Monday, October 31, 2011

City of Courtenay’s Derek Richmond is the new CAVI Chair


Derek Richmond, Manager of Engineering with the City of Courtenay, has succeeded John Finnie as Chair of CAVI-Convening forAction on Vancouver Island. Launched in September 2006, CAVI is in effect a multi-agency support network undertaking to build and educate on practices and initiatives that are already underway on Vancouver Island.

“Back in 2008, we knew that the key to moving forward was thinking beyond our boundaries, and making a real commitment to collaboration. At one of our Learning Lunch seminars, we invited the Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) for the four Comox Valley local governments to say a few words about the 4Cs – that is, communicate, cooperate, coordinate and collaborate. We posted a video on YouTube that captured the moment,” Derek Richmond told the ‘Forum within the Summit’ audience. The event was hosted by the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA).

“Fast forward to October 2011…we submitted a Joint Report to the four CAOs. The report summarized our achievements to date in holding annual Learning Lunch series. It also sought a commitment to a regional approach to rainwater management. Our focus is on action so that we can implement strategies and practices at a watershed scale,” concluded Derek Richmond.

Forum Within the Summit: The 2011 State of the Island Economic Summit in Nanaimo included four pre-Summit sessions on the afternoon of October 18. One of these was hosted by CAVI in association with the VIEA Sustainability Task Force.

Branded as a "Forum within the Summit", the focus of this session was on solutions to the "Infrastructure liability" challenge confronting all local governments. The Forum theme was: The Public Infrastructure Dilemma - How Will We Sustain Our Water, Our Streets and Ourselves? The Forum attracted close to 80 attendees. The Forum was an opportunity to celebrate the collaboration that is happening in the Comox Valley

Get It Right At the Front-End: In 2008, the four local governments in the Comox Valley agreed to embark on a journey as a regional team. As a result, the Comox Valley is the provincial pilot for demonstrating the benefits of a 'regional team approach' to establish expectations and achieve consistency at the front counter.
 
"Our definition is that the 'regional team' in its fullest sense encompasses local government, the Province, the development community and the stewardship, agricultural and academic sectors," states John Finnie, CAVI immediate Past-Chair. "An initiative by the Comox Valley team in 2010 was a Developers Dialogue. This opened lines of communication to the local development community."

"We know...and you know....that if we do things right at the front-end, the end result will be a lot better, and everyone will wind up saving time and money. The end product that you have will be an added-value product," Derek Richmond said to those in attendance.

E-Blast #2011-57
November 1, 2011

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Do You Wonder How Metro Vancouver Municipalities Will Use On-Site Rainwater Management to Address Regulatory Requirements?


"Course on the ISMP Course Correction" Will Showcase Tools and Case Study Experience to Help Restore Watershed Function Over Time
The commitments by Metro Vancouver and member municipalities to develop ISMPs (Integrated Stormwater Management Plans) and implement on-site rainwater management are spelled out in Clauses 1.1.12, 1.1.20, 1.1.21, 3.4.7 and 3.5.9 of the region’s Integrated Liquid Waste & Resource Management Plan

The genesis for ISMPs was a desire to integrate the community, engineering, planning and environmental perspectives. In 2001, Metro Vancouver's member municipalities recognized the benefits of this approach and made a legal commitment to the Province to have ISMPs in place by 2014 for their watersheds.

“Conditions that apply to the approved Metro Vancouver plan highlight the importance of land use planning in protecting stream health. The conditions focus attention on how the degree, type and location of land development can affect the long-term health of the watershed,” summarizes Avtar Sundher, Government and Compliance Section Head with the Ministry of Environment.

“Regulatory requirements provide a driver for local governments to protect and/or restore watershed health over time. We also recognize that solutions will be achieved through partnerships, collaboration and regional alignment of efforts.”

On November 9-10, an inter-governmental team is teaching, and the City of Surrey is hosting, the first 2-day course on HOW to develop a Watershed Blueprint to help restore urban watershed function over time. The “Course on the ISMP Course Correction” is designed for planning, engineering, environmental, asset management and other practitioners who make decisions that ultimately impact on land use, infrastructure or stream health.  

Metro Vancouver Reference Panel Perspective: Appointed by the Metro Vancouver Board in April 2008, the advisory Liquid Waste Management Plan Reference Panel played a key role during plan development.

“By providing clear direction regarding ISMP performance measurement and integration with land use planning, the Minister has strengthened the plan," states Kim Stephens, Reference Panel Chair (and Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia). 

