this AM Plan follow the recommended elements of a detailed AM Plan:
• Introduction: Outlines scope, background information, relationship to other Municipal
documents and plans, and applicable legislation.
• State of Infrastructure: Summarizes the inventory, valuation, condition and remaining life
of the assets in the inventory by service and asset type.
• Levels of Service: Defines LOS performance indicators and targets, presents current
performance and discusses the future performance outlook.
• Asset Management Strategy: Identifies risks to natural assets, recommends mitigation
actions, and summarizes the asset management strategies, including restoration, renewal,
maintenance and condition assessment, that will enable the assets to provide the required
levels of service in a sustainable way, while managing risk, at the lowest lifecycle cost.
• Financing Strategy: Presents three scenarios for investing in the management of natural
assets. Each option carries a different cost and delivers a different lifecycle benefits. A
preferred scenario is recommended.
• NCAMP Improvement and Monitoring: Summarizes the next steps including improving
future iterations of the NCAMP and monitoring the NCAMP implementation progress.
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2 STATE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
The State of Infrastructure (SOI) section of the NCAMP describes the Town’s inventory of natural
assets, and provides a snapshot in time of the valuation, age and condition of these assets.
2.1 Asset Hierarchy and Inventory
This NCAMP focuses on Town-owned natural assets, because the Town can only directly
maintain and manage natural assets on lands under its ownership, or through a shared
management agreement (e.g., with another public agency such as a Conservation Authority).
However, it is also understood that the system of natural assets that exists throughout Aurora’s
juristiction is essential to the provision of services that benefit the community. These serivce
provisions include things such as air pollution control, urban temperature regulation, water
quantity and quality management, and phsyical and mental health benefits from time spent in
natural areas. These benefits are discussed further in Section 2.2.
For the NCAMP, natural assets have been divided into the following categories in alignment with
CSA W218:23:
• Natural Area Assets: The stock of natural areas and ecosystem elements that are relied
upon and managed by a municipality
• Natural Enhanced Assets: Designed elements that have been established to mimic natural
functions and processes in the service of human interests
For the NCAMP, these asset categories have been further divided into asset classes as shown in
Table 2-2. The approach and assumptions used to establish the NCAMP inventory is summarized
in Appendix A.
Locations of natural area and natural enhanced assets are shown in Figure 2-1. The map includes
Sheppard’s Bush Conservation Area and Ducks Unlimited property, which the Town maintains in
exchange for public access. The map does not include the property at 672-684 Henderson Dr.
because Town ownership was not formalized at the time the NCAMP was written.
The NCAMP does not include stormwater ponds, which are considered built assets, and are
included in the Corporate AM Plan. Grassy areas around stormwater ponds are considered part
of the stormwater pond asset, and are thus also excluded from this NCAMP.
In addition, although trails provide access to natural area assets, trails are considered built
infrastructure and are covered in the Corporate AM Plan.
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Table 2-1 Assets covered by this AM Plan
Asset Category Asset Class Description Examples of Town Assets
Natural
Area
Assets
Forest and open
space
Forested, naturalized or un-
mowed open spaces as defined
by the Ecological Land
Classification (ELC)1 geospaotial
data available for Aurora. The
asset class captures coniferous
forest, deciduous forest, mixed
forest, cutural plantation, cultural
woodland, cultural thickets, and
cultural meadows ELC
communities.
Holland Valley Trail North
property is an example of a
forested asset.
The natural protions of the
Aurora Community
Arboremtum are largely
classificed as cultural
meadow.
Wetland
Wetland areas as defined by
ELC. Includes Deciduous
Swamp, Mixed Swamp, Thicket
Swamp, Meadow Marsh, and
Shallow Marsh.
A large portion of Atkinson
Park is wetland.
Waterbody
Waterbody areas as defined by
the ELC. Includes Open Water,
Mixed Shallow Aquatic, and
Submerged Shallow Aquatic.
Open water portions of the
wetland in Atkinson Park.
Watercourse Watercourse segments that
traverse Town owned properties.
Segments of the East Holland
River and Tannery Creek
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Community
Gardens
Sets of raised garden plots where
residents and groups grow
plants. Each community garden
contains 52 plots.
One located near Alliance
Park.
One located along Hartwell
Way.
Pet Cemetery
Cultural heritage site where over
800 named pets have been
documented.
Happy Woodland Pet
Cemetery
Urban Park Manicured grassy areas within
Town-owned parks
Thomas Coates Park
Urban Trees
Town-owned street trees and
park trees. Excludes trees in
forests and open spaces.
1 This is based on the ecological land classification (ELC) system mapping for southern Ontario (in accordance with
the standards established by Lee et al., 1998) This classification system is an established and widely accepted
standard in southern Ontario that is useful for informing inventory structure as well as condition assessment and
management of natural assets.
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Figure 2-1 NCAMP Inventory
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2.2 Asset Valuation
The current replacement value of an asset represents the expected cost to replace an asset to
the same functional standard with a ‘like for like’ version based on current market conditions and
construction standards. Establishing a current replacement cost for natural areas is somewhat
more challenging than for built assets since natural areas (e.g. forest and wetlands) are not
typically built or constructed. Therefore, estimating a replacement cost for most natural assets is
achieved by estimating the anticipated cost to restore a natural asset. This was achieved by using
average restoration costs per hectare of natural areas provided by Toronto Region Conservation
Authority (TRCA).
For individual tree assets or other enhanced assets (e.g. community gardens), more typical
construction costs or costs of replacement are used. For natural and enhanced assets, the total
replacement value is estimated to be $228.2 million. Table 2-2 and Figure 2-2 provide a
breakdown of the inventory and replacement value by asset type.
Table 2-2 Replacement Value of Natural Capital Assets
Asset
Category
Asset
Class Quantity
Replacement Value a
2024$M % of Total
Natural
Area
Assets
Forest and open space 321.1 hectares b 57.3 b 25.1%
Waterbody 4.0 hectares N/A c N/A b
Watercourse 36.9 km d 62.8 d 27.5
Wetland 72.5 hectares 18.1 7.9%
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Community Gardens 2 locations with
52 plots each
0.45 0.2%
Pet Cemetery 6.4 hectares 0.3 0.1%
Urban Parks 114.2 hectares e 22.8 e 10.0%
Urban Trees 26,380
street and park trees
66.4 29.1%
TOTAL 228.2 100%
a See Appendix B for a summary of unit cost assumptions. Replacement Values do not include land values.
b Includes Sheppard’s Bush Conservation Area and Ducks Unlimited property, which the Town maintains in exchange
for public access. Does not include the property at 672-684 Henderson Dr. which the Town is under contract to purchase
in June 2024.
c For waterbodies, restoration costs were not readily available.
d Includes watercourse segments that traverse Town-owned property.
e Includes manicured grassy areas in Town-owned parks. Excludes naturalized areas and building footprints.
For natural area assets it is important to recognize that while restoration costs can act as
replacement cost for AM purposes, it can take many years or decades for a natural system to
grow, establish, and develop the ecosystem functionality to provide a ‘like for like’ replacement.
While the restoration costs can approximate the expenditure need to replace some natural assets,
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it does not fully account for the lost or reduced level of service (LOS) provision that would exist if
replacement were to occur.
Figure 2-2 Portion of Replacement Costs by Asset Type
For the purpose of an asset management plan, asset valuation is typically done using the
replacement cost of the asset as is outlined in Table 2-2. The replacement value is an estimate
of the captial costs associated with restoring natural assets. It is important to distingish this from
natural captial values which measure the value of ecosystem service provided by natural assets.
Ecosystem services values are the benefits that humans derive from nature and are typrically
reported as an average annual service value. For instance, Aurora (2013)2 and Green Analytics
(2017)3 explore a range ecosystem services value provided by Aurora’s natural assets. These
values recogonize and demonstrate the importance of natural assets from the perspective of
benefits provided to local communties. Ecosystem service benefits can be wide ranging including
reduction of urban heat island effects, flood and erosion risk reduction, the provision of
recreational opporutnities, and physical and mental health benefits from time spent in nature.
Aurora (2013) estimated the value of ecosystem service benefits at $7.4 million per year.
2.3 Asset Age and Remaining Life
For built assets, understanding the estimated life of an asset and the proportion of life that remains
provides an insight into potential risk of asset failure and potential renewal need s. For natural
2 Aurora (2013). The Economic Value of Natural Capital Assets Associated with Ecosystem Protection.
3 Green Analytics (2017). Valuing Natural Capital in the Lake Simcoe Watershed. Report prepared for Lake Simcoe
Region Conservation Authority.
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assets, age and remaining life do not apply in the same way and will not provide the same insight.
Natural assets typically exist in perpetuity, and if unimpacted by external pressures, will not
degrade over time.
For street and park tree assets where management is based on individual units, age is sometimes
measured and reported like built assets. However, currently there is no standard lifespan to use
for street trees in AM plans. Existing AM plans provide some precedent for tree lifespan, though
ranges from 35 to 110 years have been used. The service life of a street or park tree will vary
depending on tree species, where it is planted (e.g., in street, planter, boulevard etc.) and the
conditions of the surrounding environment. For instance, trees in the boulevards tend to have a
shorter lifespan that is anticipated to be in the 35 year range. The Town’s existing urban tree
inventory includes an age class that estimates tree age in 10-year periods. Using the mid-point of
those age classes, the weighted average age of the Town’s urban trees is 28 years.
Average service life and age of natural capital assets is shown in Table 2-3.
Table 2-3 Average Service Life and Age of Natural Capital
Asset
Category Asset Class Average Service
Life (Years)
Average Age
(Years)
Natural Area
Assets
Forest and Open Space
N/A a N/A a
Waterbody
Watercourse
Wetland
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Community Garden
Garden located
near Alliance Park:
40 years
Garden located
along Hartwell Way:
25 years
Garden located near
Alliance Park:
25 years
Garden located
along Hartwell Way:
0 years
Pet Cemetery N/A a N/A a
Urban Parks N/A a N/A a
Urban Trees
35 to 100
depending on
species and
location
28
a Assets are expected to exist in perpetuity
2.4 Asset Condition
Maintaining urban trees in a healthy condition is a primary goal for the Town. Maintenance
includes a wide range of activities including pruning to maintain structural integrity, promote
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healthy growth and eliminate dead or hazardous branches. The Town maintains an inventory of
urban trees and documents their health rating on the following six-point scale: dead, death
imminent, declining, potential trouble, satisfactory, and good. For the purpose of this AM Plan the
tree health scale has been adjusted to aligned with the corporate condition rating scale as
summarized in Table 2-4. The condition distribution of urban tree assets is summarized in Figure
2-3. Approximately 90% of urban trees are estimated to be in ‘good’ or ‘very good’ condition.
Table 2-4 Tree Condition Rating
Condition
Rating
Condition
Score Description Tree Health Rating
Very Good 1 Fit for the future Good
Good 2 Adequate for now Satisfactory
Fair 3 Requires attention Potential Trouble
Poor 4 Increasing potential of affecting
service
Declining
Very Poor 5 Unfit for sustained service Dead; death
imminent
Figure 2-3 Condition of Urban Trees
For other natural assets in Aurora condition is currently not formally assessed. However, based
on detailed discussions with the Town’s Operations staff that maintain these assets, asset
condition for the purposes of this plan can be assumed to be visually assessed and have been
found to be in in good or very good condition and enhanced assets are assumed to be in fair or
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good condition as summarized in Table 2-5. The urban parks largely capture the manicured turf,
which were noted by Town staff as having a variety of conditions, but overall should be considered
in fair condition due to presence of weeds and signs of heavy use.
Table 2-5 Asset Condition
Asset
Category Asset Class Condition Rating Condition Score
Natural Area
Assets
Forest and Open Space Good or very good 1 or 2
Waterbody Good or very good 1 or 2
Watercourse Good or very good 1 or 2
Wetland Good or very good 1 or 2
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Community Garden Good 2
Pet Cemetery Good 2
Urban Parks Fair 3
Urban Trees As per Figure 2-1 As per Figure 2-1
Not having detailed condition information for natural area assets is common across many
municipalities, as asset management maturity is still relatively low for this asset category and
there is currently no commonly accepted standard to establishing condition approach for natural
area assets.4 However, as will be discussed in the Asset Management Strategy section of this
AM Plan (Section 4), regular condition monitoring can help the Town better maintain its natural
assets and respond to natural asset threats.
4 Some initial standards have been developed as outlined in Canadian Standards Association. 2023. CSA/W218-23 Specifications
for Natural Asset Inventories. 31 p. However, it only provides some general guidance on condition focused more on a desktop-
based approach.
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2.5 Confidence in Data
The information presented in this AM Plan is based on data available at the time of preparation.
It is expected that with each update of this plan, the data confidence will improve from the
development and implementation of the initiatives listed in the Recommendations and Continuous
Improvement section (Section 6).
The confidence in data used to support the SOI can be summarized as follows:
• Data associated with the asset inventory and valuation is rated as high confidence.
o Data is based on sound records, procedures, investigations, and analysis, with
proper documentation. There are minor shortcomings, for example some data is
old, some documentation is missing and/or reliance is placed on unconfirmed
reports or some extrapolation.
• Data associated with condition assessment is rated as low confidence.
o Data is based on unconfirmed verbal reports and/or cursory inspection and
analysis. There are data gaps related to condition and the Town would benefit
from continuing to fill baseline data moving forward in preparation of the next AM
Plan update.
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3 LEVELS OF SERVICE
In the State of Infrastructure Section, the value, age, and condition of the City’s non -core
infrastructure assets were discussed. The Levels of Service (LOS) chapter builds on the State of
Infrastructure by defining the performance the City’s assets are i ntended to deliver over their
service lives. For example, the Town’s tree inventory may be expected to support a certain canopy
target.
LOS are statements that describe the outputs and objectives the City intends to deliver to its
residents, businesses, and other stakeholders. Developing, monitoring, and reporting on LOS are
all integral parts of an overall performance management program which is aimed at improving
service delivery and demonstrating accountability to the Town’s stakeholders.
As per O.Reg 588/17, the AM Plan is required to provide current LOS for all asset, including
natural assets, determined in accordance with qualitative descriptions and technical metrics
established by the municipality.
In general, LOS are guided by a corporate commitments to the community, legislative
requirements, and internal guidelines, policies, and procedures. In many cases, LOS are also
implied based on past service delivery, community expectations, and infrastruct ure system
design. Effective asset management requires that LOS be formalized and supported through a
framework of performance measures, targets, and timeframes to achieve targets, and that the
costs to deliver the documented LOS be understood.
