Water Balance Model Express for Landowners: Meeting Watershed Targets at the Site Scale in North Vancouver District
“The Development Servicing Bylaw provides a relevant frame of reference for implementing the WBM Express. It contains language that clearly identifies that flood risk and erosion be maintained at rates that approximate the natural forested watershed,” observes Steve Ono.
DOWNLOAD: A Look Back to the SmartStorm Forum Series: Genesis for the Water Balance Model
“The response to the SmartStorm Forum Series was simply overwhelming,” recalls Barry Janyk, former Mayor of the Town of Gibsons, and Series Moderator. “For the first event, held in Nanaimo, the doors had to be closed when the surge of last-minute registrations reached the 250 seating capacity of the venue.When we decided to host the second event on the Sunshine Coast, the skeptics asked me who would come to the Sunshine Coast. Well, they did come and they came from far and wide, including a representative of the Ontario Ministry of Environment. We attracted a capacity crowd of some 225 to the local theatre in Sechelt.”
DOWNLOAD: Metro Vancouver Board Aligns Regional Planning Vision with “Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan”
When the Board met in March 2009, “it approved realigning the goals, strategies and actions in the updated LWMP to keep current with senior government policies and positions, as well as ensure that Metro Vancouver’s and senior governments’ environmental and fiscal objectives and actions are mutually supportive and successful,” stated Lois Jackson, Chair.
DOWNLOAD: Capture Rain Where It Falls: Application of the Water Balance Model to ‘Design with Nature’
“Kim Stephens returns to the CIT Information Resource with more news about ‘design with nature’ approaches to community, land development, and water management. One of our editorial team described Kim’s treatment as the best overview she’s come across,” wrote Hans Peter Meyer.
DOWNLOAD: Commentary on Effective Municipal Rainwater/Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure to Achieve Watershed Health
“In preparing the Commentary, the Green Infrastructure Partnership brought to the forefront the story of the leadership role that the Metro Vancouver Stormwater Interagency Liaison Group has played over the past decade in building the technical foundation for Beyond the Guidebook: The New Business As Usual, a provincial initiative,” explains Paul Ham.
DOWNLOAD: How does a community weigh the benefits and liabilities of change driven by demand for land use?
“The key principle is that settlement and ecology are equal values and they must be as much in balance as possible for wellbeing of human and natural systems. Healthy systems thrive. Compromised systems, without elimination of threats and restoration, decay,” states Tim Pringle.
DOWNLOAD: Living Water Smart & Building Greener Communities: Implementing a ‘regional team approach’ in British Columbia
“We are NOT saying that every community must follow the same formula; what we are saying is that everyone needs to agree on expectations and how all the players….regulators, developers, designers, etc….will work together, and after that each community can reach its goals in its own way,” states Eric Bonham.
DOWNLOAD: 2009 Resilient Cities Conference included a module on the Water Sustainability Action Plan for BC
“There is growing national and international interest in how British Columbia has moved from awareness to action in implementing green infrastructure practices that achieve water sustainability outcomes,” reports Eva Kras.
DOWNLOAD: Shared Responsibility Underpins a Regional Team Approach to Creating Our Future in British Columbia
“Policy and legal tools can help developers, regulators and designers collaborate to implement green infrastructure solutions and ensure responsible outcomes. Each party in the process has a responsibility. There are solutions to be found if all parties simply talk to each other about how they could all work together more effectively,” stated Susan Rutherford.
DOWNLOAD: The Province of British Columbia’s Expectations and Programs for Green Communities
“We are using the slogan The New Business As Usual to convey the message that, for change to really occur, practices that until now have been viewed as the exception must become the norm moving forward,” stated Dale Wall.