Legal Tools for Protecting Wetlands and Supporting Resilient Communities
From Watersheds to Ditches: Wetlands Workshop for Municipalities Investigates Wetland Conservation in Metro Vancouver
“In February 2014, the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) released a summary report on our Wetlands Workshop for Municipalities – hosted in November 2013 at the Stanley Park Ecology Centre in the City of Vancouver,” reports Christine Cooper, Wetland Intern. “The workshop targeted
municipal and regional staff in Metro Vancouver to strengthen the region’s capacity to secure wetlands as green infrastructure for the benefit of human health and nature.”
“Working from watersheds and focusing down to sites, this one-day workshop explored ways to integrate wetland conservation through a variety of tools – from policies to design considerations for built infrastructure.”
“Deborah Carlson, Staff Counsel for West Coast Environmental Law, focused on legal tools for protecting wetlands. Deborah pointed out difficulties in using the legal system to protect areas beyond riparian setbacks because most laws were originally created to protect private property rights and facilitate human occupation of 
land.”
“To counter these difficulties, Deborah explained that the Green Bylaws Toolkit is a document that comprehensively outlines land use regulatory tools that can promote conservation of sensitive ecosystems and green infrastructure, which can help promote wetland conservation at municipal and regional scales.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete story posted on the Water-Centric Planning community-of-interest, click on From Watersheds to Ditches: Wetlands Workshop for Municipalities Investigates Wetland Conservation in Metro Vancouver.
To download a copy of the summary report, click on Synopsis of Wetlands Workshop for Municipalities.
To download a copy of the PowerPoint presentation by Deborah Carlson, click on Legal Tools for Protecting Wetlands and Supporting Resilient Communities.