3.1 Levels of Service Framework
Figure 3-1 shows the LOS framework and line of sight from high-level Corporate initiatives to
detailed asset-specific Technical LOS. Corporate commitments, along with legislated LOS guide
Community LOS that describe the services that the assets need to del iver to the City’s residents
and businesses. Community LOS can typically be categorized to one of the following service
attributes:
• Capacity: Measures that reflect whether the service and supporting assets are of sufficient
capacity to meet user demand.
• Function: Measures that reflect the suitability of the services, operations and assets for the
user or other stakeholder.
• Reliability & Quality: Measures that reflect whether services and supporting assets are
reliable, available when needed, and responsive to the community.
• Affordability: Measures that reflect whether services and supporting assets are adequately
funded in both the short and long term.
Technical LOS measures support the Community LOS. They relate to the allocation of resources
to service activities to best achieve the desired community outcomes and demonstrate effective
performance.
Community LOS are translated into Technical LOS, where:
• Capacity LOS drive assessment of expansion needs
• Function LOS drive assessment of upgrade needs
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• Reliability & Quality LOS drive assessment of renewal, maintenance and operations (and
programming) needs
• Affordability LOS drive assessment of financial sustainability needs.
Through the asset mangement process the risks of failing to achieve the defined Community and
Technical LOS are assessed, and lifecycle activities are prioritized to address those risks.
Lifecycle activities may include expansion, upgrade, renewal, maintenance or operational
activities, depending on the category of LOS to be addressed. In some cases, lifecycle activities
address several Community and Technical LOS. For example, a project on a runway may
simultaniously increase capacity, make upgrades to meet regulatory requirements, and renew
existing pavement. The nature of the lifecycle activity determines whether it should be funded as
capital or operating, as well as eligible funding sources. As shown in the figure below, even after
the lifecycle intervention, some residual risk may remain.
Figure 3-1 Levels of Service Framework
The following sections describe the Legislative Requirements, Corporate Priorities, and
Community and Technical LOS that guide the Town’s management of natural assets.
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3.2 Legislative Requirements
Legislative requirements that impact the delivery of the Town’s natural asset services are outlined
in Table 3-1.
Table 3-1 Legislative Requirements
Legislation Requirement
Municipal Act, 2001
The main statute governing the creation, administration and
government of municipalities in Ontario, other than the City of
Toronto.
Ontario Regulation 588/17 The
Infrastructure for Jobs and
Prosperity Act, 2015
Sets out the principles for the provincial government to regulate
asset management planning for municipalities.
Public Sector Accounting Board
Standard 3150
Standards on how to account for and report on tangible capital
assets in government financial statements. Natural assets are
not currently included in finanical reporting however, there is
active discussion on how to include the value of natural assets in
financial statements.
Environmental Protection Act The primary pollution control legislation in Ontario. Prohibits
discharge of any contaminants to the environment that can
cause or are likely to cause adverse effects. Amounts of
approved contaminants must not exceed limits prescribed by the
regulations. Requires that spills of pollutants are reported and
cleaned up promptly. Has the authority to establish liability on
the party at fault.
Ontario Water Resources Act Focuses on both groundwater and surface water throughout the
province. Regulates sewage disposal and “sewage works” and
prohibits the discharge of polluting materials that may impair
water quality.
3.3 Corporate Levels of Service
The Corporate LOS establish service levels that describe the main vision or objective of service
delivery for the Town. The Corporate Strategic Plan identifies three pillars of success that reflect
the needs of the community and in turn guide the management of the Town’s assets. As shown
below, Natural Environment is one of three pillars of the Corporate Strategic Plan.
Table 3-2 Corporate Strategic Plan Pillars of Success
Pillar of Success Service Level Objective
Community Support an exceptional quality of life for all
Economy Enable a diverse, createive and resilient economy
Natural Environment Support environmental stewardship and sustainability
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3.4 Community and Technical Levels of Service
Community LOS translate the Town’s Corporate priorities into statements that describe how the
community should experience natural asset services. Technical LOS then translate those
statements into quantitative performance metrics, which allow the Town to compare its natural
asset services with prior years or against service targets.
It is worth noting that a single natural asset can provide multiple services to a community,
sometimes referred to as co-benefits (e.g., cooling, passive recreation venue, reduced stress, air
quality improvements). In 2013, Aurora published an assessment of ecosystem services provided
by the Town’s natural assets, highlighting the range of services provided such as carbon storage
and sequestration, pollution regulation, water regulation and treatment, pollination, re creation,
and health benefits. The provision and value of these services demonstrate the importance of
including natural assets in asset management planning.
While the “service-benefit stacking” noted above helps make natural assets a compelling solution
for community service delivery, it adds to the complexity of incorporating natural assets into an
asset management plan in a consistent and useful way. Furthermore, the science of ecosystem
service measurement is still evolving and the more accessible options for quantifying such
measures are driven largely by the area of the natural asset. For informing an asset management
plan, areas managed for ecological or natural purposes, or percent of canopy cover, can be
considered effective proxy measures for the provision of a suite of ecosystem services. For
instance, percent canopy cover can be considered a proxy measure for local temperature
reduction, carbon sequestration, and air quality regulation.
Table 3-3 summarizes Community and Technical LOS along with current and desired
performance. The second last column of the table shows that formal targets have not been
established for most of the technical LOS. Instead, the technical LOS will be monitored to track
year-to-year changes, and to observe their relationship with community satisfaction and
operational costs.
On the other hand, the table shows that formal targets have been established for tree canopy and
tree diversity; however those targets are not directly applicable to the Town’s asset performance
(fifth column of Table 3-3), because the targets apply to all trees within the municipal boundaries,
whereas the Town's asset performance relates specifically to Town-owned trees.
For example, the Town’s tree canopy target is 40%; however, the AM Plan defines LOS
performance based only on Town-owned trees, since the Town only directly manages Town-
owned assets. However, Town-owned trees provide an estimated 6.3% of canopy coverage,
which makes the Town a major contributor to the community’s ability to meet the 40% target.
Similarly, the Town’s tree diversity goal is that no species represents more than 5% of the tree
population. This target applies to all trees within the municipal boundaries; however, for the AM
Plan it has been applied to the inventory of Town-owned trees. (This assumes that the Town-
owned inventory isn’t deliberately being weighted to counter-balance lack of diversity of non-
owned trees.) As shown in the table, several Town-owned tree species exceed the the diversity
target as a proportion of the Town-owned inventory. The Town is working to achieve the diversity
target as part of it’s long-term tree planting and tree replacement program.
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Table 3-3 Current Level of Service Performance
Service
Attribute Community LOS Technical LOS Relevant Asset Type Current Performance Metric Data Source Target Performance
Target
Performance
Achieved?
Capacity & Use Natural assets are
suitable to all kinds of
users and are easy to
access.a
% residential homes within 500m of
natural area assets or enhanced asset
areas
Natural area and
natural enhanced
assets
99.35% of residential properties GIS anlaysis No established target.
Town to monitor performance.
n/a
Area of natural area assets and natural
enhanced assets per 1000 people
Natural area and
natural enhanced
assets
Natural area assets per 1000 people: 5.94 ha b,c
Natural enhanced asset per 1000 people: 1.82 ha b,c
Inventory analysis No established target.
Town to monitor performance.
n/a
Area of canopy cover owned by the
Town
Urban trees and
forest and open space
Approximately 313 ha of canopy cover is Town owned.
This provides a canopy cover of 6.3%.
Inventory analysis Town does not have a target for Town-
owned canopy cover, but has established
a target of 40% canopy overall (current
performance is 34%).
n/a
# of public maintained street and park
trees per 1000 people
Urban trees # of urban trees: 26,380
# of public maintained street trees/person: 397.5 c
Inventory analysis No established target.
Town to monitor performance.
n/a
# of Community Garden locations per
1000 people
Community gardens # of locations: 2
# of plots per 1000 people: 0.030 c
Inventory analysis No established target.
Town to monitor performance.
n/a
# of km of trails through natural area
assets and natural enhanced assets per
1000 people
Natural area and
natural enhanced
assets
40.87 km of trails through town-owned and town-
maintaind land
Trails per 1000 people: 0.616 km c
GIS analysis No established target.
Town to monitor performance.
n/a
Function Enrich Aurora’s
ecology by protecting
and preserving
biodiversity. d
Species diversity of maintained trees Urban trees
Species composition for highest 5 species in Town’s
tree inventory:
• Norway maple (14.96%)
• Littleleaf linden (11.83%)
• Ash (9.51%)
• Honey locust (8.54%)
• Silver maple (5.49%)
Analysis of tree
inventory data
2024 Urban Forest Study
Recommendation 8:
Long-term goal that no species
represents more than 5% of the tree
population, no genus represents more
than 10% of the tree population, and no
family represents more than 20% of the
intensively managed tree population both
municipal-wide and at the neighbourhood
level.
No
(target is
long-term)
% Town-owned natural assets affected
by invasive species Natural area assets 55% of Open Space – Natural Cover plots show
invasive plant species (from Urban Forest Study) e
2024 Urban
Forest Study
No established target.
Town to monitor performance.
n/a
Quality &
Reliabillity
Natural and enhanced
assets are in good
condition, meeting the
needs of users.a
Tree pruning activities completed per
year Urban trees 3150 (in-house)
183 (contracted)
Town operations
estimate
No established target.
Town to monitor performance.
n/a
# of trees planted per year Urban trees 750 tree per year Town operations
estimate
No established target.
Town to monitor performance.
n/a
a) Adapted based on Level of Service Statement for Aurora’s Parks & Recreation facilities.
b) The Parks and Recreation Master Plan, reports 2.7 hectares per 1000 residents of parkland, but defines parkland as lands within Town-owned park properties. Those properties do not consistently include or exclude naturalized areas.
c) Population in 2024 estimated at 66,370 based on 2022 York Region Official Plan.
d) From the Town of Aurora Corporate Environmental Action Plan 2018.
e) Existing data is not specific to town-owned natural assets. However, data compiled for the Urban Forest Study based on a series of representative sample plots across Aurora found that 55% of “Open Space – Natura Cover” plots had presence of invasive plant species.
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3.5 Levels of Service Outlook
LOS performance may be affected by future trends, such as population growth or changes in the
environment and climate. This section focuses on the impact of population growth on LOS,
because many of the LOS are defined relative to population. Environmental, climate and other
hazards are discussed in Section 4.1.2 on risk assessment.
Figure 3-2 shows that, based on the 2022 York Region Official Plan forecasts, the Town’s
population is expected to grow 11.8% from 66,370 in 2024 to 74,210 by 2034, and employment
will grow from 30,950 to 35,360. O.Reg. 588/17 requires AM Plans to report forecasted population
and employment growth; however, natural asset planning is primarily driven by growth in
population (residents).
Figure 3-2 Forecast Population and Employment Growth
Source: 2022 York Region Official Plan
Table 3-4 describes the expected outlook for each technical LOS in consideration of the Town’s
anticipated population growth and its current plans for natural assets.
Table 3-4 Level of Service Outlook
Service
Attribute
Community
LOS Technical LOS Future Outlook
Capacity
& Use
Natural
assets are
suitable to all
kinds of
users and
% residential homes within
500m of natural area assets or
enhanced asset areas
According to the Official Plan, most new
units will be added in the Aurora
Promenade and Major Transit Station
Areas. These corridors generally have
natural asset parcels within 500m, so this
metric will likely increase (improve) with
growth.
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Service
Attribute
Community
LOS Technical LOS Future Outlook
are easy to
access.a
Area of natural area assets and
natural enhanced assets per
1000 people
Due to land constraints and high land
costs, the Town does not plan on acquiring
additional natural area assets or urban
parks. As such, natural area assets and
natural enhanced assets per 1000 people
will likely decrease.
Area of canopy cover owned by
the Town
The Town-owned tree canopy is expected
to increase (improve) as new trees are
planted, and as trees mature in good in
health.
Tree planting and maintenance and
planting levels will be discussed in the
Asest Management Strategy (Section 4)
and Financing Strategy (Section 5).
# of public maintained street
and park trees per 1000 people
The ratio of Town-owned trees to people
will likely decrease, unless the Town
plants additional trees in proportion to
population growth.
Tree planting levels will be discussed in the
Asest Management Strategy (Section 4)
and Financing Strategy (Section 5).
# of Community Garden
locations per 1000 people
As population grows, this ratio will
decrease. The Town does not currently
plan to build additional community gardens.
# of km of trails through natural
area assets and natural
enhanced assets per 1000
people
As population grows, this ratio will likely
decrease. The Town may build additional
trails on private land under maintenance
agreements; however, it will not likely be
sufficient to maintain the current ratio of
trails to people.
Function Enrich
Aurora’s
ecology by
protecting
and
preserving
biodiversity.
d
Species diversity of maintained
trees
The species diversity will slowly improve
through the Town’s tree replacement and
planting program.
% Town-owned natural assets
affected by invasive species
The % of natural assets affected by
invasive species will may increase
(worsen) if actions are not taken to
manage them.
Quality &
Reliabillity
Natural and
enhanced
assets are in
good
condition,
meeting the
needs of
users.a
Tree pruning activities
completed per year
Given the same resources (budget), tree
pruning activities are expected to remain
steady.
However, if the tree inventory grows, this
would represent a reduction (worsening) in
maintenance attention for each tree.
# of trees planted per year
Given the same resources (budget), tree
planting activities are expected to remain
steady.
Depending on targets for tree canopy and
trees per population, a steady annual rate
of tree planting may or may not be
sufficient.
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Town of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | 15
As indicated in the table, due to land constraints and high land costs, the Town does not plan to
expand its natural area assets, urban parks, community gardens and trails to keep up with
population growth. As such, the capacity LOS for these assets will decrease, meaning that more
people will share use of these assets. This may be viewed negatively by some users, but the
higher levels of use also represent higher efficiency due to increased benefits being derived from
each asset.
Despite the land constraints, the Town may seek alternative ways to increase natural area asset
capacity for residents, for example, through maintenance agreements with external parties similar
to the Town’s existing agreements for use of the Duck’s Unlimited property and Sheppard’s Bush
Conservation Area. There may also be opportunities for the Town to re-purpose some of its
existing properties.