“The Integrated Plan has two tracks: End-of-Pipe and At-the-Source. From the beginning of our involvement in the consultation process, the Reference Panel placed equal importance on what happens ON THE LAND, AT THE SOURCE. Connecting people to the land is essential if the region is to truly achieve the Sustainable Region Vision.”

TO REGISTER FOR THE "COURSE ON THE ISMP COURSE CORRECTION": Click on http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/event/ISMPCourseCorrection.asp

TO LEARN MORE: To access the ISMP Course Correction 'homepage' on the Water Bucket website and learn more about the program design, click here.  

To download a report-style PDF document version of an article posted on the Water Bucket website, click on BC Environment Minister Strengthens Metro Vancouver's Visionary Plan for Managing Rainwater Resources.

To download a copy of the Minister's letter (dated May 30, 2011) and the staff report to the Metro Vancouver Waste Management Committee, click on Minister's Approval of Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan.

To download a copy of the Recommended Policy Framework developed by the Reference Panel as a companion to the regulatory document, and embraced by the Metro Vancouver Board, click on Final Report on A Liquid Resource Management Plan for Metro Vancouver


Monday, October 24, 2011

After 5 years of providing stellar leadership, the RDN’s John Finnie steps down as CAVI Chair


Announcement made at the “Forum within the State of the Island Summit”
John Finnie, General Manager for Regional and Community Utilities at the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), has been Chair of CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island since 2006. The initiative was formally launched in September 2006 in conjunction with the Water in the City Conference, held in Victoria.

At the "Forum within the Summit" in October, John Finnie announced that he was stepping down as CAVI Chair and handing the reins over to Derek Richmond, Manager of Engineering with the City of Courtenay. The Summit was hosted by the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance, and the Forum was co-organized by CAVI and the VIEA Sustainability Task Force.

"CAVI started on its path in 2005, with a gathering of people who were concerned about water and water sustainability on Vancouver Island, and who recognized the importance of water sustainability in just about everything we do, whether it be do-to-day living or economic development. By 2006 that initial gathering had evolved into Convening for Acting on Vancouver IslandI:  Leadership for Water Sustainability. Our goal was that Vancouver Island would be welll on our way to water sustainability by 2010," John Finnie told the Forum audience.
 
“CAVI envisions development carried out in a manner that harmonizes the footprint within the watershed to achieve water sustainability as an integral component of land development.”

“CAVI’s mission is to promote this goal by engaging governments, developers and the community in water-centric thinking, planning and development activities. CAVI is in effect a multi-agency support network undertaking to build and educate on practices and initiatives that are already underway.”

“We have done well and have exceeded our program expectations.  So I’m pleased at this time to be turning the Chair over to Derek Richmond of the City of Courtenay.  With the CAVI activities taking place and planned for the near future in the Comox Valley, Derek is well positioned to continue to lead the CAVI movement forward,” concluded John Finnie.

TO LEARN MORE: To access the Forum 'homepage' on the Water Bucket website and learn more about the Forum context and program design, click here.  To view the program at a glance, click on VIEA Summit: Draft Agenda for CAVI Forum. 

To download a document that explains the Forum structure and what was covered, click on Convening for Action Vision for the Forum within the Summit.

E-Blast #2011-54

October 25, 2011

John Finnie, CAVI Chair, named inaugural winner of 'Leadership in Water Sustainability Award'


Presentation made at 2010 BCWWA Conference
In 2010, the British Columbia Water & Waste Association (BCWWA) honoured John Finnie with the first Leadership in Water Sustainability Award. The award recognizes his contributions, both as Chair of the Convening for Action on Vancouver Island initiative (known by the acronym CAVI), and as General Manager of Regional and Community Utilities with the Regional District of Nanaimo.

"As CAVI Chair, John has provided strong and effective leadership for more than three years. His personal/professional credibility has been a key ingredient in establishing the legitimacy of CAVI in the minds of local government politicians and staff. John has been consistent in his vision and input," stated Jack Bryden, a recent Past-President when he introduced John Finnie at the awards ceremony held in Whistler in May 2010.

"As a member of the RDN Leadership Team, John has been responsible for bringing the RDN’s vision for a Drinking Water & Watershed Protection Action Plan to fruition. To make this a reality, the RDN adopted a new service to coordinate a Region-based drinking water and watershed protection action plan." 

"This is one example of John’s leadership and ability to champion initiatives that support integration, collaboration and sustainability.  Because of John’s role, the RDN is now seen as a provincial leader with respect to development and implementation of sustainable water services," concluded Jack Bryden.

