Lake Simcoe Shoreline Natural Areas Map

Natural areas abutting Lake Simcoe are mapped where continuous vegetation communities meet a minimum size of 1 hectare and lie within a 30-meter buffer of the shoreline. The dataset is produced by the Government of Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, as mandated by policy 6.31-SA. It was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze the spatial distribution of shoreline vegetation communities exceeding 1 hectare.
• Monitor changes in natural areas within the 30-meter shoreline buffer zone over time.
• Assess compliance with Policy 6.31-SA by mapping the location and extent of abutting natural areas.

Strengths

• Data is produced by authoritative government ministries (MNRF and MECP).
• Features a defined minimum mapping unit of 1 hectare for consistency.
• Includes a specific 30-meter buffer from the Lake Simcoe shoreline.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column names, and spatial resolution are not provided.
• The dataset's temporal coverage and update history prior to 2026 are unknown.
• The file format is listed as HTML, which may not be a standard geospatial data format for direct analysis.

Provenance

Source

Government of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).

Collection Method

Mapping of natural areas as described in Policy 6.31-SA.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Lake Simcoe shoreline and a 30-meter buffer zone.