Rouge National Urban Park: Opportunities for Enhancing Ecological Integrity

The Sierra Club Ontario has long supported the protection and re-naturalization efforts within the Rouge Watershed, specifically within the Rouge National Urban Park. The Friends of the Rouge Watershed (FRW) have been advocating for the continued protection of the Rouge, especially as it relates the Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP) Management Plan.

The current RNUP Management Plan is a product of long-term, expert input. The issue environmentalists have is that many aspects of the plan are not being applied in practice especially re-naturalization to improve ecological integrity.

FRW states that, The Park Management Plan needs to demonstrate ecological integrity by:Implementing Environment Canada’s scientific recommendations for “How Much Habitat is Enough”Restoring the Park’s “main ecological corridor” and Indigenous Peoples Trail, linking Lake Ontario to the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Implementing existing Park and Watershed Plans to combat pollution, climate change, and flooding.Adding Greenbelt lands to create a 100+km2 national park.

Stay tuned for an action alert to support and advocate for these changes in the coming weeks.

Photo by Alex Walker

Find out more about our work on natural spaces like Rouge National Urban Park

Sierra Club Canada works to protect natural spaces and endangered species across Canada and internationally by grassroots action and by building partnerships between local, national, and international organizations.

Whether it’s our work to protect the North Atlantic Right Whale in the Atlantic, to protect green spaces in Québec and Ontario, or wetlands and grasslands in the Prairies our members are making a difference every day.

Read another recent article: Ontario Greenbelt Under Attack.

“Southern Ontario’s largely human-restored forests now face an unusual threat. This is that of the ecologically illiterate adjudicator. These adjudicators come in two different sources.”

Here’s the Parks Canada Rouge National Urban Park Website.