The Town-owned tree canopy is expected to increase (improve) as new trees are planted, and
as trees mature in good in health; however, this depends on the resources allocated to both tree
maintenance and tree planting. To maintain the current ratio of Town-owned trees to people, the
Town will need to plant 3,123 net new trees by 2034. Through planting of new and replacement
trees, the Town will slowly work toward its diversity target of no more than 5% of any one species.
Tree maintenance and planting are discussed in Section 4.
The % of natural assets affected by invasive species will may increase (worsen) if actions are not
taken to manage them. Mitigation and management of invasive species are discussed in Section
4.
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4 ASSET MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
The Asset Management Strategy section of the AM Plan identifies risks to natural assets,
recommends mitigation actions, and summarizes the asset management strategies, including
restoration, renewal, maintenance and condition assessment, that will enable the assets to
provide the required Levels of Service (LOS) in a sustainable way, while managing risk.
4.1 Risk Assessment
This section addresses risks to the Town’s natural assets. First, the risk context is discussed, then
a risk assessment highlights anticiated hazards and threats to the Town’s natural assets. Next,
an asset failure risk assessment is presented for urban trees. Risk mitigation actions to address
known risk are discussed.
4.1.1 Risk Context
The standard risk assessment approach used for built assets can also be applied to natural
assets. However, the application of risk is slightly different given the unique features of natural
assets and natural area assets in particular. Natural assets are resilient, meaning they can
withstand a certain amount of stress and in many cases, they repair themselves when damaged.
Therefore, degradation or damage to one component of a natural asset may not have a significant
impact on the overall LOS (e.g., the loss of one tree may have a minor impact on overall forest or
canopy cover and the associated services). This resiliency is one of the many reasons natural
assets are seen as effective solutions to deal with certain infrastructure and climate change
related challenges. However, cumulative effects and exposure to multiple stressors can lead to
tipping points that can cause cascading or widespread failure of natural assets. Therefore, a risk
assessment for natural assets needs to consider the range of hazards to which natural assets are
exposed, and the potential impacts those hazards could trigger.
Ideally, the condition of natural assets is carefully assessed and monitored at regular intervals. In
such a situation, a natural asset’s condition can help inform the probability of asset failure, much
in the same way it is used for built assets. Provided the condition assessments are robust, a lower
condition rating would imply a lower level of natural resilience, and that a certain level of
degradation has occurred such that additional stressors would be more likely to trigger failure.
Currently, condition assessments and regular monitoring of the condition of natural assets within
Aurora is limited. However, the Town’s objective is to develop and implement regular monitoring
and condition assessment protocols. Once available, this information can be combined with the
current understanding of threats and hazards to natural assets to inform the probability and
consequences of asset failure.
4.1.2 Natural Asset Risk Assessment – Hazards and Threats
As a starting point, this AM plan outlines the work completed to date toward understanding the
range of threats and hazards to natural assets. The Town has already made progress on risk
management related to natural assets through its 2022 Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP).
As part of the CCAP, specific climate hazards were identified. Each hazard was assigned a
probability of occurrence rating and a severity of consequence rating, which were combined into
four risk ratings summarized in Table 4-1.
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Table 4-1 Risk Rating Overview
Risk Rating Description*
Low Risk No immediate vulnerability associated with natural infrastructure.
Low-medium Risk Potential vulnerability exists, viability of the natural infrastructure is not an
immediate concern, but action may be required in the foreseeable future.
High-medium Risk
Potential vulnerability exists, viability of the natural infrastructure is not an
immediate concern, but action is needed soon to avoid anticipated
consequences.
High Risk A known vulnerability is present, mitigative actions are required to ensure
viability of natural infrastructure.
* Descriptions of risk ratings were adapted from what was used in Aurora’s Climate Change Action Plan and modified
to also apply to non-climate related threats or hazards.
Climate change risks pose a significant challenge to managing Town assets and maintaining
service levels. Climate change impacts increase the probability of natural asset failure and can
also increase the consequence of failure in terms of financial impacts, service delivery, and
damages to the natural environment. Therefore, in general, climate change is anticipated to
increase the Town’s risk exposure. Several specific climate related hazards are identified in the
Town’s CCAP. These hazards are further detailed into potential risks to natural assets as
summarized in Table 4-2.
For natural assets, other non-climate or human activity-related threats and hazards exist that
should also be considered. Building on the work done through the CCAP in addition to input
gathered from Town staff and the results of the 2024 Urban Forest Study, other hazards identified
include invasive species, pests and diseases, wildlife impacts, unauthorized edge encroachment
or disturbances, contamination (e.g. road salting and other spills), and overuse and misuse of
natural areas. The potential impacts and risk ratings associated with these hazards are detailed
in Table 4-2 for natural area assets and natural enhanced assets.
Aurora’s Urban Forest Study provides some additional insight into the invasive species and
climate change vulnerability of forest and tree assets. For instance, the urban forest study reports
that 55% of the Town’s forest plots had at least one invasive sp ecies present. Presence and
symptoms of spongy moth and emerald ash borer were observed in 15% and 8% of plots
surveyed, respectively. Furthermore, 60% of the total tree population in Aurora (Town-owned and
other) are tree species considered highly or extremely vulnerable to climate change.
Risk mitigation strategies are identified in Section 4.1.4.
Table 4-2 Risk Assessment of Threats and Hazards
Asset Category Threat or Hazard Potenital Impacts Risk Rating
Natural Areas
Assets
Extreme heat and
drought
Vegetation dieback and increased watering or
replacement of vegetation required.
Low-medium
Extreme rainfall
and erosion
Washout of vegetation, erosion of soil, exposure
of roots, and damage to trees and vegetation.
Low-medium
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Asset Category Threat or Hazard Potenital Impacts Risk Rating
Extreme storms
(wind and
lightning)
Replacement and maintenance of vegetation may
be required after lightning or wind damage to
trees and plants. Debris can also cause physical
hazards.
Low-medium5
Invasive species,
pests and disease
Potential for tree mortality in forest areas from
spongy moth and emerald ash borer.
Phragmites impact ecological function of natural
wetlands.
Europen buckthorn, Manitoba maple, and garlic
mustard were most common invasive species
found in natural cover forest plots.
High-medium
Wildlife Impacts
Beavers are a risk to tree canopy, and their dams
cause flooding. There are limited remedation
options.
High-medium
Unauthorized edge
encroachment or
disturbances
Impacts resulting from inappropriate and
unauthorized activities adjacent to and within
natural assets that negatively impact the natural
asset.For example these could include dumping
of yard or other waste from adjacent land use;
installation of forts, sheds, or other structures;
Mowing or other gardening; creation of informal
trails.
Low
Contamination
(e.g. road salting
and other spills)
Introduction of pollutants and /or chemicals to the
asset that can seriously impair the function of or
kill the asset.
Low
Overuse and
misuse
Impacts resulting from heavy volume of activity or
in appropriate uses of natural assets causing
negative impacts. Impacts could include widening
of formal trails; excessive off-trail activities, use of
motorized vehicles such as ATVs, dogs off-leash,
excessive litter, etc.
Low
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Extreme heat and
drought
Fields maybe become unusable and/or require
additional maintenance.
Low-medium
Extreme rainfall
and erosion
Washout of vegetation, erosion of soil, exposure
of roots, and damage to trees and vegetation.
Low-medium
Extreme storms
(wind and
lightning)
Replacement and maintenance of vegetation may
be required after lightning or wind damage to
trees and plants. Debris can also cause physical
hazards.
Low-medium
Unauthorized edge
encroachment or
disturbances
Impacts resulting from inappropriate and
unauthorized activities adjacent to and within
natural assets that negatively impact the natural
asset.
Low
Overuse and
misuse
Impacts resulting from excessive and overuse of
open space and parkland causing negative
impacts.
Low-medium
5 Through the CCAP this risk was rated at low-medium. However, based on recent experience Staff noted that this
risk could be a medium-high risk.
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4.1.3 Urban Tree Risk Assessment – Asset Failure
For urban trees, existing inventory data on individual trees allowed for a more detailed
assessment of risk using consequence and probability of failure. Urban trees were assigned a
consequence of failure rating based on their trunk diameter at breast height (as per Table 4-3).
The rationale for this is that larger trees tend to provide a greater LOS and are more costly to
replace. For instance, a large mature tree will provide a larger canopy cover offering greater
shade, runoff control, and neighbourhood asthetics. Loss of this tree results in greater loss of
benefits. Probability of failure was assigned based on asset condition rating (as per Table 4-4).
Table 4-3 Consequence of Failure (CoF) Rating Scale
CoF Rating Trunk diameter at breast height (dbh)
1 <5 cm
2 5 to <20cm
3 20 to <40cm
4 40 to <80 cm
5 >=80cm
Table 4-4 Probability of Failure (PoF) Rating Scale
PoF Rating Probability of Failure Corresponding Asset Condition
1 Rare Very Good
2 Unlikely Good
3 Possible Fair
4 Probable Poor
5 Almost Certain Very Poor
Table 4-5 shown below, presents the Risk Evaluation Matrix Framework that depicts the risk
exposure, based on the likelihood of occurrence and consequence rating for urban trees in
Aurora.
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Table 4-5 Risk Evaluation Matrix Framework
Table 4-6 shows the risk evaluation matrix for Aurora’s urban trees, based on the likelihood of
occurrence and consequence ratings. Overall, only 0.1% of urban trees were considered Very
High risk. This represents a total of approximately 60 trees and a replacement value of $95,000.
Table 4-6 Risk Evaluation Matrix (2024 $, millions) – Urban Trees Likelihood of Failure 5 $0.04 $0.15 $0.18 $0.04 $0.00 Risk Exposure CRV*($M) CRV*(%)
4 $0.03 $0.29 $0.49 $0.27 $0.05 Very High $0.10 0.1%
3 $0.17 $0.88 $3.07 $2.39 $0.20 High $4.34 6.5%
2 $0.67 $6.09 $16.80 $8.63 $0.64 Moderate $33.45 50.4%
1 $0.89 $8.07 $12.65 $3.62 $0.11 Low $18.91 28.5%
1 2 3 4 5 Very Low $9.64 14.5%
Consequence of Failure Total $66.43 100.0%
* CRV = Current Replacement Value
4.1.4 Risk Mitigation Strategies
With an understanding of the risks facing natural assets, risk response or mitigation strategies
can be established. Through the work of the CCAP and the Urban Forest Study, the Town has
already identifed several risk mitigation strategies many of which are already being implemened
by the Town. Climate change risk mitigation actions identified for natural assets through the CCAP
include the following:
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Town of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | 21
1. Plan for low-maintenance landscaping with hardy species adapted to future climate
conditions.
2. Adopt or enhance maintenance procedures to proactively identify hazardous trees and
undertake preventative maintenance before damage occurs during extreme events.
3. Continue applying procedures in the Park Maintenance Plan to inspect parks following
extreme weather events to identify damaged landscaping and amenities to prioritize
repairs and minimize service disruptions.
The 2024 Urban Forest Study also identified recommendations related to the mitigation of climate
change, invasive species and pest risk relevant to the Town’s urban forest and urban trees. These
include:
1. Assess the Town’s current recommended planting list based on the climate vulnerability
of each species. Shift recommendations to native and appropriate non-native, non-
invasive species that have a higher tolerance and lower vulnerability to climate change
impacts.
2. Consider targeted removal of high priority invasive plant species at high priority sites
following best practices.
3. Develop a monitoring and action strategy for invasive species, including pests and
diseases, and continue taking proactive approaches to address new and emerging
invasive species, such as hemlock woolly adelgid and oak wilt.
In addition to the risk mitigiation already identified through the CCAP and the Urban Forest Study,
this AM plan recommends other mitigation actions for natural assets:
1. Conduct a study to assess the current condition of Town-owned natural area assets,
documenting evidence of non-climate related risk (e.g. presence of invasive species, area
degraded by overuse, etc.). Implement recommended upgrade, restoration, renewal and
maintenance activities.
2. Remove and replace the trees identified as being at very high risk of failure (approximately
60 trees with a total value of $60,000 as shown in Table 4-6).
3. Explore options for managing beavers and formalize an approach to reducing their
negative impacts on the tree canopy and drainage.
4. When the Town acquires new natural assets, conduct a condition assessment of the
assets to inform financial considerations and risks to the Town.
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4.2 Asset Management Strategies
The application of asset management
lifecycle stages to natural assets is still
evolving. For natural assets the stages
are similar to built assets, however,
some of the unique features of natural
assets require a slightly different
framing. The Natural Assets Initiative
(2024)6 recently released a guidance
document to help municipalities across
canada incorporate natural assets into
their assessment managemtn planning
process. The document articulates four
key lifecycle stages for natural assets
as shown in Figure 2-1 and as per the
following descriptions:
• Plan and design - activities to
inform the subsequent stages
that at a minimum involve data
and information collection to
understand the type, location
and extent of natural assets
under the management of the
local government.
• Construct and secure – activities to provide a new asset that did not exist previously or
to expand an existing asset (e.g., expanding an urban forest, planting new trees,
constructing new community gardens). This includes securing land to expand the area of
natural assets and where necessary, constructing new natural assets.
• Rehabilitate and restore – activities similar to upgrade and renewal of built assets. For
natural assets, these activities tend to focus more on restoring degraded assets (e.g.
replacing deteriorated sod, replanting deceased street trees, restoring streams affected
by erosion), or improving asset resilience to known risks (e.g. replacing trees with different
species to meet diversity targets or vaccinating trees).
• Monitor and maintain – activities needed to retain asset condition, including regularly
scheduled inspection and assessment, regular fertilizing, overseeding, aeration and
mowing of grassy areas; regular removal of litter and debris; or clean -up of tree limbs
following extreme weather events.
This AM Plan focuses the asset management stratgies around the lifecycle stages identified
above. Note that disposal, a common consideration in asset management for built assets is
largely not applicable to natural assets. An exception to this is some enhanced assets such as
6 NAI (2024). Nature is infrastructure: How to include natural assets in asset management plans. Natural Assets
Initiative. naturalassetsinitiative.ca
Figure 4-1 Natural Asset
Management Lifecycle
Source: Natural Assets Initiative (2024)
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Town of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | 23
urban trees managed as individual units that have an end of life, and therefore disposal and asset
replacement is needed.
Though asset management, the Town assesses the costs of potential lifecycle activities to
determine the lowest lifecycle cost strategy to manage each asset type and deliver required
services. Failing to take care of assets can impact the total cost of ownership for that asset and
can also have other impacts such as causing damage to other infrastructure or interruption to
service delivery.
This section of the NCAMP works through each of the lifecycle stages outlining what the Town is
currently doing for each stage and potential future action that may be needed.
4.2.1 Plan and Design
The planning and design stage is intended to establish the long-term strategy for a service and
its assets, and to inform the subsequent stages of planning for monitoring and maintenance,
rehabilitation and restoration, and construction or securing of assets.
Table 4-7 lists the Town’s current long-term strategic planning activities for natural assets. For
natural area assets, the vision for scope and quantity of Town-owned services is shaped by the
Strategic Plan 2011-2031, and land use plans defined in the Official Plan 2023 and Secondary
Plans. In addition, the Town’s Stream Management Master Plan 2019 defines the Town’s vision
for watercourse management. The Urban Forest Study 2024 defines the vision for tree canopy
coverage, tree species diversity, and tree health. The Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2023
defines the Town’s vision for urban parkland area and community gardens. The Pet Cemetery
was acquired in 2011 and is in the process of being restored.
The table also shows potential future activities that may enhance the Town’s long -term planning
of natural assets. For example, it is recommended that the Town establish update frequencies for
the Stream Management Master Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan and update these
plans when they are due. Similarly, the Urban Forest Study should be updated on its established
frequency of every 10 years. It is also recommended that the Pet Cemetery be incorporated into
the into Official Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan when these are updated.
Table 4-7 Long-term Strategic Planning Activities
Asset Category Asset Class Current Activities Potential Future Activities
Natural
Area
Assets
Forest and
Open Spaces
Strategic Plan 2011-2031
Official Plan 2023
Secondary Plans (various)
Urban Forest Study 2024 (for urban
forests)
Update when due Wetlands
Waterbodies
Watercourses
Strategic Plan 2011-2031
Official Plan 2023
Stream Management Master Plan 2019
Establish a frequency for updating the
Stream Management Master Plan and
udpate when due
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Urban Trees Urban Forest Study 2024 (updated
every 10 years)
Update the Urban Forest Study when
due
Urban Parks Strategic Plan 2011-2031
Official Plan 2023
Parks and Recreation Master Plan
2023
Establish a frequency for updating the
Parks and Frequency Master Plan and
udpate when due Community
Gardens
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Town of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | 24
Asset Category Asset Class Current Activities Potential Future Activities
Pet Cemetery
Site is planned for Heritage
designation.
Site aquired in 2011 and is in the
process of being restored. Restoration
is planned to continue over the next
few years including clearing internal
pathways, debris removal, stone
cleaning, data/name collection and
formal site/plot survey .
Incorporate Pet Cemetery into Parks
and Recreation Master Plan
Planning for construction and securing, monitoring and maintenance, and rehabilitation and
restoration of natural assets is currently done in this AM Plan, which references other planning
documents where more detailed study has been completed. Construction and securing activities
are discussed in Section 4.2.2, monitoring and maintenance activities are discussed in Section
4.2.3, and rehabilitation and restoration activities are discussed in Section 4.2.4.
4.2.2 Construct and Secure
As was explained in Section 3.5, the Town’s population is expected to grow 11.8% from 66,370
in 2024 to 74,210 by 2034; however, due to land constraints and high land costs, the Town does
not plan to expand its natural area assets, urban parks, community gardens and trails to keep up
with population growth.
The Town may consider planting additional trees to help achieve the Town-wide canopy target of
40%. Town-owned trees currently provide 6.3% canopy cover, and the Town-wide coverage is
currently 34%. Additional planting of Town-owned trees will help achieve the 40% target.
Additional planting will also help the Town maintain its current LOS ratio of Town-owned trees to
people. To maintain the current ratio of 397.5 trees per 1000 people, the Town will need to plant
3,123 trees by 2034; however, maintaining the current LOS is not an established target. For new
plantings, the Town will select trees that will achieve its species diversity goal.
4.2.3 Monitor and Maintain
Monitoring and maintenance strategies for natural assets focus on improving assets’ long-term
resilience. Table 4-8 outlines the Town’s current monitoring and maintenance activities by asset
type. In addition, potential future activities have been identified that could help the Town improve
and advance its overall management of natural assets.
Table 4-8 Monitor and Maintain Management Strategies
Asset Category Asset Class Current Activities Potential Future Activites
Natural
Area
Assets
Forest and
Open Space
Current urban forest maintenance
focuses on areas along the trail system,
Inspect for invasive species and assess
management need.
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Town of Aurora | 2024 Natural Capital AM Plan | Rev 2 | 25
Asset Category Asset Class Current Activities Potential Future Activites
identifying and addressing trees that
pose a hazard for to public safety.
Some identification of invasive species
is completed, however, this is typically
spearheaded by local rate-payers
groups.
Urban Forest Study recommends
developing a monitoring and action
strategy for invasive species, including
pests and diseases, and continuing to
take proactive approaches to address
new and emerging invasive species,
such as hemlock woolly adelgid and oak
wilt.
Wetland None
Inspect for invasive species and assess
management needs.
Adopt monitoring procedures to routinely
inspect owned natural assets for
preventative maintenance needs.
Inspect assets regularly for signs of risk
exposure, degradation, and possible
rehabilitation needs.
Potential future activities to be
determined associated with Ducks
Unlimited Canada property.
Waterbody None Inspect for invasive species and assess
management needs.
Watercourses
Stream Management Master Plan
provides recommendations for a
maintenance and monitoring plan as
well as long-term monitoring including
(See Appendix C for map of
recommended field walks):
• 5-year inspection cycle field walks
• 10-year inspection cycle field walks
• 10-year inspection cycle at road
crossings only
Continue executing operation and
maintence activities recommended by
the Stream Management Master Plan.
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Urban Trees As per the Park Maintenance Standard,
pruning of street trees varies by age
class as follows: (1) Trees in the age
class 15-25 years pruned once every 5
years; (2) Trees in the age class of 25-
35 years pruned once every 7 years: (3)
Trees in the age class of 35 years or
more pruned once every 10 years.
Corrective maintenance (clean up after
storm).
Continue with tree maintenance
program and implement
recommendations from Urban Forest
Study.
Urban Parks
As per the Park Maintenance Standard,
turf areas will be mowed to an average
of 5cm, clippings will be removed from
non-turf areas using a backpack blower,
and litter and debris will be removed.
Sports fields grass is aerated, top
dressed, over seeded and fertilized.
Continue in accordance with existing
maintenance standards.
Community
Gardens
Maintenance standards in development. Formalize and implement maintenance
standards.
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4.2.4 Rehabilitate and Restore
The goal of rehabilitation and restoration activities is to improve asset condition, improve an
assets’ resilience to anticipated risks, or to respond to certain extreme hazard events that require
reactive rehabilitation. Specific rehabilitation or restoration needs should be identified through
routine monitoring and inspection. Currently the Town has a robust inspection cycle for urban
trees. However, for other natural assets, restoration activities are more reactionary. Table 4-9
provides a summary of the Town’s current and possible future rehabilitate and restore activities.
Table 4-9 Rehabilitate and Restore Management Strategies
Asset Class Current Rehabilitation Activities Potential Future Rehabilitation Activities
Wetlands No regular or planned rehabiliation
efforts.
To be determined and prioritized through
condition assessments and site
inpsections. Waterbody
Forest and open
space
The Town is nearing the end of its
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) management
program, and there is no additional
funding planned for forest restoration
activities.
Restoration programs are implemented
as needed in response to specific
threats and damage, such as invasive
species, diseases or extreme weather.
An Urban Forest Study is completed
every 10 years to assess the health of
trees and forests based on aerial photo.
The most recent study was completed in
2024. The aerial photo does not enable
assessment of the understory.
To be determined and prioritized
through condition assessments and site
inpsections
Watercourses
A Stream Management Master Plan was
completed in 2019, and the Town is
continuing to implement the
recommended erosion control
improvements. Outstanding needs
include:
• Wellinton Street - Reach-Scale
Engineering
• 45 Tyler Street - Natural Channel
Design
• Sandusky Park - Selective Works
and Assisted Natural Recovery
Complete the improvements identified in
the 2019 Stream Management Master
Plan.
Asset Category Asset Class Current Activities Potential Future Activites
Pet Cemetery
Maintenance standards in development. Formalize and implement maintenance
standards.
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Asset Class Current Rehabilitation Activities Potential Future Rehabilitation Activities
• Harriman Road Driveways -
Selective Works or Natural Channel
Design
Urban Trees Street and park trees are individually
replaced when they are damaged, dying
or dead.
Town staff complete a tree inspection
and inventory on one quadrant of the
Town each year. As such, trees are
inspected every 4 years. During the
inspection, trees are maintained or
identified for replacement.
Trees are also identified for replacement
through the Urban Forest Study, which is
completed every 10 years, and assesses
the health of trees based on aerial photo.
The most recent study was completed in
2024.
Continue replacing trees as needed,
based on annual inspections, the Urban
Forest Study and reports by residents
and staff.
As trees are replaced, strive to achieve
the species diversity target defined in the
LOS (based on the Urban Forest Plan),
and to shift to native and appropriate
non-native, non-invasive species that
have a higher tolerance and lower
vulnerability to climate change impacts.
Urban Parks As per the Park Maintenance Standard,
manicured grassy areas are not restored
or re-sodded unless, except for high
wear areas of sports fields.
Continue in accordance with existing
maintenance standards.
Community
Gardens
These constructed assets are replaced
and renewed as needed. The existing
Community Garden is approximately 25
years old, and is in Good condition, so
renewal is not currently planned.
Monitor the existing Community Garden
for signs of deterioration, and renew as
needed.
A second Community Garden is being
constructed in 2024, and is not expected
to require renewal in the AM Plan’s 10-
year planning period.
Pet Cemetery
The Pet Cemetery was purchased in
2011 and has been undergoing
restoration since 2017. The restoration is
almost complete, and no additional
renewal needs are anticipated.
Establish regular on-site monitoring and
assessment of the Pet Cemetery, to
proactively identify restoration and
rehabilitation needs.
4.3 Summary of Lifecycle Management Needs
This section identified current lifecycle management activities and potential future activities to
address risks to natural assets and achieve desired LOS.
4.3.1 Managing Risk
Based on the Town’s CCAP and interviews with Town staff, invasive species, pests and diseases,
and wildlife impacts (specifically beavers) present High-medium risks to the Town’s natural
assets. Low-medium risks include extreme weather, contamination, overuse, and misuse. Low
risks include unauthorized edge encroachment or disturbances. No threats were ranked as High
risk.
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Risk treatments recommended by the CCAP and reinforced by recommendations from the Urban
Forest Study include:
1. Tree and Plant Selection
Regularly assess the Town’s planting list to plant trees, shrubs and other plants that are
native or non-invasive, low-maintenance, and resilient to invasive species, pests, diseases
and projected climate conditions.
2. Before Extreme Weather Events
Assess the costs and benefits of increasing the current tree inspection and maintenance
process (one quadrant of the Town each year) to identify hazardous trees and undertake
preventative maintenance before damage occurs during extreme weather events.
Implement the optimal inspection and maintenance frequency.
3. After Extreme Weather Events
Continue applying procedures in the Park Maintenance Plan to inspect parks following
extreme weather events to identify damaged landscaping and amenities to prioritize
repairs and minimize service disruptions.
4. Managing Non-Climate Threats
Establish a program to monitor and assess degradation of natural assets due to invasive
species, pests, diseases, contamination, overuse, misuse, unauthorized edge
encroachment or other disturbances. Continue taking proactive approaches to address
new and emerging invasive species, such as hemlock woolly adelgid and oak wilt.
Consider targeted removal of high priority invasive plant species at high priority sites
following best practices. Implement actions to restore degraded assets and to prevent
future degradation.
5. Managing Wildlife Threats
Explore options for managing beavers and formalize an approach to reducing their
negative impacts on the tree canopy and drainage.
In addition, asset failure risk was assessed for individual urban trees, and it was found that 0.1%
of urban trees were considered Very High risk, representing a total of approximately 60 trees and
a replacement value of $95,000. It is recommended that the Town remove and replace these
trees.
4.3.2 Managing the Asset Lifecycle
In addition to the Town’s current practices for managing natural assets across the stages of the
lifecycle, potential future activities for the Town to consider for each lifecycle stage include the
following:
• Plan and Design
o Continue updating the Stream Management Master Plan and Urban Forest
Study every 10 years
o Incorporate the Pet Cemetery into Official Plan and Parks and Recreation
Master Plan when these are updated.
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• Construct and Secure
o Due to land constraints and the high cost of land it is not feasible for the Town to
maintain the current LOS of natural area assets and natural enhanced assets
per 1,000 people.
o Given these constraints, construct and secure strategies should focus on
working toward meeting the Town’s 40% canopy cover target.
• Monitor and Maintain
o Establish a program to assess and monitor degradation of natural assets, as
described in Section 4.3.1, Recommendation 4 – Manage Non-Climate Threats.
This should include assessing the condition of any newly acquired lands if any
are secured.
o Continue executing operations and maintenance activities recommended by the
Stream Management Master Plan, including conducting regular field walks.
o Continue maintaining trees in accordance with the Park Maintenance Standard
and implement recommendations from the 2024 Urban Forest Study.
o Continue maintaining urban parkland in accordance with the Park Maintenance
Standard.
o Continue formalizing maintenance standards for community gardens and pet
cemetery, then implement.
• Rehabilitation and Restoration
o Implement restoration needs identified through the assessment of natural
assets.
o Complete the improvements identified in the 2019 Stream Management Master
Plan.
o Continue replacing trees based on annual inspections, the Urban Forest Study
and reports by residents and staff. Prioritize the trees identified as Very High risk
in Table 4-6. As trees are replaced, consider the recommendations in the Tree
and Plant Selection list updated in alignment with Section 4.3.1,
Recommendation 1 – Tree and Plant Selection. Strive to achieve the species
diversity target defined in the LOS (based on the Urban Forest Plan), and to shift
to native and appropriate non-native, non-invasive species that have a higher
tolerance and lower vulnerability to climate change impacts.
The next section discusses the estimated costs of the recommended risk mitigations and potential
future lifecycle activities.
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5 FINANCIAL STRATEGY
This section presents three options for investing in the management of natural assets. Each option
carries a different cost, and delivers a different lifecycle benefits. The scenarios are:
• Scenario A: Status Quo
Manage assets according to current practices and planned restoration activities.
