Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	65.26
Liaison	Matt Wolsfeld
Submission Date	March 21, 2023

STARS v2.2

University of Saskatchewan
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close	Matt Wolsfeld Community Engagement Co-ordinator Office of Sustainability

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Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

Created in 1979, The Meewasin Valley Authority Act is a provincial act that aims to conserve the cultural and natural resources of the South Saskatchewan River Valley in the Saskatoon region. It is the means by which the City of Saskatoon, Province of Saskatchewan, and University of Saskatchewan jointly manage the resources of the Meewasin Valley. The University owns approximately 80 acres of land within the Meewasin Valley.

Endangered and vulnerable species

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

The Meewasin Valley Authority conducts annual inventories on species spotted in the City of Saskatoon and the surrounding Meewasin River Corridor, which includes the USask campus.

A list of endangered species in Saskatchewan is kept and regularly updated at:
http://biodiversity.sk.ca/SppList.htm

Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

These lands include a wildlife corridor adjacent to an aquatic river ecosystem that extends beyond university lands and makes up a 60km conservation zone. The university lands support an ecological transition zone from riparian habitat to high prairie adjacent to developed areas. Important species include the American White Pelican, coyotes, native shrubs, native grasses, mammals and butterflies.

Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Assessment includes inventories, mapping and data collected by the Meewasin Valley Authority on an annual basis to their natural resource management program. The Meewasin Valley Authority assesses protected land, wildlife habitat, ecological integrity, source water protection, land-use mix, green space, public access and more.

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

All natural areas within the City of Saskatoon's municipal boundary.

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

Since its creation, Meewasin has directed many conservation projects which have protected and enhanced the river valley and the riverbank area on at the University of Saskatchewan. All development is strictly controlled through a Development Review process to ensure the riverbank and river maintain both ecological integrity and public access.

In 2017, the Meewasin Valley-Wide Resource Management Plan was developed in partnership with over 50 stakeholders and all levels of government. This plan identifies more than 180 key conservation actions within the Valley.

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

100

Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

https://meewasin.com/about/conservation/

Additional documentation to support the submission:

MeewasinValleywideRMP_reduced.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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