Inventory, assess and monitor the health and value of Surrey’s natural assets, including by leveraging community and academic partnerships and technologies (e.g., remote sensing, digital monitoring artificial intelligence)
(Full action name in the CCAS)5. Climate-Positive Resilient Ecosystems / 5.1. Protect, connect, and restore ecosystems / E4. Inventory, assess, and monitor ecosystems and green infrastructure to support adaptive... /
E4.1Assess the health and value of Surrey's natural assets
Progress
- Not started
- Planning
- Implementation
- Continuous
Late
To date natural asset inventorying and ecosystem services/asset condition valuation has been completed for one of the City's watersheds (Little Campbell). Integration of priorities and actions identified from that assessment has yet to be applied to land use or land management processes by the City. There are no timelines identified or resources presently allocated for further natural asset inventories (e.g., for the remainder of the city) or development of a comprehensive natural asset management plan. Assessment of some ecosystem services was completed as part of the City's Urban forest management Strategy and tree inventory data exists for certain types of tree cover and areas. However there is no capacity to undertake this type of analysis for other land cover types (e.g., wetlands, grasslands). The regional SEI data, while integrated into the natural asset inventory for the Little Campbell River is not utilized as part of broader land use or land management planning for Surrey. Resources to consistently assess, evaluate and monitor the City's natural assets and green infrastructure, and comprehensively implement recommended actions are limited by budgetary constraints and competing priorities. New for 2024 is a pilot study "Exploring Tools and Methods for Assessing Carbon Sequestration in Parkland" that was developed for the Parks Division, in partnership with Community Development and Sustainability and the UBC Sustainability Scholars Program. This project "explores and evaluates tools and methods for assessing the carbon sequestration potential of various ecosystems within the City of Surrey's parkland."
Official description
Description
To date the City has completed a natural asset inventory (NAI) and interactive dashboard for the Little Campbell River watershed (2021). The NAI assessed ecosystem services provided by, and the condition of the various assets assessed in the watershed. The inventory also included a review of risks and vulnerabilities for natural assets in the watershed.
Further work has been completed to assess the ecosystem services provided through Surrey's Urban Forest in the Urban Forest management Strategy (2023).
Parks (Urban Forestry) and Engineering (Environment) monitor restoration and enhancement works for several years after project completion.
Surrey also has an internal watercourse classification system which is periodically updated as part of area-specific land use plans or development permitting. Data is also being collected on fisheries use and occurrence and the City undertakes periodic water quality monitoring in various watersheds.
Externally, the Metro Vancouver Regional District has developed a Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory (updated 2020) which displays "ecologically significant and relatively unmodified sensitive ecosystems such as wetlands, older forests, and woodlands. It also includes some human-modified ecosystems with high ecological value such as old fields and young forests."
Information gathered contributes to understanding the extent of the City's natural assets, the ecological services they provide and what processes and resources are in place - or needed, to manage and protect those services.