Sandbanks Draft Veg Mgmt Plan - Ontario Parks

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Outlet Sector and the former “sugar bush” of the Woodlands/Agricultural Sector are considered sites of biological interest 3 (Snetsinger et al 2001). Descriptions of the dunes and recommendations for their protection are described in greater detail in the Sandbanks Dune Stewardship Strategy The geomorphology of the dunes has been well documented throughout the past several decades. Life science investigations have been more limited. A reconnaissance inventory of the entire park was completed in 1990 (Norris and Cuddy), and a recent investigation of significant plant species was conduced by V. Brownell (1999). The park contains a diverse mix of significant coastal ecosystems, cultural landscapes, and remnant deciduous forests that are representative of the pre-settlement vegetation of the ecodistrict. These ecological communities are described in detail in section 2. 1.3. Context for Vegetation Stewardship Planning Ontario Parks has defined ecological integrity as the first priority for park management. The objectives of Ontario Parks are to ensure that provincial parks protect significant natural, cultural, and recreational environments, while providing ample opportunities for visitors to participate in recreational activities. This Vegetation Stewardship Plan will provide direction for protecting and promoting the appreciation of the park’s forests, old fields, wetlands, Pine plantations, deciduous woodlots, active agriculture, and retired fields near West Point and other vegetation communities. It will also address the vegetation management principles and issues identified in the current park management plan. The current park management plan for Sandbanks, released in 1993, was developed with full public consultation. The management plan highlights the need to address the impacts of intensive human use on the park environment, calling for the development of vegetation and dune management plans. In the event that a new or updated management plan is prepared before this vegetation stewardship plan expires, the policies of the stewardship plan will continue to apply as long as they do not conflict with new management direction. The intention to provide protection and restoration to natural areas should be maintained. As a Natural Environment class provincial park, the emphasis of management at Sandbanks is on protection of natural features while providing opportunities for compatible use: Goal • Protect and interpret its provincially significant freshwater bay mouth dune formations and associated ecosystems and its significant cultural heritage features, while offering a range of high quality, compatible recreational experiences. 3 recommended status only Sandbanks Vegetation Management Plan 3 of 28 Ontario Parks, SE Zone 2009
Objectives • Resource Protection: to protect provincially significant elements of the natural landscape of Ontario • Heritage Appreciation: to provide opportunities for the exploration and appreciation of the natural heritage of Ontario • Recreation: to provide outdoor recreation opportunities from high intensity day use to low intensity wilderness experiences • Tourism: to provide Ontario residents and visitors with opportunities to discover and experience the distinctive regions of the province The guidelines in this stewardship plan will help Sandbanks meet these objectives in terms of vegetation. This stewardship plan describes the vegetation communities present in the park, assigns those communities to Vegetation Management Units (VMU), and provides policies for management actions and implementation. The Vegetation Stewardship Plan also provides some direction regarding dune management until a full Dune Stewardship Plan can be prepared. • All park staff involved with operations potentially affecting Sandbanks’ vegetation communities will be required to be familiar with this plan’s intent and specific directives. 1.4. Goals and Objectives of Vegetation Stewardship The goal of vegetation stewardship at Sandbanks is to ensure the protection and perpetuation of the full diversity of naturally occurring vegetation communities in the park and the processes that have led to their development. This goal will be achieved through various maintenance and restoration management techniques. The specific objectives of vegetation management are: • to conserve natural communities and significant species while allowing for natural succession • to restore or enhance natural vegetation features and processes that have been, or may be, lost or degraded • to eliminate or reduce the threat of non-native invasive species where possible • to provide opportunities for park visitors to appreciate and learn about the diverse vegetation communities of the park in ways that do not threaten existing natural values • to ensure the safety of park visitors In meeting these objectives it may be necessary to take an active approach to vegetation management in order to counter the history of human impacts and promote the restoration of natural processes. Sandbanks Vegetation Management Plan 4 of 28 Ontario Parks, SE Zone 2009
Page 1 and 2: Sandbanks Vegetation Management Pla
Page 4 and 5: Summary of Key Management Recommend
Page 6 and 7: 1.0 Introduction This vegetation st
Page 10 and 11: 2.0 Vegetation Communities - Descri
Page 12 and 13: sector receive much heavier visitat
Page 14 and 15: Shallow Marsh Ecosites A few small
Page 16 and 17: 2.5. Plantations The current versio
Page 18 and 19: Hazardous Trees and Windthrows Safe
Page 20 and 21: Prescribed burning is the deliberat
Page 22 and 23: Table 3.1. Provincially rare specie
Page 24 and 25: disturbances in accordance with the
Page 26 and 27: The park staff has controlled Purpl
Page 28 and 29: Zones Management Objectives Managem
Page 30 and 31: 6.0 Funding/Linkages The projects i
Page 32 and 33: Norris, T. and D. Cuddy. 1990. An E
Page 34 and 35: APPENDIX A - Hazardous Tree Treatme
Page 36 and 37: IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE B - Plantat
Page 38 and 39: IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE B - Plantat
Page 40 and 41: APPENDIX D - Invasive Species Monit
Page 42 and 43: APPENDIX E - Invasive Species Infor
Page 52 and 53: APPENDIX F - Woodlands Monitoring P
Page 58 and 59:
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE G - Restora
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Page 64 and 65:
Page 66 and 67:
APPENDIX H - Sandbanks Species List
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Page 72:
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Sandbanks Draft Veg Mgmt Plan - Ontario Parks

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