“When we launched CAVI in September 2006, we identified several goals. First and foremost, that by 2010 Vancouver Island would be well on the way to achieving water sustainability”, states John Finnie.  “Reflecting on what has been accomplished since 2006, the pieces of the puzzle are now in place to make a shared Vancouver Island vision tangible.”

To Learn More: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on John Finnie receives Leadership in Water Sustainability Award.

Nanaimo Water Pricing Workshop stimulates dialogue on Sustainable Service Delivery


Worth Every Penny
Held in September 2010, the Nanaimo Water Pricing Workshop is decribed as the first of its kind in Canada. Part of the rollout to stimulate a national dialogue on sustainable water management, the workshop program was a unique blend of research and practice. The workshop connected the dots between three initiatives: 

  • Action for Water, implemented by the Regional District of Nanaimo following approval in a referendum in November 2008. 
  • Worth Every Penny: A Primer on Conservation-Oriented Water Pricing, released in May 2010. 
  • Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia, released in June 2010.
"The 'water pricing workshop' resulted from a three-way collaboration involving the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), the POLIS Water Sustainability Project, and Convening for Action on Vancouver Island (CAVI)," states John Finnie, the RDN's General Manager of Regional & Community Utilities. He is also CAVI Chair. "The desired outcome for the workshop was that participating practitioners would understand why 'conservation-oriented water pricing' is a tool to achieve a larger end.

TO LEARN MORE: To  read the complete story of the 2010 Nanaimo Water Pricing Workshop, click here to access the event 'homepage' on the Water Bucket website.

Regional District of Nanaimo reaffirms its support for "Convening for Action on Vancouver Island"


Leadership in Water Sustainability
When the Board of the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) met in March 2010, it reaffirmed its continued support for the Convening for Action on Vancouver Island program. The RDN was an early supporter of the CAVI vision, and in August  2007 entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the CAVI Partnership to facilitate program delivery.

"Our actions show that the Board members believe in sustainability," RDN Chair Joe Stanhope stated in September 2007 when the RDN hosted the first event in the Vancouver Island Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation Series.

"Through the Urban Containment Boundary, we have avoided urban sprawl and we are doing our best to do what is right; and that is why the RDN Board is both supporting and partnering with CAVI. As a Board, we believe it is our job to protect the quality of life values that attract people to Vancouver Island."

RDN Leadership Role: At the March 2010 meeting, CAVI Chair John Finnie (General Manager, RDN Regional and Community Utlilities) provided the Board with a summary of what had been accomplished in 2009, in particular the Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series

The Board passed a motion supporting RDN staff participation in CAVI and attendance at CAVI learning activities associated with promoting water sustainability.

"CAVI initiatives support water sustainability and complement the RDN's strategic goals, particularly those related to collaboration, working relationships, sustainability and the goals and objectives of the RDN Drinking Water Protection program," stated John Finnie in his report.

"CAVI activities are of interest to staff involved in development reviews and approval, development and infrastructure construction, provision of utility services and drinking water and watershed issues."

TO LEARN MORE: To download a copy of John Finnie's report to the RDN Board, click on Convening for Action on Vancouver Island - 2009 Activities.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

"Design with Nature" philosophy guides Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia


Desired Outcome is Settlement Change in Balance with Ecology
The ‘design with nature’ paradigm is borrowed from the seminal book by Ian McHarg because it captures the essence of climate change adaptation. Adaptation is about responding to the changes that will inevitably occur. Adaptation is at the community level and is therefore about collaboration.

Ian McHarg was a renowned landscape architect and writer on regional planning using natural systems. His 1969 book Design with Nature pioneered the concept of ecological planning. His premise is simple: "that the shaping of land for human use ought to be based on an understanding of natural process."

His philosophy was rooted in an ecological sensibility that accepted the interwoven worlds of the human and the natural, and sought to more fully and intelligently design human environments in concert with the conditions of setting, climate and environment.

Ian McHarg set his thinking in radical opposition to what he argued was the arrogant and destructive heritage of urban-industrial modernity, a style he described as "Dominate and Destroy." In this book, he set forth basic concepts that were to develop later in Geographic Information Systems.

"Since 2004, the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia has championed the way-of-thinking and acting embodied in the phrase 'design with nature'. We borrowed this phrase from the book title. In this way, we believe we are doing our part to extend Ian McHarg's vision and legacy," states Kim Stephens, Executive Director for the Partnership for Water Sustainabilitiy in BC.

