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ARTICLE: “At the Parksville 2019 Water Stewardship Symposium, Tim Pringle will speak to the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP) in the context of restorative development. His focus is on how to make it straightforward for communities to calculate “THE WORTH” of ecological services and incorporate this information in financial plans,” foreshadowed Kim Stephens, Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia (Asset Management BC Newsletter, February 2019)

Note to Reader:

The Parksville 2019 2019 Symposium is a collaborative effort of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC, Nanaimo & Area Land Trust (NALT), and Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society (MVIHES).

The three have joined forces to host a field day on April 2, followed by a 2-day symposium on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate on April 3rd and 4th. The daily symposium themes are Sustainable Stream Restoration and Restorative Land Development, respectively.

The February 2019 issue of the Asset Management BC Newsletter included an article written by Kim Stephens, M.Eng., P.Eng, Partnership Executive Director, in collaboration with: Paul Chapman, NALT Executive Director; Peter Law, MVIHES President; and John Finnie, Chair, Parksville 2019 Symposium Organizing Committee

Make Where We Live Better through Restorative Development

The Parksville 2019 Symposium is a milestone event on a multi-year ‘convening for action’ journey that commenced in 2004 with release of the Water Sustainability Action Plan. Parksville 2019 builds on the 2018 Vancouver Island Symposium on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate, held in the City of Nanaimo.

Nanaimo 2018 was a ‘call to action’. The theme? Build on the good outcomes that flow from local government and stewardship sector collaboration! Nanaimo 2018 introduced a vision for ‘restorative land development’ that would re-establish creekshed function.

A takeaway for Parksville 2019 is that the essential ingredients for restorative development encompass: vision, strategy to deliver the vision, and commitment to implement an ongoing program. Vancouver Island success stories are beacons of hope. They demonstrate how a good strategy is the path to success.

The Worth of a Watershed

“The ‘worth’ of a creekshed (i.e. small watershed) is defined in terms of a package of ecological services made possible by the hydrology,” states Kim Stephens.

“More specifically, hydrology means the three pathways by which rain reaches the stream and ecological services refers to the benefits that streams provide to us. This includes flood and erosion regulation, nutrient cycling, habitat, groundwater recharge, etc. The way we have historically developed and drained land has disconnected hydrology from ecology.

“At Parksville 2019, Tim Pringle will speak to the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP): Making it Straightforward for Communities to Calculate “THE WORTH” of Ecological Services and Incorporate in Financial Plans!”

“By providing a value for the land underlying the stream and riparian zone, stakeholders have a much more realistic idea of the worth of the ecological services supplied by environmental assets,” states Tim Pringle. “This form of financial information can be used for asset management strategies related to ‘Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery: A BC Framework’. This guidance document sets a strategic direction that refocuses local government business processes on outcomes that reduce life-cycle costs and risks.”

To Learn More:

To read the complete article published in the February 2019 issue of the Asset Management BC Newsletter, download a copy of PARKSVILLE 2019 SYMPOSIUM: Make Where We Live Better through Restorative Development

For contextual background, follow these links to previous announcements: