This seems to be a program designed to funnel funds to developers more so than to protect environmentally valuable land. http://app06.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2012/10-02/12%20%20ACS2012-PAI-REP-0035%20-%20Property%20Acquisition%20-%20Urban %20Natural%20Features%20-%20UNA%20%5B1%5D.

pdf According to the staff report in the above link, the going price for environmental land acquisition is $160 K / acre which is up 50% over the budgeted amount only 2 years ago in 2010. Considering the fact that UNA lands are already undeveloped and cannot ever be developed, you have to wonder how this exorbitant price increase was justified. Is it believable that land price increases for real estate can be used to justify massive increase in value for land that can never be developed? I think not. Either something is fishy or staff is so incompetent that they should be dismissed. What is particularly odious is that the same staff were busy justifying a price of $290 K / acre in Dec 2010 when we were trying to get the city to purchase KNLs land in Beaver Pond Forest. A price of $243 K/acre was actually paid by the City to obtain Mariannes 80m wide corridor linkage from Beaver Pond to Trillium Wood even though city staff stated that they had an unpublished appraisal justifying $200 K /acre. SMHCRC research at the time could only justify $100 - $150 K /acre which co-incidently is not far off of the City budget estimate of $100 K /acre according to this staff report. So it appears that planning staff lied to Council the only question is which is the lie: Using an estimate of $100 K when it should have been closer to $150 K in the budget? Or Citing a fair price of $243 K when buying land for Mariannes pet corridor?