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on "Design with Nature" philosophy guides Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia





Local government in British Columbia is at a major crossroads, says City of Courtenay's Kevin Lagan


Convening for Action to Create a Legacy
Kevin Lagan, Director of Operational Services with the City of Courtenay is passionate about what he does, and about the future of the Comox Valley. At the conclusion of the Nanaimo Water Pricing Workshop in September 2010, he seized the moment to call on participants to work together to create a legacy through Convening for Action on Vancouver Island (CAVI)..

"I have been involved with CAVI for four years. It is amazing when I reflect on the subjects that come up in these sessions... the common themes and similar issues. Looking back, I started life in the working world 43 years ago using longhand calculations, punch tape and punch cards....and look where we are today. What a change in not many years!"

THE NEW BUSINESS AS USUAL: "Today I see local government being at a major crossroads. I wish I had longer to go in local government, but I don't.... because there are magnificent opportunites waiting for us, now and for 10, 20 years in the future. Who would have thought that we would have progressed so far over the course of my career. We have gone from viewing the environment as being something to be pulled apart.... to the situation today where environment is a major issue in economic equations." 

"We look at assets differently: what do we have: how long is it going to last; when do we have to replace it? We are taking better reports to Council; and while we are communicating better with one another, we can always do better. We are involved in groups, and with First Nations."

"There is a whole list of things that we have heard in this workshop today that I think will inspire us to move forward, to think about we are doing individually and collectively, and to work together to produce a better Canada."

"I want to do my part over the year and a half that I have left with the City....to see what we can do to leave a legacy in the future. We have a group through CAVI that is trying to do that, and I hope it continues. I would like to be part of it."

TO LEARN MORE: Click on a local government perspective on creating a legacy and view a 2 1/2 minute video clip of Kevin Lagan speaking from the heart.

Click on Nanaimo Water Pricing Workshop: Connecting the dots to Sustainable Service Delivery to access a series of articles that elaborate on the program content. 

Click on Nanaimo Water Pricing Workshop: Links to video clips on YouTube. These priovide the flavour of the day. 




Saturday, October 22, 2011

Leading in tough times—How can science help keep Salish Sea protection and recovery a priority during challenging economic times?


Settlement, Economy and Ecology in Balance
The Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference is the largest, most comprehensive scientific research and policy conference in the Georgia Basin – Puget Sound bio-region. Co-hosted by Environment Canada and the Puget Sound Partnership, the 2011 conference presents the latest scientific information on the state of the ecosystem.

The opening Plenary includes a Local Government Panel from Canada and the United States that will share their perspectives on the role of local governments in protecting and restoring the Salish Sea ecosystem, including the relationship between economic development, growth and ecosystem recovery, and the role of science and data in the decision-making process. 

"In West Vancouver our citizens, particularly through the Shoreline Preservation Society and West Van Streamkeepers, have been the critical link between science and local government action, in the protection of our creeks, intertidal zone and coastal waters," states Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, District of West Vancouver, in providing a perspective on her participation in the panel session. 

The Plenary will be followed by a session titled Mission Possible: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in the Salish Sea Bio-Region. Organized by the Partnership for Water Sustainability, the Mission Possible session is about a new form of governance that is taking root in British Columbia.

TO LEARN MORE: To access the Mission Possible 'homepage' on the Water Bucket website and read the complete story and more, click here.


Friday, October 21, 2011

"Forum within the Summit" attracts large turnout at the 2011 State of the Island Economic Summit


  The Public Infrastructure Dilemma
The 2011 State of the Island Economic Summit in Nanaimo included four pre-Summit sessions on the afternoon of October 18. One of these was hosted by Convening for Action on Vancouver Island (CAVI) in association with the VIEA Sustainability Task Force.

Branded as a "Forum within the Summit", the focus of this session was on solutions to the "Infrastructure liability" challenge confronting all local governments. The Forum theme was: The Public Infrastructure Dilemma - How Will We Sustain Our Water, Our Streets and Ourselves? The Forum attracted close to 80 attendees.

FORUM OBJECTIVES: "We had three objectives in convening the 'Forum within the Summit'. First, we were to CELEBRATE the collaboration that is happening in the Comox Valley. Secondly, and in building on what the Comox Valley has accomplished to date, we wish to START an Island-wide conversation about the '20-80 Rule' for infrastructure liability," explains Kim Stephens, Executive Director for the Partnership for Water Sustainability. 