Replace dead and dying trees based on capacity of existing budget.
• Scenario B: Status Quo with Moderate Rehabilitation, Monitoring and Maintenance
Continue status quo actvities and initiate programs to manage invasive species, conduct
targeted planting and seeding, and assess condition of natural area assets. Replace all
dead and dying trees (as identified in 2024) over the 10-year period.
• Scenario C: Status Quo with High Rehabilitation, Monitoring and Maintenance
Continue status quo actvities and initiate programs to more aggressively manage
invasive species, conduct targeted planting and seeding, and assess condition of natural
area assets. Replace all dead and dying trees (as identified in 2024) over the 10-year
period and allow for replacement of additional trees that may fail during that period.
As indicated by their names, the strategies differ primarily in their level of monitoring and
maintenance of natural assets. Scenario A: Status Quo includes monitoring and maintenance of
natural enhanced assets, but very little for natural area assets. Scenario B initiates rehabilitation,
monitoring and maintenance for natural assets. Scenario C is similar to Scenario B, but includes
funds for more aggressive rehabilitation, monitoring and maintenance.
Due to land constraints and the high cost of land, none of the Scenarios include the addition of
natural area or enhanced assets. That means the existing natural area and enhanced assets will
need to support the growing population.
The details of each Scenario are described below, followed by a summary comparison.
5.1 Scenario A: Status Quo
Table 5-1 summarizes the lifecycle activities included in the Status Quo scenario. As previously
explained, no natural area assets or natural enhanced assets (community gardens, parklands or
pet cemeteries) are planned to be added.
The following assumptions were used to estimate the finanical forecasts for the status quo
scenario:
• Rehabilitation and Restoration
o It is assumed that the existing (2024) operational budget will be used to replace
dead and dying trees. Specifically, this scenario assumes that tree replacement
activities will be limited to the existing (2024) operational budget of $64,000/year.
With that amount, and a cost of $2,050 per tree replacement ($600 to plant a new
tree, $1,250 to remove the above ground portion of the tree and $200 to remove
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the stump)7, the scenario allows for the replacement of only 28.4 trees/year or 284
trees over the 10-year period. This accounts for 43% of the 666 trees identified in
2024 as being in Very Poor condition, and leaves no additional funding for net new
trees.
o Recommendations of the 2019 Stream Management Master Plan will be
implemented, including $8.44 million of stream rehabilitation projects, which are
already included in the Town’s 10 year capital plan.
• Monitor and Maintain
o The stream monitoring walks are estimated to cost $45,000, and are
recommended in 2028 to provide data to the Stream Management Master Plan
update. This is based on the length of stream to be inspected and an average cost
of $1,000/km.8
o Includes the continued maintaince efforts for urban parks, community gardens, and
the pet cemetery. This cost is based on current budget expenses and an estimate
staff time related to these assets to generate a average maintenace cost of
$431,187/year.
o Tree maintenace costs are esitmated using a similar process including current
expenses and staff time to generate an average maintenace cost of $353,160/tree
(or $13.4/tree per year). The per tree estimate is used scale the tree costs based
estimated changes in the number of trees over the 10 year period.
• Plan and Design
o 10-year update of the Stream Management Master Plan (required in year 2029),
which is expected to cost about $150,000.
o Updated tree inventory is based on what is currently reported in the 10-year
Capaital Budget amounting to $36,200 in 2024.
o An update to the Urban Forest Study is also included for 2033 and is estimated
based on the Town’s portion of the cost to complete the recent 2023 as repoted in
the 10 year capital budget.
7 Unit costs for tree planting and removal of tree and stump are general assumptions, which were verified by Town
staff as reasonable estimates based on typical costs paid by the Town.
8 The assumed unit cost of $1000 per km is based on costs reported by CVC (2020) in Life Cycle Costing of
Restoration and Environmental Management Actions: Costing Natural Assets in Peel Region. The average cost
captures anticipated time for travel to and from the site, to walk the trail and complete inspection, as well as pre-
planning and follow-up data entry.
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Table 5-1 Scenario A: Status Quo Lifecycle Activities
Lifecycle Stage Activities for Natural Area Assets
(Forests and Open Spaces, Water
Bodies, Wetlands, Watercourses)
Activities for Natural Enhanced
Assets (Community Gardens, Urban
Parks, Urban Trees and Pet
Cemetery)
Construct and Secure None None
Rehabilitation and
Restore
In accordance with 2019 Stream
Managemet Master Plan, complete
recommended stream
rehabilitation projects:
• Tyler St.
• Sandusky Park
• Harriman Rd.
• Wellington St. Phases 1 and 2
In accordance with current practices:
• No invasive species control
• No targeted seeding and
planting in natural area assets
In accordance with current practices,
complete $64,000/year of tree
replacements each year. This allows
for replacement of 28.4 trees/year
for a total of 284 trees over 10 years
(43% of the 666 trees identified in
2024 as being in Very Poor
condition).
No rehabilitation or restoration needs
were identified for Community
Gardens, Urban Parks or Pet
Cemetery over the next 10 years.
Monitor and Maintain Conduct stream monitoring walks,
as recommended by 2019 Stream
Managemet Master Plan.
No condition assessment of
natural area assets (in accordance
with current practices).
Continue status quo maintenance
practices for urban trees, urban
parks, community gardens and the
pet cemetery. Status quo activities
are defined in the Parks Maintenance
Standards.
Plan and Design Update Stream Management
Master Plan on 10-year cycle (next
update due 2029).
In accordance with current plans:
• Update tree inventory in 2025
• Update Urban Forest Study in
2034 (10-year cycle).
Table 5-2 and Figure 5-1 outline the status quo scenario financial needs forecast over a ten-year
period from 2025 to 2034. There are no planned expenditures throughout the period for
construction and securement activities. The cost of rehab and restore activities vary over the 10-
year based on the planned timing of stream rehabilitaion works. For monitor and maintain
activities, the expenditure is consistent each year at $784,347. Plan and design activities also
vary depending on the assumed timing of the study and plan updates . Collectively, the total
forecasted expenditure across all categories over the 10-year period is $17.1 million, with an
average annual expenditure of $1.7 (indicated by the black dash line in Figured 5-1). See
Appendix D for detailed financial tables.
This scenario is derived from Status Quo actvities and planned budget allocations, and thus
represents the anticipated available funding.
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Table 5-2 Scenario A: Finanical Needs Forecast 2025-2034
Figure 5-1 Scenario A: Financial Needs Forecast 2025-2034
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 10-year
TOTAL
10-year
ANN AVG
Construct and Secure - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rehab and Restore 64,000 902,000 672,000 490,000 315,000 2,518,000 3,922,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 9,075,000 907,500
Monitor and Maintain 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 7,843,471 784,347
Plan and Design 36,200 - - - 150,000 - - - 15,000 - 201,200 20,120
OVERALL TOTAL 884,547 1,686,347 1,456,347 1,274,347 1,249,347 3,302,347 4,706,347 848,347 863,347 848,347 17,119,671 1,711,967
0.9
1.7 1.5 1.3 1.2
3.3
4.7
0.8 0.9 0.8
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034
Forecast Asset Management Needs (2024 $, millions)Construct and Secure Rehab and Restore
Monitor and Maintain Plan and Design
Average annual need ($1.7M/year) =
Status Quo funding
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5.2 Scenario B: Moderate Rehab, Monitoring and Maintenance
Table 5-3 lists the lifecycle activities included in the moderate scenario. The lifecycle activites are
the same as described in Scenario A, except for the following changes:
• Construct and Secure
o 200 new trees planted over 10 years, or on average 20 trees/year at cost of
$600/tree.
• Rehabilitation and Restore
o Using the same unit cost assumtions, this scenario costs the replacement of all
666 tree in Very Poor condition over the next 10 years.
o Invasive species controls are applied to 22.2 ha over the next 10 years. Based on
costs reported by CVC (2020)9, the unit cost for these procedures were estimated
to be $6/m2. When applied to the assumed area of treatment results in a cost of
$1.33 million over 10-years.
o Trageted seeding or planting activities are applied to 3.8 ha over the next 10 years.
Based on costs reported by CVC (2020), the unit cost for these procedures were
estimated to be $21/m2. When applied to the assumed area of treatment results in
a cost of $0.8 million over 10-years.
Table 5-3 Scenario B: Moderate Lifecycle Activities
Lifecycle Stage Activities for Natural Area Assets
(Forests and Open Spaces, Water
Bodies, Wetlands, Watercourses)
Activities for Natural Enhanced
Assets (Community Gardens, Urban
Parks, Urban Trees and Pet
Cemetery)
Construct and Secure None Adds 200 new trees over 10 years
(20/year)
Rehabilitation and
Restore
In accordance with 2019 Stream
Managemet Master Plan, complete
recommended stream
rehabilitation projects:
• Tyler St.
• Sandusky Park
• Harriman Rd.
• Wellington St. Phases 1 and 2
Begin targeted rehabilitation and
restoration where need is greatest.
Over 10 years:
Replaces 666 / 666 trees in Very
Poor condition (as identified in 2024)
over the next 10 years.
No rehabilitation or restoration needs
were identified for Community
Gardens, Urban Parks or Pet
Cemetery over the next 10 years.
9 CVC (2020). Life Cycle Costing of Restoration and Environmental Management Actions: Costing Natural Assets in
Peel Region.
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• Complete invasive species
control on 22.2 ha
• Complete targeted seeding and
planting over 3.8 ha.
Monitor and Maintain Conduct stream monitoring walks,
as recommended by 2019 Stream
Managemet Master Plan.
Completes condition assessment on
all natural areas in first 6 years, then
continues on a cycle of assessing
each property every 10 years (1/10th
of portfolio per year).
Continue status quo maintenance
practices for urban trees, urban
parks, community gardens and the
pet cemetery. Status quo activities
are defined in the Parks Maintenance
Standards.
Increases tree maintenance activities
in proprtion with addition of trees.
Plan and Design Update Stream Management
Master Plan on 10-year cycle (next
update due 2029).
In accordance with current plans:
• Update tree inventory in 2025
• Update Urban Forest Study in
2034 (10-year cycle).
Table 5-4 and Figure 5-2 show the forecasted financial needs over a ten-year period for Scenario
B. Construction and securement activities related to planting new trees are estimated to cost
$120,000 over the next 10-years. As with Scenario A, rehab and restore activities vary over the
10-year based on the planned timing of stream rehabilitaion works. Monitor and maintain activies
are higher than in Scenario A to allow for additional tree replacement, invasive species controls,
and targeted planting and seeding. The plan and deisgn expenditures remain the same as
Scenario A.
The overall forecasted need across all caategories for the 10-year period totals $20.68 million.
The forcasted financial need surpasses the Status Quo Scenario by $3.56 million, with an average
annual funding gap of $0.36 million (indicated by the difference between the red line and the black
dash line in Figure 5-2). See Appendix D for detailed financial tables.
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Table 5-4 Scenario B: Financial Needs Forecast 2025-2034
Figure 5-2 Scenario B: Financial Needs Forecast 2025-2034
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 10-year
TOTAL
10-year
ANN AVG
Construct and Secure 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 120,000 12,000
Rehab and Restore 266,810 1,150,838 966,867 784,867 609,867 2,812,867 4,216,867 358,867 358,867 358,867 11,885,583 1,188,558
Monitor and Maintain 893,939 894,206 850,638 850,905 829,255 829,522 829,790 830,058 830,326 830,593 8,469,232 846,923
Plan and Design 36,200 - - - 150,000 - - - 15,000 - 201,200 20,120
OVERALL TOTAL 1,208,949 2,057,045 1,829,504 1,647,772 1,601,122 3,654,389 5,058,657 1,200,925 1,216,193 1,201,460 20,676,016 2,067,602
Difference from Status Quo 324,402 370,698 373,157 373,425 351,775 352,042 352,310 352,578 352,846 353,113 3,556,345 355,635
1.2
2.1
1.8 1.7 1.6
3.7
5.1
1.2 1.2 1.2
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034
Forecast Asset Management Needs (2024 $, millions)Construct and Secure Rehab and Restore
Monitor and Maintain Plan and Design
Average annual need ($2.1M/year)Average annual funding ($1.7M/year)
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5.3 Scenario C: High Rehab, Monitoring and Maintenance
Table 5-5 lists the lifecycle activities included in the Scenario C. The lifecycle activites are the
same as described in Scenario B, with exception of the the following:
• Rehabilitate and Restore
o Using the same unit cost assumtions, this scenario replaces all 666 tree in Very
Poor condition over the next 10 years plus an additional 9-10 trees per year for a
total of 760 trees over 10-years).
o Invasive species controls are applied to 66.5 ha over the next 10 years, using the
same cost assumptions outlined for Sceanrio B.
o Trageted seeding or planting activities are applied to 7.3 ha over the next 10 years,
using the same cost assumptions outlined for Sceanrio B.
Table 5-5 Scenario C: High Lifecycle Activities
Lifecycle Stage Activities for Natural Area Assets
(Forests and Open Spaces, Water
Bodies, Wetlands, Watercourses)
Activities for Natural Enhanced
Assets (Community Gardens, Urban
Parks, Urban Trees and Pet
Cemetery)
Construct and Secure None Adds 2,000 new trees over 10 years
(200/year)
Rehabilitation and
Restore
In accordance with 2019 Stream
Managemet Master Plan, complete
recommended stream
rehabilitation projects:
• Tyler St.
• Sandusky Park
• Harriman Rd.
• Wellington St. Phases 1 and 2
Begin targeted rehabilitation and
restoration where need is greatest.
Over 10 years:
• Complete invasive species
control on 66.5 ha
• Complete targeted seeding and
planting over 7.3 ha.
Replaces 760 trees over the next 10
years, which includes the current 666
in Very Poor condition and allows for
an additional 10/year.
No rehabilitation or restoration needs
were identified for Community
Gardens, Urban Parks or Pet
Cemetery over the next 10 years.
Monitor and Maintain Conduct stream monitoring walks,
as recommended by 2019 Stream
Managemet Master Plan.
Complete condition assessment on all
natural areas in first 5 years, then
continue on a cycle of assessing each
Continue status quo maintenance
practices for urban trees, urban
parks, community gardens and the
pet cemetery. Status quo activities
are defined in the Parks Maintenance
Standards.
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property every 10 years (1/10th of
portfolio per year).
Increase tree maintenance activities
in proprtion with addition of trees.
