Convening for Action in British Columbia

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Riparian Areas Protection Regulation

    CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION: “Erik Karlsen was the secret sauce who convened the fantastic streamside regulation discussions that created collegiality between municipalities,” recalls Susan Haid, adjunct assistant professor at the University of BC


    Susan Haid has played a leadership role in trailblazing an ecosystem-based approach to community planning in British Columbia, first with the City of Burnaby and then with Metro Vancouver. This approach also took root in her subsequent experience in the District of North Vancouver and the City of Vancouver. “In many ways, what I am teaching comes back to the same kind of framework around ecosystem-based planning which Erik Karlsen and others were advancing in the 1990s, and which is synonymous with watershed-based planning,” stated Susan Haid.

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    CONVENING FOR ACTION IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “The ecosystem-based approach is needed more than ever to adapt to weather extremes,” stated Susan Haid, career environmental and urban planner in BC local government, and adjunct assistant professor at the University of BC


    “In many ways, what I am teaching comes back to the same kind of framework around ecosystem-based planning which Erik Karlsen and others were advancing in the 1990s, and which is synonymous with watershed-based planning,” stated Susan Haid. “Titled Policy for a Sustainable Region, it is big picture and is about policy frameworks to influence urban design. A lot of it is case studies and reflection. But I also bring in resiliency and ecological frameworks, with lectures on what are the best practices going forward. I call these sessions SHARPENING THE EDGE.”

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Policy frameworks to shape urban design” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2024


    “In late 1996, in came Erik Karlsen from the Province as the spokesperson for the first Fish Protection Act. He convened discussions with environmental, engineering and planning staff. Those were such fantastic discussions. There was a really good alignment and call to action on making streamside regulation work. It was a major advancement but a lot of stress as well. Streamside regulation was being portrayed as a huge land grab. There was a lot of back and forth to move from something that was site-specific to more of a hardline edict with the province,” stated Susan Haid.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Healthy Waters Program for salmon, whales, and people” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2023


    “The new Healthy Waters program will support sampling and analysis for a variety of contaminants of concern at up to 12 flagship BC watersheds. We will engage, share and train Indigenous community members, conservation teams and local authorities, thereby leveraging capacity in support of water quality monitoring and stewardship. The program aims to monitor water quality, effectively documenting water contaminants from the mountains to the sea,” stated Dr. Peter Ross.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Erik Karlsen and the Streamside Protection Regulation” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2023


    During the period 1996 through 2001, the BC government tasked Erik Karlsen with the lead role in developing the wording of an Order in Council to enact Section 12 of the Fish Protection Act. It was a unique position, as this legislation was a Ministry of Environment initiative, but led by Erik, who was the Director of Regional Growth Strategies in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Over a period of two years, Erik Karlsen chaired a committee of experts in a process that focused on the science, the policies, the costs, the benefits with a goal of gaining consensus from all sectors.

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    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Shelly Creek in Parksville is a “living laboratory” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2023


    Peter Law has put his time and energy into Shelly Creek, as do many other stream stewards in their watersheds around BC, such that Shelly Creek has become a “living laboratory” for the local Parksville community to enjoy. “Enhanced riparian greenways like Shelly Creek Park allow fish to survive in natural conditions without encroachment issues. That 1990s decision to create an enhanced linear park showed great foresight. The proof of the pudding is that it saved the resident Cutthroat trout population during the heat dome and extreme drought of 2021,” stated Peter Law.

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