Municipal officials now have a comprehensive guide to environmentally-sensitive areas within the Saskatoon-North Partnership for Growth (P4G) district.

The P4G Desktop Natural Areas Screening (NAS) program wrapped up earlier this spring. A report summarizing its findings was tabled at the Martensville City Council video-conference meeting on  Tuesday, May 5.

The NAS report, combined with a the conclusions of a P4G Green Network flood mapping project completed in 2018, provide a detailed inventory of over 7,000 wetlands and water bodies and 51 plant and animal species of concern. It also lists ecologically-sensitive sections of the South Saskatchewan River corridor, First Nations-owned property, and also heritage sites.

The NAS study area boundaries include Highway 16 to the west, the South Saskatchewan River valley to the east,  Township Road 394 to the north and the City of Saskatoon’s northern city limits to the south.

According to a report prepared by the City of Martensville Infrastructure and Planning department, the NAS will help guide appropriate future development.

“Knowing where the natural areas are on the landscape will help to protect and enhance them as development is proposed in the NAS study area,” stated the report. “Understanding the linkages between the presence of natural areas such as wetlands and how they can reduce the impacts of flooding, provide habitat for species of concern, filter and improve water quality, and provide recreational opportunities will be important to understand and weigh as planning and policy decisions are made and development is proposed within the NAS study area.”

Martensville Mayor Kent Muench said the Green Area Network is a critical element in the P4G land use map because it defines the environmental path going forward.

“This is the guideline for each development application,” said Muench. “The Green Area Network will always be controversial because landowners in those areas will be directly affected.

“It’s a guide so developers know what extra steps they need to take in order to develop without negatively affecting drainage wetlands and ecologically-sensitive areas.”