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Chris May

    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “The task at hand is about how to redefine things in a new political environment so you would be able to get a new vision and new political commitment,” stated Ray Fung (1st installment in a series)


    “With the housing issue dominating the conversation, how will you reframe the goal and objective for restoration of stream systems in a way that restores political commitment and rebuilds the coalition? What combination of public self-interest and political lever will it take to effect change? What would leveraging political commitment and self-interest look like for rainwater management and riparian forest integrity in today’s context? What combination will it take to effect change? Learn from past experience. There is no time to reinvent the wheel,” stated Ray Fung.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver – solutions to complex problems require deep knowledge” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in September 2024


    “When you think of the issues we face today…weather extremes, drying rivers, degraded streams, frequent wildfires, population growth, housing affordability…they are no different than they were 30 years ago. They are just more complex and more urgent. The Georgia Basin Initiative encouraged us to see the bioregion as an integrated whole, to understand that land, air, water, people, animals and fish are all interconnected. Viewing our growth challenges through this more wholistic lens will give us the best chance to monitor progress,” stated Joan Sawicki.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Bend the watershed hydrology to reduce risk and liability” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2024


    Robert Hicks, a career engineer-planner in local government, has an experience-based perspective on the impacts of changes to the landscape. His career achievements include co-creating the “streams and trees component” of the existing Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan for the Metro Vancouver region. “At the time, the value of managing drainage on a watershed basis within a broad framework of land management and ecosystem planning was not yet apparent. Research on stream health at the University of Washington changed all this,” stated Robert Hicks.

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    FLASHBACK TO 2010: “Think about it – the Reference Panel has influenced the waste committee, the finance committee and the way we make decisions overall in the Metro Vancouver region. The community benefits,” stated Pam Goldsmith-Jones, former mayor of West Vancouver (2005-2011)


    When the process for updating the Metro Vancouver region’s “Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan” commenced in 2008, Metro Vancouver Regional District staff were enthusiastic about the role of the Reference Panel. Because there was trust with staff, and the Reference Panel had the attention of the politicians, the Reference Panel could say what staff could not. There was huge positive value in that. The Reference Panel reinforced desired outcomes with its recommendations.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Local governments invest in youth at Vancouver Island University” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2023


    “The story behind the story is about the importance of embedding knowledge of EAP into the youth who are going to be the future of our local governments. The framework that we have set up ensures this will happen. We have a commitment from the Partnership for Water Sustainability to provide oversight and mentoring during a 3-year transition period. And three local governments – Municipality of North Cowichan, City of Nanaimo, and the Regional District of Nanaimo – are committed to providing project work experience for students,” stated Graham Sakaki.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: History and application of a science-based road map for either protecting or restoring stream system integrity” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in March 2023


    In the 1990s, Puget Sound research correlated land use changes with impacts on stream system condition. This was the springboard for BC to develop methodologies and metrics for science-based solutions. “It was when I decided to take advantage of a Fellowship Program to do my PhD that I hooked up with Rich Horner. This was at the start of the Puget Sound research project and proved to be good timing. We looked at why salmon stocks were declining in Puget Sound. We established that the loss of riparian and watershed land cover has a real impact before water quality does,” stated Chris May.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Land Development and Watershed Protection Can Be Compatible” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in June 2022


    “When the inter-ministry working group was developing the Streamside Protection Regulation in 1997, a presentation on the science of land use change by Kim Stephens and Bill Derry helped us realize that we needed more than a setback to protect aquatic habitat. The science showed that communities also needed to tackle what was happening on the land that drains to streams. For the Guidebook path, I found the opportunity to “look beyond the stream” and address poor water quality from drainage runoff in the Waste Management Act. The opportunity resided in the non-point source provision for Liquid Waste Management Plans,” stated Peter Law.

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