Plan and Design Update Stream Management
Master Plan on 10-year cycle (next
update due 2029).
In accordance with current plans:
• Update tree inventory in 2025
• Update Urban Forest Study in
2034 (10-year cycle).
Table 5-6 and Figure 5-3 display the 10-year financial needs forecast under Scenario C. The total
projected financial need for all categories is estimated to be $25.48 million over the 10-year
period, with an annual average need of $2.55 million. Compared to Scenario A, Scenario C
requires an additional $8.36 million over the 10-year period, which breaks down to an average
annual funding gap of $0.84 million, indicated by the difference between the black dash line and
the red line in Figure 5-3. See Appendix D for detailed financial tables.
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Table 5-6 Scenario C: Cost Forecast 2025-2034
Figure 5-3 Scenario C: Cost Forecast 2025-2034
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 10-year
TOTAL
10-year
ANN AVG
Construct and Secure 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 1,200,000 120,000
Rehab and Restore 287,310 1,217,367 1,164,905 1,028,934 1,116,954 3,319,954 4,723,954 865,954 865,954 865,954 15,457,238 1,545,724
Monitor and Maintain 893,939 896,616 877,375 880,053 838,894 841,571 844,249 846,926 849,604 852,281 8,621,507 862,151
Plan and Design 36,200 - - - 150,000 - - - 15,000 - 201,200 20,120
OVERALL TOTAL 1,337,449 2,233,983 2,162,281 2,028,987 2,225,847 4,281,525 5,688,202 1,832,880 1,850,557 1,838,235 25,479,944 2,547,994
Difference from Status Quo 452,902 547,636 705,934 754,639 976,500 979,178 981,855 984,533 987,210 989,888 8,360,274 836,027
1.3
2.2 2.2 2.0 2.2
4.3
5.7
1.8 1.9 1.8
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034
Forecast Asset Management Needs (2024 $, millions)Construct and Secure Rehab and Restore
Monitor and Maintain Plan and Design
Average annual need ($2.6M/year)Average annual funding ($1.7M/year)
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5.4 Summary and Recommendation
The three scenarios for natural asset management are compared in Tables 5-7 and 5-8. Table 5-
7 summarizes the costs of each scenario. The table shows that 10-year costs range from $17.12
million for Scenario A (Status Quo) to $25.48 million for Scenario C (High).
As the Status Quo scenario, Scenario A represents the anticipated annual funding available, and
is used to calculate the funding gap, or additional funding needed, for Scenarios B and C. The
table shows that an average of $0.36 million/year would be needed for Scenarios B and $0.84
million/year would be needed for Scenarios C.
Table 5-7 Cost Comparison 2025-2034
Scenario A
Status Quo
Scenario B
Moderate
Scenario C
High
Total Cost 2025-2034
(2024 $, millions) $17.12 $20.68 $25.48
Average Annual Cost
(2024 $, millions/year) $1.71 $2.07 $2.55
Anticipated Annual
Average Funding
(2024 $, millions/year)
$1.71 $1.71 $1.71
Average Annual Gap
(2024 $, millions/year) -- $0.36 $0.84
Table 5-8 compares the benefits or outcomes of each scenario. As shown in the table, Scenario
A only replaces 43% of the known dead and dying trees, and does not plant any new trees to
contribute to achieving the canopy target. Moreover, natural area condition assessments, invasive
species control and targeted seeding and planting will not be conducted. This Scenario will leave
the Town and its natural assets unprepared for hazards such as extreme weather, invasive
species, encroachment and misuse.
Scenario B replaces 100% of the known dead and dying trees, and plants 200 new trees to
contribute to achieving the canopy target. Moreover, natural area condition assessments will be
completed on all properties in the first 6 years before transitioning to a 10-year cycle. Moderate
programs of invasive species control and targeted seeding and planting will also be conducted.
Scenario C is similar to Scenario B, but aims to replace 100% of the known dead and dying trees,
and allows for replacement of an additional 94 trees which may fall into Very Poor condition over
the next 10 years. Two thousand (2000) new trees will be planted to contribute to the tree canopy
target (but is still insufficient to maintain the current LOS ratio of trees to population). Natural area
condition assessments will be completed on all properties in the first 5 years (1 year faster than
Scenario B) before transitioning to a 10-year cycle, and invasive species control and targeted
seeding and planting will also be conducted at a higher rate. This will better position the Town for
the identified risks to its natural assets.
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Table 5-8 Benefit Comparison
BENEFITS 2025-3034 Scenario A
Status Quo
Scenario B
Moderate
Scenario C
High
Construct and Secure
Net New Trees Planted 0 200 trees 2000 trees
Rehab and Restore
Dead and Dying Trees
Replaced
284 trees
(43% of those
identified in 2024)
666 trees
(100% of those
identified in 2024)
760 trees
(100% of those
identified in 2024 +
others that may die
over time)
Invasive Species Control
(hectares treated) 0 22.2 ha 66.5 ha
Targeted Seeding and
Planting
(hectares treated)
0 3.8 ha 7.3 ha
Stream Rehabilitation
projects completed 5 projects 5 projects 5 projects
Monitor and Maintain
Condition Assessment
(hectares assessed) 0
620.4 ha
(all assets in first 6
years, followed by
10-year cycle)
664.7 ha
(all assets in first 5
years, followed by
10-year cycle)
Tree Maintenance
Increases with Net New
Trees
n/a Yes Yes
Urban Park Maintenance Same as current Same as current Same as current
Plan and Design
Stream Management
Master Plan
Updated in 2029
Yes Yes Yes
Urban Forest Study
Updated in 2034 Yes Yes Yes
Tree Inventory
Updated in 2025 Yes Yes Yes
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The costs and benefits are estimates of the potential needs that should be verified through field -
based assessments of the natural assets. For this reason, Scenario B is recommended, because
it includes a moderate program of assessment, maintenance and restoration activities. The data
collected through the assessments will enable the Town to determine whether these programs
should be reduced or expanded in the future.
To fund Scenario B, the Town may
• seek additional revenues through taxation or grants
• re-allocate funds from other programs (this may result in reduced levels of service in other
prorams).
Moreover, although the Town recognizes that land constraints make future purchases of natural
area assets unlikely, it is recommended that the Town continue to seek alternative ways to
increase natural area asset capacity for its residents, for example, through maintenance
agreements with external parties similar to the Town’s existing agreements for use of the Duck’s
Unlimited property and Sheppard’s Bush Conservation Area. There may also be opportunities for
the Town to re-purpose some of its existing properties.
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6 NCAMP IMPROVEMENT AND MONITORING
6.1 AM Plan Improvement Recommendations
The Town is committed to continually improving how assets are managed and how services are
delivered. Development of AM Plans is an iterative process that includes improving data,
processes, systems, staff skills, and organizational culture over time. Table 4-9 identifies
recommendations for the Town that will help the AM Plan evolve and improve through each
iteration.
Table 6-1 Asset Management Improvement Recommendations
Gap Improvement Recommendation
State of Infrastructure
Establish a condition
assessment program
for natural assets
For this AM Plan, condition scores for many asset classes were established
based on staff knowledge and expertise. Future efforts should work toward
establishing a condition assessment program, as recommended in Section 4
under Maintenance and Monitoring activities. The protocol should also include an
assessment of condition for any acquired lands the Town may secure.
Prior to beginning condition assessments it is recommended that the Town
establish condition scoring criteria for different natural asset types, so that the
appropriate data can be collected. For instance, the Town may refer to and adapt
Credit Valley Conservation’s “Rapid Condition Assessment Protocol.”
Inventory
improvements
An initial natural asset inventory has been developed based on the best available
data which incorporates local Ecological Land Classification (ELC) mapping, the
Town’s parks and open space GIS layer, as well as available spatial data
associated with community gardens, the pet cemetery, and watercourses. The
inventory also includes lands maintained but not owned by the Town.
Future refinements to consider include addressing:
• While the inventory provides the best available depiction of the Town-
owned natural assets, there are limitations with ELC data; for example,
the ELC’s defined land cover is not always an accurate reflection of what
is on the land.
• Land types should be defined consistently across the NCAMP and the
Parks and Recreation Master Plan. For example, the Parks and
Recreation Master Plan defines parklands to include all lands within the
boundaries of a Town-owned park; however, for the purposes of the
NCAMP, some of the areas are considered forests or open spaces
(meadows).
• Based on the GIS date, urban park assets (manicured grassy areas) in
the NCAMP include park facilities that are not part of this AM plan, such
as playgrounds, play courts, skate parks and splash pads. Future
refinements should designate them appropriately.
• New properties have been recently purchased that have not been
included and should be added for the next AMP
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Regular urban tree
inventory updates
Continue to update and improve the accuracy of the street tree inventory.
Design and implement processes to keep the tree inventory current by updating
the asset data as trees are replaced or maintained. These updates should be
incorporated into work order management processes, and tree inventory data
should be required from developers and tree planting contractors.
Levels of Service
Refinement of Levels
of Service
LOS have been established for this AM Plan that demonstrate some of the
important services delivered by natural assets. As the Town’s AM maturity
evolves for this asset portfolio, LOS should be updated and refined to improve
the connections between LOS measures, management actions, and financial
impacts.
Monitoring and
Target Setting
LOS performance should be monitored relative customer satisfaction and cost to
inform future target setting.
Use Town-wide tree
targets to guide
development of Town-
owned tree targets
Although targets have been set for tree canopy and tree diversity, those targets
are not directly applicable to the Town’s asset performance, because the targets
apply to all trees within the municipal boundaries, whereas the Town's asset
performance relates specifically to Town-owned trees.
The Town-wide tree targets should be used to guide development of Town-
owned tree targets, which in turn will guide the Town’s asset investment needs.
For example, given that the Town-wide canopy target is 40%, how much of that
should comprise Town-owned trees? Also, can the diversity target be applied to
the Town-owned inventory, or should the Town aim for a different species mix to
offset an imbalance in non-owned tree species?
Asset Management and Financial Analysis
Risk Management
Consider building on the initial risk assessment for natural assets to further inform
and prioritize risk mitigation actions for natural assets. However, it is recognized
that the industry is still in the early stages of understanding how to best apply risk
management assessment to natural assets and the Town’s approach will evolve
over time as the industry matures. The Natural Assets Initiative (2024)10 recently
released a guidance document that provides some potential options
Determine or refine
growth needs
assessment
Currently, LOS as defined by area of assets per capita provide a good metric for
understanding the general LOS being provided. This LOS can also inform growth
needs. However, there is a limit to how much land can be acquired and dedicated
to natural assets as the population continues to grow. This AMP assumes no
growth due to land and financial constraints, but some land acquisition may be
possible that could reduce the decline of the population based LOS.
Conduct a rehabilitation
and restoration needs
assessment
To better understand the financial needs for natural assets, consider a site-
specific assessment of rehabilitation and restoration needs, which would
establish and prioritize necessary management inventions.
10 NAI (2024). Nature is infrastructure: How to include natural assets in asset management plans. Natural Assets
Initiative. naturalassetsinitiative.ca
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Maintenance Costs
Current maintenance funding has been well defined for urban parks and urban
trees. Working toward a better understanding of maintenance needs for natural
area assets could shift some of the funding needs for managing natural assets
from capital budgets to operation budgets as maturity with natural areas assets
increases over time.
Continue the initiative to implement a work order management system, which will
be used to track maintenance and repair activities and costs at an asset level.
This information can be used to improve future needs forecasting and budgeting.
6.2 AM Plan Monitoring and Review
The AM Plan will be updated every five years to ensure it reports an updated snapshot of the
Town’s asset portfolio and its associated value, age, and condition. It will ensure that the City has
an updated 10-year outlook including service levels, costs of the associated lifecycle strategies
and an assessment of any funding shortfalls.
Per O.Reg. 588/17, the Town will conduct an annual review of its progress in implementing this
AM Plan and will discuss strategies to address any factors impeding its implementation.
6.3 Performance Measures
The effectiveness of this AM Plan can be measured in the following ways:
• The degree to which the forecast costs identified in this NCAMP are incorporated into the
long-term financial plan,
• The degree to which the 1- to 5-year detailed works programs, budgets, business plans align
with the recommendations of the NCAMP, and
• The degree to which the existing and projected service levels and service consequences,
risks and residual risks are incorporated into the Strategic Planning documents and
associated plans.
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APPENDIX A: ESTABLISHING NCAMP INVENTORY
To establish the NCAMP inventory, the spatial boundaries of town -owned land and 2 properties
(Ducks unlimited Canada lands and the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Sheppard’s Bush property) of
town-maintained land were combined. A natural asset hierarchy was then established to organize
the inventory into asset types within the parent categories of “Natural Area Assets” and “Natural
Enhanced Assets”. The data utilized to compose the inventory is outlined in Table A-1.
Table A-1 Data Utilized
Data Name Source
Municipal Boundary Data_NCAMP.gdb / Municipal Boundary
Building Footprints Data_NCAMP.gdb / Building Footprints
LSRCA Ecological Land Classification Data_NCAMP.gdb / LSRCA
Parks and Open Space Lots (New) Aurora
Community Gardens Aurora - Additionally provided shapefile for Community Gardens
Pet Cemetery Aurora - Additionally provided shapefile for Pet Cemetery
Additional Town Owned Land Aurora - Additionally provided shapefile for polygons missing
from original Town Owned Land data
Town Maintained Land Aurora - Additionally provided shapefile for further delineation of
Town Maintained Land
Streams & Reaches v2 Aurora
To develop the Natural Area Assets portion of the inventory hierarchy, ELC classes were used to
delineate natural polygon areas on the town-owned and -maintained lands.An outline of the
conversion of ELC classes to Asset Type groups is outlined in Table A-2.
Table A-22 Conversion of ELC Category to Asset Class groupings
Asset Class Ecological Land Calssification Category
Forest and Open Space Coniferous Forest
Cultural Plantation
Cultural Thicket
Cultural Woodland
Deciduous Forest
Mixed Forest
Cultural Meadow
Waterbody Open Water
Submerged Shallow Aquatic
Mixed Shallow Aquatic
Wetland Deciduous Swamp
Meadow Marsh
Mixed Swamp
Shallow Marsh
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For watercourse assets, data (Streams & Reaches v2) was provided for the project and was used
to identify the stream segments and attributes associated with Town-owned and managed
properties.
