Natural Heritage System Strategy Development Service

An Ontario agency is seeking a qualified vendor to develop a comprehensive, science-based Natural Heritage System (NHS) strategy. The primary objective is to provide a detailed understanding of the agency's natural heritage attributes, elements, linkages, and the overall ecosystem, recognizing that ecological processes function across various scales and that landscape-level connectivity is critical for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service delivery, particularly amid development pressures and climate change.

The selected vendor will analyze locally relevant data and mapping layers—such as information on protected areas, biodiversity, species at risk, landcover data, and municipal official plans—in consultation with the agency, municipalities, conservation authorities, and regional organizations. The project will involve reviewing pertinent landscape ecology literature and best practices related to NHS mapping and ground truthing at the landscape scale. Core deliverables include a thorough vulnerability and risk assessment evaluating ecological integrity, connectivity, and conservation value, as well as recommendations for management tools and strategies to support the NHS in the short, medium, and long term. An effective monitoring plan must also be proposed to assess the system over time. Additional components may be defined in collaboration with working groups or Council. The anticipated contract period is one year.