Environmentally Sensitive Policy Area (ESPA)

The layer Environmentally Sensitive Policy Areas (ROP15_EnvSensitivePolicyArea) is a component of Map 4 (Greenlands Network) of the Regional Official Plan (ROP) as adopted by Council on June 16, 2009, and approved by the Ontario Municipal Board on June 18, 2015 . Environmentally Sensitive Policy Areas are regionally significant natural areas that comprise: (a) Provincially significant Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, regionally significant Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, or provincially significant Earth Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest; or (b) At least two of the following criteria: i) comprise ecological communities deemed unusual, of outstanding quality or particularly representative regionally, provincially or nationally; ii) contain critical habitats which are uncommon or remnants of once extensive habitats such as old growth forest, forest interior habitat, Carolinian forest, prairie-savanna, alvars, cliffs, bogs, fens, marl meadows, and cold water streams; iii) provide a large area of natural habitat of at least 20 hectares which affords habitat to species intolerant of human intrusion; or iv) provide habitat for organisms native to the region recognized as regionally, provincially or nationally significant; or (c) fulfill one of the criteria in Policy 7.C.5(b) and any two of the following: i) contain an unusual diversity of native life forms due to varied topography, microclimates, soils and/or drainage regimes; ii) perform a vital ecological function such as maintaining the hydrological balance over a widespread area by acting as a natural water storage, discharge or recharge area; iii) provide a linking system of relatively undisturbed forest or other natural habitat for the movement of wildlife over a considerable distance; iv) serve as major migratory stop-over or significant over-wintering habitat; or v) contain landforms deemed unusual or particularly representative at the regional scale.环境敏感政策区域图层（Environmentally Sensitive Policy Areas，标识符为ROP15_EnvSensitivePolicyArea）是2009年6月16日经议会审议通过、2015年6月18日获安大略市政委员会（Ontario Municipal Board）批准的《区域官方规划（Regional Official Plan，ROP）》中绿地带网络（Greenlands Network）专题图4的组成部分。环境敏感政策区域（Environmentally Sensitive Policy Areas）为具有区域重要性的自然区域，涵盖以下三类情形：(a) 省级重要自然与科学意义生命科学区域、区域重要自然与科学意义生命科学区域，或省级重要自然与科学意义地球科学区域；或(b) 至少满足以下标准中的两项：i) 包含被认定为在区域、省级或全国层面具有特殊性、卓越品质或典型代表性的生态群落；ii) 拥有珍稀生境或曾经广泛分布现已残存的典型生境，例如原始林、森林内部生境、卡罗来纳阔叶林（Carolinian forest）、稀树草原、石灰岩台地、悬崖、沼泽、沼泽、泥灰岩草甸以及冷水溪流；iii) 提供面积不小于20公顷的大型自然生境，为耐受人类干扰能力弱的物种提供栖息场所；或iv) 为该区域本土的、在区域、省级或全国层面具有重要性的物种提供栖息环境；或(c) 满足政策7.C.5(b)中的任意一项标准，且同时符合以下任意两项标准：i) 因多样的地形、微气候、土壤和/或水文状况，拥有本土生命形式的异常多样性；ii) 发挥关键生态功能，例如作为天然蓄水、排水或补给区域，维持大范围区域的水文平衡；iii) 提供相对未受干扰的森林或其他自然生境的连通系统，支持野生动物进行长距离迁移；iv) 作为重要的迁徙中途停留地或显著的越冬栖息地；或v) 包含在区域尺度上被认定为特殊或极具代表性的地貌。