Natural areas contribute significantly to the environmental, social, and economic health of a community. For example, wetlands recharge groundwater resources and mitigate flood hazards, and naturally forested areas provide aesthetic, recreational, and educational services and also increase the value of adjacent properties. Approximately 22,000 ha of naturally forested areas and parks exist within the City of Prince George, representing over 65% of the city’s land base.
In 2010, as part of the larger Natural Areas Project, the City commissioned terrestrial ecosystem mapping (TEM) and sensitive ecosystem inventory (SEI) mapping for the undeveloped natural areas within the city (wetlands, grasslands, naturally forested lands, and parks larger than 1 ha). TEM is a standard approach to mapping different ecological communities across the landscape that share similar vegetation, soil moisture and nutrients, and climatic conditions. SEI is an additional informative layer that maps the most sensitive ecosystems in an area such as rare ecosystems, important wildlife habitats, or areas at risk due to climate change.