Here’s another fun question about Reg. 511/09, the recent amendments to Reg. 153/04: what’s an “area of natural significance” (ANS)?
S. 1 now defines ANS to include “an area which is habitat of a species that is classified under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 2007 as a threatened or endangered species.” What areas does this include?
The Ministry of Natural Resources has a helpful website showing the range of a long list of threatened and endangered species. Here, for example, is the map for the Least Bittern, a shy bird that I saw while kayaking on Toronto’s Humber River: 
Which parts of this map now count as ANSs, for the purposes of determining cleanup criteria for contaminated sites?
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Dianne – I don't know about other areas, but here in Halton, the location of Provincial Earth Science ANSIs and Life Science ANSIs are specifically mapped in the Regional Official Plan. That being said, I see what you mean in the Reg; the wording is whacky.
Randall, That is true, but the Reg. 511/09 definition of endangered species habitat is not limited to what's mapped in the OP.
Thanks for your comment.
Dianne
FYI, regarding this article posted January 2010, an ANSI, as defined by MNR (and as described in the PPS 2005) is as follows:
AREAS of NATURAL and SCIENTIFIC INTEREST (ANSI):
means areas of land and water containing natural landscapes or features that have been identified as having life science or earth science values related to protection, scientific study or education.
This is not an ANS as per 511/09. An ANSI is one of the features to be considered an ANS, but the reverse is not true. The article should be retitled "What's an ANS?"
Thank you
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