"The '20-80 Rule' is shorthand for the fact that the initial capital cost of infrastructure is about 20% of the life-cycle cost. The other 80% largely represents a future unfunded liability. Historically, we have not thought about or planned for replacement of aging infrastructure. Governments are now challenged to find the money to mitigate this liability."

"The third objective was to paint the big picture for WATER SUSTAINABILITY on Vancouver Island. It is all about influencing choices by indiviiduals and organizations. We use the term 'sustainability' as a lens for considering approaches that influence choices. A key message is that we must get it right at the front-end of the land development process in order to achieve long-term sustainability, especially financial." concludes Kim Stephens.

TO LEARN MORE: To access the Forum 'homepage' on the Water Bucket website and learn more about the Forum context and program design, click here.  To view the program at a glance, click on VIEA Summit: Draft Agenda for CAVI Forum. 

To download a document that explains the Forum structure and what was covered, click on Convening for Action Vision for the Forum within the Summit.


 

Water for Life & Livelihoods: The CAVI Model, as explained by Jay Bradley


Convening for Action on Vancouver Island
The Irrigation Industry Association of British Columbia held its 2010 Annual Convention in Victoria in November 2010. Jay Bradley, Chair of the Vancouver Island Coordinating Team, was invited to inform the irrigation audience by addressing this question: What is CAVI and what are its goals? CAVI is the acronym for Convening for Action on Vancouver Island - Leadership in Water Sustainability

"A big part of what Convening for Action does is to create forums for dialogue, and to build collaborative partnerships towards a 50 year vision for Vancouver Island.  Our message to the IIABC was very high level but highly effective - what do we want Vancouver Island to look like in 50 years?," continues Jay Bradley.

"I believe this message really resonated with the session participants, especially when it was framed by how quickly the island has grown in the past 20 years, as well as how we want to pass the island on to future generations."

"As practitioners, irrigation specialists are among the experts who do not need to be convinced of the importance of water.  Forums like this not only help to break down the silo mentality but also emphasise the new land ethic: a water-centric, design-with-nature approach to land development."   

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on Water for Life & Livelihoods: The CAVI Model, as explained by Jay Bradley

Thursday, October 20, 2011

7th Announcement: Peer-Based Learning Will Help Local Governments Implement ‘Watershed Blueprints’ in BC


Move to a Level-of-Service Approach to Sustainable Service Delivery
On November 9-10, an inter-governmental team is teaching, and the City of Surrey is hosting, the first 2-day course on HOW to develop a Watershed Blueprint to restore urban watershed function over time. Titled ISMP Course Correction: Achieve More with Less, the course is designed for planning, engineering, environmental, asset management and other practitioners who make decisions that ultimately impact on land use and/or infrastructure.  
The commitments by Metro Vancouver and member municipalities to develop ISMPs (Integrated Stormwater Management Plans) and implement on-site rainwater management are spelled out in Clauses 1.1.12, 1.1.20, 1.1.21, 3.4.7 and 3.5.9 of the region’s Integrated Liquid Waste & Resource Management Plan. 

When he approved the Metro Vancouver plan, Minister of Environment Terry Lake imposed additional requirements that link land use planning to the direction provided by the ISMPs. The Ministerial conditions also focus attention on how the degree, type and location of land development can affect the long-term health of the watershed.

ISMP COURSE CORRECTION: There is a direct link between infrastructure asset management and the future vision for a watershed that can be developed through the ISMP process.  It is possible to create a vision for a watershed that includes intact environmental values, healthy streams and a functional affordable infrastructure, states John McMahon, Manager of Roads and Utilities with the District of West Vancouver. He chairs the Metro Vancouver Stormwater Interagency Liaison Group (SILG); and is a member of the ISMP Course Correction Team that is providing peer-based learning.

“When municipalities look at managing infrastructure, life-cycle costs including future replacement are key items.  When developing an ISMP, the same concept of looking long term and identifying affordable solutions can also be used to evaluate potential options.  This Level-of-Service’ approach is becoming the integrator for everything that local governments do. What level of service does a community want, and what level can it afford?  These choices will eventually determine the level of effort expended in conjunction with restoring or protecting watershed functions over time.”