The identification of Natural Enhanced Assets was performed using multiple datasets. For Urban
Trees, data was provided that identified individual street and park trees. This data was unmodified
and adopted to meet the hierarchy structure of the inventory. Urban Parks were identified using
the “Parks and Open Spaces Lots” dataset. Parks and Open Space boundaries in the city
provided data did not have complete ELC coverage within the area. For example, an ELC forest
polygon may have only covered a portion of a park area, leaving the rest of the park as a gap in
the inventory. In areas classified as Urban Park in the “Parks and Open Space Lot” dataset, gaps
were classified as “Urban Park”. In areas classified as Urban Forest and Open Space in the “Parks
and Open Space Lot” dataset, gaps were classified as “Forest and Open Space”.
Community Gardens and a Pet Cemetary were added into the inventory by merging the layers
into the inventory and prioritizing their boundaries as a uniquely classified enhanced asset over
any existing classifiction
Once the inventory was organized, the data was clipped to be restricted to the boundaries of the
merged Town Owned Land and Town Maintained Land. Any assets that fell within Town
Maintained land were assigned an attribute within the data to allow easier filtering of Town
Maintained assets.
Finally, the data was inspected and compared to available satilite imagery to identify any glaring
errors assoicated with the allocation of the ELC classes, with emphasis on ensuring manicured
turf areas were not allocated a natural land cover. A total of 3 properties were adjusted based on
this review.
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APPENDIX B: UNIT COST ASSUMPTIONS
Asset Category Asset Class Asset Subtype Unit Cost
Natural Area
Assetsa
Forest and
unmanicured open
space
Cultural Meadow $198,144 per ha
Coniferous Forest
$173,847 per ha
Deciduous Forest
Mixed Forest
Cultural plantation
Cultural woodland
Cultural Thicket $188,546 per ha
Wetland
Deciduous Swamp $268,404 per ha Mixed Swamp
Thicket Swamp $245,945 per ha
Meadow Marsh $224,816 per ha Shallow Marsh
Waterbody NAb
Watercourse $1,700,200 per kmc
Natural
Enhanced
Assets
Community Garden $150,000 for the existing garden
$300,000 for the newly built
gardend
Pet Cemetery $300,000e
Manicured open
space $200,000 per haf
Urban Trees $600 per tree
+ $16.50 per cm dbh (removal)g
a) Natural asset unit costs per ha are based on 2023 typical restoration costs provided by TRCA. In general,
the NCAMP replacement values do not include land costs.
b) For waterbodies restoration costs were not readily available.
c) While there has been some stream restoration works done within Aurora, those have focused more on
shoreline and stream bank stablization and may not sufficiently capture the ‘replacement cost’ value of the
whole stream feature. Future work could explore the potential cost of broader stream restoration focused on
recreating natural stream features.CVC (2019) provides an approximate estimate of stream corridor
rehabilitation. It should be noted that costs for stream rehabilitation projects can vary widely depending on
local context, site access, extent of flow management required, etc. The CVC (2019) rehabliation costs are
based on stream corridor segments assumed to be 500m long and 20m wide. For comparison, Aurora’s
Stream Management Master Plan estimates a reach-scale restoration project for Tannery Creek could cost
$7M for 1,250m (or about $5.6 M per km).
d) Community garden costs are based on an estimated construction cost for the newest community garden.
There are two community gardens both with 52 garden plots. Therefore, $300,000 per garden was applied.
e) The pet cemetery is considered a cultural heritage area and considered irreplaceable. However, for the
purpose of the AM plan, recent upgrade costs estimated to be roughly $300,000 is applied. In general, the
NCAMP replacement values do not include land costs.
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f) Urban park areas largely capture mainicured grassy areas. Therefore, the average cost of $200,000/ha,
used as a replacement cost is based on $20/sqm cost of installed sod.
g) Replacement costs for individually managed urban trees was established using the diameter replacement
method. A cost of $600 per tree is applied to the estimated number of trees needed to replace existing trees,
which is determined by dividing the diamater at breast height (dbh) of each tree by the assumed dbh of the
replacement tree (5cm). This approach is used to help establish a “like for like” replacement. For instance, a
replacement tree with a 5cm dbh will not be able to provide the same service level as a tree with 100cm dbh.
It should be recongized that the Town does not actually replace trees based on this ratio. The ratio is used
for the purpose of this AM plan to establish the “like for like” replacement cost. In addition to the tree
replacement, a removal cost is also applied based on an assumed average costs for tree removal and
stumping ($1,650 per tree). However, in an effort to avoid applying a removal and stumping cost for mature
trees to the young trees currently in the inventory, the $1,650 was assumed to apply to 100cm dbh tree to
generate a removal and stumpage cost that could be scaled by each trees dbh. The resulting assumption is
a removal and stumpage cost of $16.50 per 1cm dbh.
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APPENDIX C: MAP OF RECOMMENDED MONITORING FREQUENCY
Source: Stream Management Master Plan, 2019
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APPENDIX D: DETAILED FINANCIAL FORECAST TABLES
This Appendix provides detailed cost projections for:
• Scenario A: Status Quo
• Scenario B: Status Quo with Moderate Rehabilitation, Monitoring and Maintenance
• Scenario C: Status Quo with High Rehabilitation, Monitoring and Maintenance
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Scenario A – Status Quo
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034
Construction and Securing (Growth)TOTAL ANN AVG
Planting costs - - - - - - - - - -
Total Construct and Secure - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rehabilitation and Restoration TOTAL ANN AVG
Total land (open spaces, forests, wetlands)438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4
% area to control each year - 0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%-
Invasive Species Control - - - - - - - - - - - -
% area to seed / plant each year 0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%-
Targeted Seeding or Planting - - - - - - - - - - - -
Stream Rehabilitation
Stream Rehabilitation - Tyler St.- 718,000 -------- 718,000 71,800
Stream Rehabilitation - Sandusky Park - 120,000 608,000 ------- 728,000 72,800
Stream Rehabilitation - Harriman Rd.- ---251,000 -1,300,000 --- 1,551,000 155,100
Stream Rehabilitation - Wellington St. Phase 1 - --426,000 -2,454,000 ---- 2,880,000 288,000
Stream Rehabilitation - Wellington St. Phase 2 - -----2,558,000 --- 2,558,000 255,800
Total trees to replace 31.2 31.2 31.2 31.2 31.2 31.2 31.2 31.2 31.2 31.2 312.2
Urban Tree Replacement (only the VP in 2024)64,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 640,000 64,000
Total Rehab and Restore 64,000 902,000 672,000 490,000 315,000 2,518,000 3,922,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 9,075,000 907,500
Monitoring and Maintenance TOTAL ANN AVG
Total land (open spaces, forests, wetlands)438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4
% to assess each year 0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%
Natural area assets assessments - - - - - - - - - - - -
Number of trees to be maintained 26,380 26,380 26,380 26,380 26,380 26,380 26,380 26,380 26,380 26,380
Urban Tree Maintenance, based on existing (no
adjustment for additional trees)353,160 353,160 353,160 353,160 353,160 353,160 353,160 353,160 353,160 353,160 3,531,600 353,160
Stream Monitoring
Red - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan every 10
years*- - - 23,360 - - - - - - 23,360 2,336
Yellow - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan
recommended every 10 years - - - 14,900 - - - - - - 14,900 1,490
Green - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan
recommended every 10 years, crossings only - - - 6,250 - - - - - - 6,250 625
Urban park, community garden, pet cemetery 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3
Existing maintenance cost 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 4,311,871 431,187
Total Monitor and Maintain 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 784,347 7,843,471 784,347
Plan and Design TOTAL ANN AVG
Stream Management Master Plan - - - - 150,000 - - - - - 150,000 15,000
Urban Forest Study - - - - - - - - 15,000 - 15,000 1,500
Tree inventory update 36,200 - - - - - - - - - 36,200 3,620
Total Plan and Design 36,200 - - - 150,000 - - - 15,000 - 201,200 20,120
10-Year
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Scenario B – Status Quo with Moderate Rehabilitation, Monitoring and Maintenance
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034
Construction and Securing (Growth)TOTAL ANN AVG
Planting costs 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000
Total Construct and Secure 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 120,000 12,000
Rehabilitation and Restoration TOTAL ANN AVG
Total land (open spaces, forests, wetlands)438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4
% area to control each year 0.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%21.9
Invasive Species Control 131,510 131,510 131,510 131,510 131,510 131,510 131,510 131,510 131,510 131,510 1,315,099 131,510
% area to seed / plant each year 0.00%0.05%0.10%0.10%0.10%0.10%0.10%0.10%0.10%0.10%3.7
Targeted Seeding or Planting - 46,028 92,057 92,057 92,057 92,057 92,057 92,057 92,057 92,057 782,484 78,248
Stream Rehabilitation
Stream Rehabilitation - Tyler St.- 718,000 -------- 718,000 71,800
Stream Rehabilitation - Sandusky Park - 120,000 608,000 ------- 728,000 72,800
Stream Rehabilitation - Harriman Rd.- ---251,000 -1,300,000 --- 1,551,000 155,100
Stream Rehabilitation - Wellington St. Phase 1 - --426,000 -2,454,000 ---- 2,880,000 288,000
Stream Rehabilitation - Wellington St. Phase 2 - -----2,558,000 --- 2,558,000 255,800
Total trees to replace 66.0 66.0 66.0 66.0 66.0 66.0 66.0 66.0 66.0 66.0
Urban Tree Replacement (only the VP in 2024)135,300 135,300 135,300 135,300 135,300 135,300 135,300 135,300 135,300 135,300 1,353,000 135,300
Total Rehab and Restore 266,810 1,150,838 966,867 784,867 609,867 2,812,867 4,216,867 358,867 358,867 358,867 11,885,587 1,188,558
Monitoring and Maintenance TOTAL ANN AVG
Total land (open spaces, forests, wetlands)438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4
% to assess each year 25%25%15%15%10%10%10%10%10%10%613.7
Natural area assets assessments 109,592 109,592 65,755 65,755 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 613,713 504,121
Number of trees to be maintained 26,380 26,400 26,420 26,440 26,460 26,480 26,500 26,520 26,540 26,560
Urban Tree Maintenance, based on existing cost/tree,
increases with addition of trees 353,160 353,428 353,695 353,963 354,231 354,499 354,766 355,034 355,302 355,570 3,543,649 354,365
Stream Monitoring
Red - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan
recommended every 5 years - - - 23,360 - - - - 23,360 - 46,720 4,672
Yellow - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan
recommended every 10 years - - - 14,900 - - - - - - 14,900 1,490
Green - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan
recommended every 10 years, crossings only - - - 6,250 - - - - - - 6,250 625
Urban park, community garden, pet cemetery 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3
Existing maintenance cost 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 4,311,871 431,187
Total Monitor and Maintain 893,939 894,206 850,638 850,905 829,255 829,522 829,790 830,058 830,326 830,593 8,469,232 846,923
Plan and Design TOTAL ANN AVG
Stream Management Master Plan - - - - 150,000 - - - - - 150,000 15,000
Urban Forest Study - - - - - - - - 15,000 - 15,000 1,500
Tree inventory update 36,200 - - - - - - - - - 36,200 3,620
Total Plan and Design 36,200 - - - 150,000 - - - 15,000 - 201,200 20,120
10-Year
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Scenario C – Status Quo with High Rehabilitation, Monitoring and Maintenance
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034
Construction and Securing (Growth)TOTAL ANN AVG
Planting costs 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000
Total Construct and Secure 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 120,000 1,200,000 120,000
Rehabilitation and Restoration TOTAL ANN AVG
Total land (open spaces, forests, wetlands)438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4
% area to control each year 0.5%0.5%1.0%1.0%2.0%2.0%2.0%2.0%2.0%2.0%65.8
Invasive Species Control 109,592 109,592 87,673 87,673 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 3,945,298 394,530
% area to seed / plant each year 0.0%0.1%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%7.2
Targeted Seeding or Planting - 92,057 138,085 184,114 184,114 184,114 184,114 184,114 184,114 184,114 1,518,940 151,894
Stream Rehabilitation
Stream Rehabilitation - Tyler St.- 718,000 -------- 718,000 71,800
Stream Rehabilitation - Sandusky Park - 120,000 608,000 ------- 728,000 72,800
Stream Rehabilitation - Harriman Rd.- ---251,000 -1,300,000 --- 1,551,000 155,100
Stream Rehabilitation - Wellington St. Phase 1 - --426,000 -2,454,000 ---- 2,880,000 288,000
Stream Rehabilitation - Wellington St. Phase 2 - -----2,558,000 --- 2,558,000 255,800
Total trees to replace 76.0 76.0 76.0 76.0 76.0 76.0 76.0 76.0 76.0 76.0 760
Urban Tree Replacement (only the VP in 2024)155,800 155,800 155,800 155,800 155,800 155,800 155,800 155,800 155,800 155,800 1,558,000 155,800
Total Rehab and Restore 287,310 1,217,367 1,164,905 1,028,934 1,116,954 3,319,954 4,723,954 865,954 865,954 865,954 15,457,245 1,545,724
Monitoring and Maintenance TOTAL ANN AVG
Total land (open spaces, forests, wetlands)438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4 438.4
% to assess each year 25%25%20%20%10%10%10%10%10%10%657.5
Natural area assets assessments 109,592 109,592 87,673 87,673 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 43,837 657,550 65,755
Number of trees to be maintained 26,380 26,580 26,780 26,980 27,180 27,380 27,580 27,780 27,980 28,180
Urban Tree Maintenance, based on existing (no
adjustment for additional trees)353,160 355,837 358,515 361,192 363,870 366,547 369,225 371,902 374,580 377,257 3,652,087 365,209
Stream Monitoring
Red - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan
