The Town of Midland is seeking proposals from qualified and accredited consulting firm consisting of biologists, ecologists, and land use planners to support the Town in undertaking a comprehensive review and assessment of the in-effect Natural Heritage System (NHS). The existing NHS is reflected in several schedules to the Town’s Official Plan (2019). Schedule C – Land Use, however, is the effective schedule as it reflects the NHS as a land use designation, one that is accompanied by land use policies and permissions. Town staff have initiated a scoped review of the Town’s natural heritage system. This scoped review consisted of confirming the accuracy of the natural heritage land use designation on parcels that are one (1) hectare or less and within the urban service area. The purpose of this exercise was to determine whether these parcels are appropriately designated, and if not, evaluate whether they are candidates for redesignation. However, the Town could not move further as staff lack the technical expertise to provide Council with a recommendation, one that is consistent with the Provincial Planning Statement 2024, on which lands within the NHS can be redesignated. As such, the Town is seeking a qualified to take over and build upon work completed to date.

The envisioned outcome of the NHS review is a revised, accurate, and strengthened NHS. This would be achieved through, at minimum, evaluating and confirming the presence (or lack there of) and extent of natural heritage features on lands within the natural heritage designation. Further, this project will examine the Town’s in-effect NHS mapping to identify potential additions to same. Following this review, the successful proponent will provide a strategy for updating the NHS. This will include redesignating lands as to remove or apply the natural heritage designation based on the findings of the NHS review. 

Finally, the Town is seeking to update and streamline the NHS as to provide flexibility as well as enhance protection of sensitive and locally significant natural heritage features. Regarding flexibility, the Town is seeking to introduce the concept of a natural heritage overlay into the Official Plan. This new NHS overlay, and associated policy framework, is intended to, where appropriate, be used in lieu of the natural heritage land use designation. The application of a natural heritage overlay, rather than natural heritage land use designation, will allow property owners to develop their lands without the need for Official Plan Amendment. Rather, property owners would need to satisfy the policies of the natural heritage overlay to facilitate development. Staff anticipate that any lands removed from the natural heritage designation following a review of same would be subject to the natural heritage overlay. Regarding enhancing protections, the Town is seeking to add new development prohibitive policies into the Official Plan. The intent of these policies is to prevent the removal of land from the NHS by way of an Official Plan Amendment. 

The successful bidder would be responsible for updating the Town’s official plan to introduce both the natural heritage overlay and NHS protectionist policies. 

The findings of the work completed as part of this NHS review will directly contribute to the refinement of the Town’s natural heritage mapping and policy framework. This initiative reflects the Town’s commitment to responsible land use planning, environmental stewardship, and evidence-based decision-making.