THE COURSE: Municipalities have many competing priorities and everyone is challenged to do more with less, and get it done. To help the region and members meet their ISMP regulatory commitments:
  1. The course spotlight is on HOW local governments can implement the ‘ISMP Course Correction’ and create ‘Watershed Blueprints’ that can then be implemented over many decades.
  2. The course comprises eight modules. The teaching team is drawn from local governments.
  3. The curriculum will guide land use, infrastructure and environmental professionals through the stages and steps in developing a balanced, truly integrated and financially sustainable plan to restore watershed function over time.

TO LEARN MORE: To access the ISMP Course Correction 'homepage' on the Water Bucket website and learn more about the program design, click here. 



News Release #2011-53
October 20, 2011

Monday, October 17, 2011

‘Living Rivers’ and ‘Partnership for Water Sustainability’ align efforts on Vancouver Island




Joint initiative is called ‘Convening for Action in the Mid-Island Region’
Established by the Provincial Government in 2006, the vision of the Living Rivers Trust Fund (LRTF) is to create a legacy for British Columbia based on healthy watersheds, sustainable ecosystems and thriving communities. To advance a shared vision for settlement change in balance with natural ecosystems, Living Rivers and the Partnership for Water Sustainability will align efforts on Vancouver Island. This collaboration will be under the umbrella of CAVI, Convening for Action on Vancouver Island.

Initially, Living Rivers and the Partnership will collaborate with local governments and others within the boundaries of the Nanaimo Regional District and Cowichan Valley Regional District to advance Convening for Action in the Mid-Island Region,” states Alan Lill, Program Manager, Living Rivers - Georgia Basin / Vancouver Island.

“Since 2006, the LRTF has granted our program $7.7 Million for watershed planning, water supply augmentation and fish habitat restoration work. We have leveraged this to secure over $17 Million in additional investments from a wide range of partner organizations. We are hopeful that the legacy fund will be extended so that this important work can be continued in 2012 and beyond, including our new initiatives under the CAVI umbrella.”

“Integration of the Living Rivers and CAVI stories, with the later addition of the agriculture component, will provide for a comprehensive vision and action plan designed to achieve long-term water sustainability, starting in the Mid-Island region," states Eric Bonham, a founding member of the  CAVI Leadership Team.

Living Rivers supports First Nations’ capacity building and introduces the critical habitat component into the picture thereby complementing CAVI’s current involvement with regional and local government people-centric activities, i.e. settlement patterns. This will broaden the ‘convening for action’ network and strengthen the overall  vision by integrating the various facets  of water sustainability on Vancouver Island."

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on  ‘Living Rivers’ and ‘Partnership for Water Sustainability’ align efforts on Vancouver Island.

The two Mid-Island regional districts (i.e. Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley) have developed provincially significant plans, namely; the Cowichan Basin Water Management Plan; and the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Drinking Water & Watershed Protection Plan. These plans provide the springboard for action that integrates land and water management.

News Release #2011-52 
October 18, 2011



Sunday, October 16, 2011

Peer-Based Learning Will Help Local Governments Implement ‘Watershed Blueprints’ in BC


At Heart of Course Correction is Paradigm-Shift to Landscape-Based from Model-Centric
On November 9-10, an inter-governmental team is teaching the first 2-day course on HOW to develop a Watershed Blueprint. The team is led by representatives of the Capital Regional District, City of Surrey, and North Vancouver District. The City of Surrey is hosting the course at the Surrey Arts Centre.

Titled ISMP Course Correction: Achieve More with Less, the course is designed for an interdisciplinary audience. It will provide planning, engineering, environmental, asset management and other professionals with a common understanding of the fundamentals for a landscape-based approach to watershed protection and restoration. An ISMP, or Integrated Stormwater Management Plan, is a potentially powerful tool.

“At the heart of the ‘Course on the ISMP Course Correction’ is the paradigm-shift to landscape-based from model-centric. In local government, we have seen what works and what hasn’t. The course will showcase tools and case study examples that will help local governments produce a Watershed Blueprint that is landscape-based AND action-oriented,” states Jody Watson, Chair of the Bowker Creek Initiative in the Capital Region. Jody Watson is a member of the ISMP Course Correction Team.

“The output from a model-centric process is a report that mainly deals with hydrotechnical matters. These go on a shelf when local governments cannot afford to implement them. In contrast, the outcome of a landscape-based and action-oriented process is a truly integrated plan to restore watershed function over time. Agree on the vision. Set the targets. Provide planners with the detail necessary to guide site level decisions as opportunities arise. Then implement.”


TO LEARN MORE: To access the ISMP Course Correction 'homepage' on the Water Bucket website and learn more about the program design, click here. 
 
News Release #2011-51
October 13, 2011