recommended every 5 years - - - 23,360 - - - - 23,360 - 46,720 4,672
Yellow - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan
recommended every 10 years - - - 14,900 - - - - - - 14,900 1,490
Green - 2019 Stream Management Master Plan
recommended every 10 years, crossings only - - - 6,250 - - - - - - 6,250 625
Urban park, community garden, pet cemetery 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3 122.3
Existing maintenance cost 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 431,187 4,311,871 431,187
Total Monitor and Maintain 893,939 896,616 877,375 880,053 838,894 841,571 844,249 846,926 849,604 852,281 8,621,507 862,151
Plan and Design TOTAL ANN AVG
Stream Management Master Plan - - - - 150,000 - - - - - 150,000 15,000
Urban Forest Study - - - - - - - - 15,000 - 15,000 1,500
Tree inventory update 36,200 - - - - - - - - - 36,200 3,620
Total Plan and Design 36,200 - - - 150,000 - - - 15,000 - 201,200 20,120
10-Year
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1SLIDE :T OWN OF AURORANATURAL CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT PLANEnvironmental Advisory CommitteeJune 17, 20241SLLSLLLLLLSLSLSLSLSLSSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSSLSSLLLSLSSLSLLLLSDDDIDDDIDIDDDIDIDIDDDDDDDDDDIDIDIDIDIDIDIDIDIDIDIDIDIDIDDDIDDDIDIDDIDIDIDIDIIDE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE::::::::Page 80 of 111
2SLIDE :AGENDA•Project Overview •FindingsǀInventory and ConditionǀLevels of ServiceǀAsset Lifecycle Management PlanǀFinancial StrategyǀAM Improvement Recommendations•Questions/Discussion?Page 81 of 111
3SLIDE :3The coordinated activity of an organization to realize value from assetsThis includes:•Delivering the service levels customers need and regulators require•While minimizing total costs of asset ownership•At an acceptable level of risk•Within an environment of limited resourcesLevels of ServiceCost of ServiceRiskWhat is Asset Management?Creating sustained valuePage 82 of 111
4SLIDE :What is an Asset Management Plan?PrioritiesAsset Management PlanTactical PlanningWorkDeliveryDocument service level commitments and performanceForecast asset lifecycle needs to support service levelsAnnual budgeting and business planningDelivery of capital, operations and maintenanceEstablishvision, mission, values, goals,objectivesDevelop financial strategy, prioritizing based on risk.The AM Plan consolidates infrastructure-related needs identified throughout the organization, in•Master plans•Condition assessments•Business cases•Strategic plans, etc.Infrastructure needs can then be prioritized organization-wide.Page 83 of 111
5SLIDE :O.Reg. 588/17 for Asset Management PlanningJuly 2019StrategicAM PolicyJuly 2022AM PlanCurrent LOSCore AssetsJuly 2024AM PlanCurrent LOSAll AssetsJuly 2025AM PlanProposed LOSAll AssetsRequired to articulate specific principles and commitments that will guide decisions around when, why and how money is spent on assets. Required to document current LOS and costs to sustain current LOS provided by the water, wastewater, stormwater, road and bridge assetsRequired to document current LOS and costs to sustain current LOS fornon-core assets, including natural assets and infrastructure.Required to document proposed LOS and costs to achieve proposed LOS, and the financial strategy to fund these expenditures99Progress implementing AM Plans to be reported annually.AM Plans to be updated at least every 5 years.Page 84 of 111
6SLIDE :6NCAMP Asset CategoriesNatural AreaAssets• Forests & Open spaces•Wetlands• Watercourses• WaterbodiesNatural Enhanced Assets• Urban Trees• Urban Parks• Community Gardens•Pet CemeteryNCAMP excludes:•Stormwater ponds andsurrounding areas•Other stormwater assets•TrailsSee Corporate AM Plan.Page 85 of 111
7SLIDE :7Inventory of Natural AssetsUrban Forests & Open SpacesWatercoursesWetlandsUrban ParksUrbanTrees CommunityGardens &Pet CemeteryWatercourses$ 237.5 millionPage 86 of 111
8SLIDE :8Page 87 of 111
9SLIDE :9State of InfrastructureCondition of Natural AssetsVery Good orGood86%Fair13%Poor1%Very Poor0.3%Page 88 of 111
10SLIDE :Levels of ServiceCapacity and Access to Natural and Enhanced Areas •% residential homes within 500m of natural or enhanced areas•Natural area assets per 1000 people•Enhanced area assets per 1000 people•km of trails through natural and enhanced areas per 1000 people•Community Garden locations per 1000 people99.35%6.6 hectares2.0 hectares0.62 kmCurrent PerformanceAnticipatedTrendto 2049(due to population growth)0.0305.2 hectares1.6 hectares0.48 km0.024increasingPage 89 of 111
11SLIDE :Levels of ServiceProjected Population GrowthSource: 2022 York Region Official PlanPopulationto grow27.4%over next 25 years.Page 90 of 111
12SLIDE :Levels of ServiceQuantity of Trees•Area of canopy cover provided by Town• Street and park trees per 1000 people• New trees planted per year –street and park trees• New trees planted per year –natural areas6.3% 398.3 trees60 trees445 treesCurrent PerformanceAnticipatedTrendto 2049Future performance varies by AM ScenarioSteady - Planted bypartnerorganizationsPage 91 of 111
13SLIDE :Levels of ServiceMaintenance of Trees and Natural Areas•Species composition of top 5 Town-owned tree species•Open space and natural cover plots affected by invasive species• Tree pruning activities completed per year•Replacement trees planted per year15% Norway maple12% Littleleaf linden 10% Ash 9% Honey locust 5% Silver maple55%3,333 240 treesCurrent PerformanceAnticipatedTrendto 2049Future performance varies by AM ScenarioPage 92 of 111
14SLIDE :Asset Management Strategy – Risk RatingsType ofThreat of HazardThreat or HazardNatural AreaAssets(Forests, open spaces, waterbodies, wetlands, watercourses)Enhanced Natural Assets(Urban parks, urban trees, community gardens, Pet Cemetery)EnvironmentalInvasive species, pests and disease High-medium n/aWildlife Impacts High-medium n/aClimateExtreme heat and drought Low-medium Low-mediumExtreme rainfall and erosion Low-medium Low-mediumExtreme storms (wind and lightning) Low-medium Low-mediumHuman-InducedOveruse and misuseLowLow-mediumUnauthorized edge encroachment or disturbancesLow LowContamination (e.g. road salting and other spills)Low LowPage 93 of 111
15SLIDE :Risk Exposure Matrix - Urban TreesAsset Management Strategy – Risk Management60 urban trees areexposing Town toVery High riskPage 94 of 111
16SLIDE :Asset Management StrategiesScenario AStatus QuoScenario BStatus Quo withModerateRehab, Maintenanceand MonitoringScenario CStatus Quo withHighRehab, Maintenanceand MonitoringCurrent stateactivities andcostsPage 95 of 111
17SLIDE :Scenario A – Status Quo ActivitiesConstruct & Secure•Plant 60 new urban trees/year•Plant 445 new trees in natural areas(with partner organizations)•Town may not be able to secureadditional natural asset landsPage 96 of 111
18SLIDE :Scenario A – Status Quo ActivitiesMonitor and Maintain•Continue maintaining urban trees,urban parks and trail-side vegetationaccording to current maintenancestandards•Does not include condition assessmentfor natural areasPage 97 of 111
19SLIDE :Scenario A – Status Quo ActivitiesRehab and Restore•Replace 240 urban trees / year(82% of forecast need)•Invasive species control:2% of natural areas over 25 years•Targeted planting and seeding:1% of natural areas over 25 years•Complete the remainingstream rehabilitation projectsPage 98 of 111
20SLIDE :Scenario A – Status Quo ActivitiesPlan and DesignContinue updating (every 10 years):•Stream Management Master Plan•Urban Forest Study•Tree InventoryPage 99 of 111
21SLIDE :Scenario Comparison –AM Activities Completed Over 25 YearsAsset Management ActivityScenario AScenario BScenario CConstruct & SecureNew urban trees 1500 trees 2000 trees 4000 treesNew trees in forests and open spaces 11,125 trees (through partnerships)Monitor & Maintain5-year stream inspections 0 2 2Natural area condition assessment 0All areas completed in first 6 years,then 10-year cycleAll areas completed in first 5 years,then 10-year cycleUrban tree maintenance In accordance with current standardsUrban park maintenance In accordance with current standardsRehab & RestoreUrban trees replaced6,000(82% of forecast need)7,000(95% of forecast need)7,375(100% of forecast need)Invasive species control 2% of natural areas13% of natural areas 45% of natural areasTargeted seeding and planting 1% of natural areas 2.4% of natural areas 4.8% of natural areasStream rehab projects completed In accordance with Stream Management Master PlanPlan & DesignStream Management Master Plan updates (including 10-year inspections)In accordance with 10-year update frequencyUrban Forest Study updates In accordance with 10-year update frequencyTree inventory updates In accordance with 10-year update frequencyPage 100 of 111
22SLIDE :Scenario A: Status Quo – CostOver 10 Years(in 2024$, millions)Over 25 YearsTotal Cost $ 20.0 $ 37.9Average Annual Cost $ 2.0 $1.5Anticipated Annual Funding $ 2.0 $1.5Anticipated Gap -- --Page 101 of 111
23SLIDE :10-year Average annual need ($2.3M/year)10-year Anticipated annual funding ($2.0M/year)25-year Average annual need …0.01.02.03.04.05.06.07.02025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049Forecast Asset Management Needs (2024 $, millions)Construct and SecureRehab and RestoreMonit or and Maint ainPlan and Design10-year Average annual need ($2.3M/year)10-year Anticipated annual funding ($2.0M/year)25-year Average annual need ($1.8M/year)Note: 25-year forecast does not includefuture needs related to rehabilitation of forestsand streams, because those needs requireassessment data.10-year annual gap($0.3M/year)Scenario B – CostOver 10 Years(in 2024$, millions)Over 25 YearsTotal Cost $ 23.1 $ 45.7Average Annual Cost $ 2.3 $ 1.8Anticipated Annual Funding $ 2.0 $ 1.5Anticipated Gap$ 0.3 $ 0.3Page 102 of 111
24SLIDE :10-year Average annual need ($2.7M/year)10-year Anticipated annual funding ($2.0M/year)25-year Average annual need ($2.3M/year)0.01.02.03.04.05.06.07.02025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049Forecast Asset Management Needs (2024 $, millions)Construct and SecureRehab and RestoreMonit or and Maint ainPlan and Design10-year Average annual need ($2.7M/year)10-year Anticipated annual funding ($2.0M/year)25-year Average annual need ($2.3M/year)Note: 25-year forecast does not includefuture needs related to rehabilitation of forestsand streams, because those needs requireassessment data.10-year annual gap($0.7M/year)Scenario C – CostOver 10 Years(in 2024$, millions)Over 25 YearsTotal Cost $ 27.1 $ 57.9Average Annual Cost $ 2.7 $ 2.3Anticipated Annual Funding $ 2.0 $ 1.5Anticipated Gap$ 0.7 $ 0.8Page 103 of 111
25SLIDE :Scenario Comparison – Levels of ServiceQuantity of Trees•Area of canopy cover provided by Town• Street and park trees per 1000 people• New trees planted per year –street and park trees• New trees planted per year –natural areas6.3% 398.3 trees60 trees445 treesSteady - Planted bypartnerorganizations345.3 trees355.9 trees398.5 trees60 trees80 trees160 trees1,500 trees2,000 trees4,000 treesCanopy from:Current PerformanceIn 2049:Scenario AScenario BScenario CPage 104 of 111
26SLIDE :Scenario Comparison – Levels of ServiceMaintenance of Trees and Natural Areas•Species composition of top 5 Town-owned tree species•Open space and natural cover plots affected by invasive species• Tree pruning activities completed per year•Replacement trees planted per yearTop five specieseach make up5–15% of inventory55%3,333 240 treesCurrent PerformanceSlow diversificationIn 2049:Scenario AScenario BScenario CSlow-mod diversificationModerate diversification2% natural areas treated13% natural areas treated45% natural areas treatedPer maintenance standard240 ( 82% of forecast need)280 ( 95% of forecast need)294 (100% of forecast need)Page 105 of 111
27SLIDE :Scenarios B & C include assessments to monitor for threats and hazards,and actions to increase resilience to threats and hazards.Type ofThreat of HazardThreat or HazardNatural AreaAssets(Forests, open spaces, waterbodies, wetlands, watercourses)Enhanced Natural Assets(Urban parks, urban trees, community gardens, Pet Cemetery)EnvironmentalInvasive species, pests and disease High-medium n/aWildlife Impacts High-medium n/aClimateExtreme heat and drought Low-medium Low-mediumExtreme rainfall and erosion Low-medium Low-mediumExtreme storms (wind and lightning) Low-medium Low-mediumHuman-InducedOveruse and misuseLowLow-mediumUnauthorized edge encroachment or disturbancesLow LowContamination (e.g. road salting and other spills)Low LowPage 106 of 111
28SLIDE :Recommended StrategyOver 10 Years(in 2024$, millions)Over 25 YearsTotal Cost $ 23.1 $ 45.7Average Annual Cost $ 2.3 $ 1.8Anticipated Annual Funding $ 2.0 $ 1.5Anticipated Gap$ 0.3 $ 0.3Allows Town to:•Begin condition assessment program for natural assets•Increase invasive species control and targeted planting(to increase resilience to environmental and climate hazards)•Increase urban tree replacements (address backlog of 666 trees)•Increase planting of new urban trees towardǀAchieving tree canopy targetǀMaintaining ratio of trees / 1000 peopleScenario BPage 107 of 111
29SLIDE :Recommended Strategy – FundingOver 10 Years(in 2024$, millions)Over 25 YearsTotal Cost $ 23.1 $ 45.7Average Annual Cost $ 2.3 $ 1.8Anticipated Annual Funding $ 2.0 $ 1.5Anticipated Gap$ 0.3 $ 0.3To close funding gap:•Seek additional revenues through taxation or grants•Re-allocate funds from other programs(may result in reduced levels of service in other programs).Also, continue partnerships with external organizations for•Access to natural lands (with maintenance agreements)•Tree planting programs•Invasive species control (volunteers)Scenario BPage 108 of 111
30SLIDE :AM Plan ImprovementsLevels of Service1. Monitor LOS performance and costs to enable forecasting of cost impacts of LOS adjustments.2. Translate Town-wide tree targets into targets for Town-owned assets, e.g. tree canopy and diversity targets for Town-owned trees. 3. Consider incorporating carbon sequestration impact of natural assets in Town’s GHG emissions plans, such as the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan and the Community Energy Plan.AM Process, Technology and Data4. Establish land type naming standards and implement in GIS, so that natural asset inventory will be consistent with other studies (e.g. Parks and Recreation Master Plan)5. Continue initiative to implement maintenance management system. Use the data to better understand maintenance costs of natural assets.6. Consider building on the initial risk assessment for natural assets to further inform and prioritize risk mitigation actions for natural assets. Page 109 of 111
31SLIDE :DiscussionPage 110 of 111
32SLIDE :32SLIDE :www.slbc-inc.comPage 111 of 111