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At the 2007 Annual BCWWA Conference, Lynn Kriwoken emphasized that the Ministry of Environment views its partnership with the Water Sustainability Committee as an essential element in implementing the Ministry's Water Stewardship Outreach Strategy. “Water is the piece that integrates everything that we care about. You will note that we are using the phrase water stewardship, not water management. Stewardship is about replacing self interest, dependency and control with service, responsibility and partnership.”

“Infrastructure design is changing. Cumulative benefits are achievable, one property at a time, through changes in the policies, programs, practices and standards that determine how land is developed and water is used. By implementing design with nature infrastructure practices and regulation, the ‘convening for action’ vision is that British Columbia will be well on the way to achieving water sustainability by 2010,” stated Kim Stephens.

“Water is the piece that integrates everything that we care about. You will note that we are using the phrase water stewardship, not water management. Stewardship is about replacing self interest, dependency and control with service, responsibility and partnership,” stated Lynn Kriwoken. She concluded her presentation by presenting the Province’s vision for water. She stated that: “We can only attain the vision through shared stewardship.

“Everything is connected, and how we develop land determines how water is used and how water runs off the land. Because water has been identified as the #1 concern of the public, the South Okanagan Regional Growth Strategy is a provincial pilot for advancing the water balance way-of-thinking and acting”, stated Ted van der Gulik.

Environment Minister Barry Penner singled out the accomplishments of the BCWWA Water Sustainability Committee in delivering the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia through partnerships with his Ministry and others. The Minister’s recognition of the WSC set the stage for a half-day Action Plan session within the main conference program, organized by the WSC in collaboration with the Green Infrastructure Partnership.

The pre-conference session addressed the question: how does a community weigh the benefits and liabilities of changes driven by demand for land use?

Commencing in 2003, the Ministry of Environment has provided core funding so that the BCWWA Water Sustainability Committee can develop and deliver the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia. “Convening for Action pilot programs in the South Okanagan, Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver are promoting water-centric approaches to community planning and land development,” stated Environment Minister Barry Penner.

Collaboration between researchers at the University of British Columbia and the Greater Vancouver region's three North Shore municipalities — North Vancouver District, North Vancouver City, and the District of West Vancouver — has opened the door to a long-term partnership to bring science into the community. Clovelly-Caulfeild in West Vancouver is the first North Shore neighbourhood to step forward and participate in the 'UBC Tree Canopy Interception Research Project'.

“This workshop is the first one organized by the Ministry of Environment for the purpose of bringing together water resource specialists and planners at all levels of government. We hope that it will be the first in a series of annual events,” stated John Denesiger, Workshop Chair.