“The Town of Gibsons has recognized, formally and in practice, that nature, and the ecosystems services that it provides, are a fundamental and integral part of the Town’s infrastructure system. Gibsons is one of the first communities in North America to do so,” stated Emanuel Machado.
“To help the Ministry tell the story of the Green Communities Initiative, the Waterbucket.ca Website Partnership created a ‘home’ on the Green Infrastructure community-of-interest to post articles about the four areas of Ministry activity, namely: partnerships, legislation, incentives, and better information,” stated Mike Tanner, Website Chair. By serving as a communication vehicle to share information and experiences, we believe Waterbucket.ca is helping to effect changes on the ground in water and land development practices in British Columbia.”
“Asset management usually commences after something is built. The challenge is to think about what asset management entails BEFORE the asset is built. Cost-avoidance is a driver for this ‘new business as usual’. This paradigm-shift starts with land use and watershed-based planning, to determine what services can be provided affordably,” states Glen Brown.
“It’s well past time for EPA to better support the green infrastructure work in Seattle and other cities and issue new standards that will allow communities across the country to enjoy the benefits of green infrastructure and clean water,” concluded Karen Hobbs.
“Many stormwater problems are the result of excessive runoff from hard, impervious surfaces. Anyone can visit the Green Up DC site to look at their own property and find out how to reduce stormwater,” said Jenny Guillaume.
“We have reached a ‘critical mass’ in our understanding of why it is important to have nature in cities. This research compendium tells us that urban greening should not be just an incidental, occasional program in cities, but merits comprehensive planning and management to generate all the benefits described in this web site,” states Dr. Kathleen Wolf
This new publication “shows how green infrastructure practices – integrating nature strategically into urban environments to control runoff and enhance other environmental values – can help advance the bottom line for the commercial real estate sector. It is a highly illustrative and well-documented report,” wrote Kaid Benfield
“A watershed blueprint helps to create a picture of how to achieve a desired future condition. If communities reduce their ‘water footprint’, and if local government actions ensure the integrity of groundwater flow, they can then protect watershed and stream health. This is a reason for conserving wetlands,” stated Kim Stephens.
“The effects that climate change may have on flood hazard is a concern for many local governments and citizens in British Columbia. Planning for future changes in precipitation is important, but it should not overshadow the significance that day-to-day development has on stream flows,” stated Chris Jensen.
“My problem is that I strongly believe terminology can – and in some cases has – become the enemy of really good water management. Such terms are open to interpretation – or misinterpretation – and to being adopted for differing agendas,” states Alex Stephenson.
