Green Infrastructure

LAND PLANNING PERSPECTIVE FOR RISK REDUCTION ON STREAMS: “Urban streams are rarely managed as ecological systems or as municipal assets. Rather, they are sliced and diced to suit land development objectives,” Tim Pringle, Chair of the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP)

November 5, 2024 - Posted in EAP Transition Strategy Partnership, EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, is a BC Strategy for Community Investment in Stream Systems (Natural Commons)

Note to Reader:

Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on November 5, 2024 features Tim Pringle and Robert Hicks in a 4-part storyline that describes a path forward for reducing financial risk by protecting stream function in the urban setting. Tim Pringle’s methodology for the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP) closes the loop on applied research spearheaded by Robert Hicks in the late 1990s to develop the Riparian Forestry Integrity (RFI) index.

Land planning perspective for risk reduction on streams

The previous five editions of Waterbucket eNews alternated between two series of stories – one featuring Metro Vancouver and the other Vancouver Island experience related to Green Infrastructure and Natural Asset Management, respectively. Both terms revolve around quality of life.

With this edition, we interconnect the two series for the following reasons. Last month, Tim Pringle informed an Asset Management BC audience with his storyline titled The Story of the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP): Why was it developed and what does it do. Tim’s presentation dealt with applications of EAP in both regions.

EAP is evolving as a predictive tool for use by land use planners in a spatial way to explore policy implications for streams and trees

“The starting point for EAP is Natural Asset Management. It lets local governments know the financial value of their streams as a Natural Commons Asset. And that value is based on BC Assessment parcel values as applied to the 30-metre setback for streamside regulation,” states Tim Pringle, chair of the Ecological Accounting Process initiative.

A land planning perspective

“EAP is a spatial view because the methodology is keyed to parcels which is as spatial as you can get. The EAP process allows local governments to transcend the numbers and explore the financial impact of land development choices. And it is also about solutions.”

“Planners have a spatial way of looking at land use. So, I imagine that they would like to have a means of understanding a stream from a spatial point of view…what is being measured, what are the metrics for doing that measurement, how do you use it. It has to be that basic.”

“In this way, the community would see the streamshed altered or interrupted in a number of ways. The EAP analysis calculates the value of a streamshed spatial area based on RAPR, the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation, the purpose of which is to protect the features, functions, and conditions that are vital for maintaining stream health and productivity.”

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER

“In the late 1990s, Metro Vancouver was ahead of its time and on the leading edge when the Stormwater Management Technical Advisory Task Group developed the Riparian Forest Integrity (RFI) versus total impervious area index as a measure of stream health,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.

EAP comes full circle to close the loop on RFI

In the 1990s, however, there was no mechanism or metric to make RFI actionable other than through the “streams and trees” component of the first Liquid Waste Management Plan. But the region was not ready for implementation of the RFI concept.

The story behind the story is structured in four parts. The book-end parts feature a contemporary perspective by Tim Pringle about the history of streamside regulation and the vision for deploying EAP as a predictive tool, respectively.

In between, Robert Hicks provides an historical perspective on why an interagency task group developed the relationship between RFI and total impervious area and the issues of concern that this addressed. In the decades since, the situation has not improved.

Lessons from the past inform the future

Last week, I contributed to a special 3-hour workshop meeting of the Metro Vancouver Liquid Waste Committee. This group of elected leaders is tasked with responsibility for shepherding the region’s Liquid Waste Management Plan. My purpose was to provide historical context at a high level for the “streams and trees” component of the plan.

Thus, my presentation was titled Lessons from the Past Inform the Future. Once per decade, I explained, there is an opportunity to “look back to see ahead”. The flooding impacts of the atmospheric river on Election Day (October 19th) have created a timely teachable moment for making the case for doing business differently. This means designing with nature, I emphasized.

For three decades, we have known what we must do to protect people, property and habitat. So, why are streams still degrading? Why has our region fallen behind Washington State, California and Oregon? What are the RISKS and COSTS when we FAIL to get it right?

I concluded my presentation on a note of optimism. Experience in the 2000s demonstrates the benefits and impact when the Metro Vancouver Regional District has a budget plus plays a leadership role in facilitating a regional team approach to ensuring livable communities while protecting people, property and habitat.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Land planning perspective for risk reduction along streams – extracted from the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver from 1994 through 2024

“Urban streams are rarely managed as ecological systems or as municipal assets. Rather, they are sliced and diced to suit land development objectives,” explains Tim Pringle.

“When we initiated EAP in 2015, it was almost intuitive to pick up on where things were after a decade of riparian area regulation, and then recognize that local governments need a number if they want to get natural assets into their management plans on a regular basis.”

“EAP finds a financial value for the streamside protection and enhancement area prescribed by RAPR. Local governments can use that number to establish plans and budgets for asset management.”

“EAP metrics and measures evaluate the condition of the target riparian zone AND assess upland areas that may be affected by a stream system.”

TOPIC ONE: A short history of stream setback regulation provides context for development of the EAP methodology for budget purposes

“The Fish Protection Act, a transformational piece of legislation which flowed from the Georgia Basin Initiative, was proclaimed in 1997. This established the authority for streamside setback regulation.”

“The Streamside Protection Regulation (SPR) operationalized the Fish Protection Act. The consultation process was then a work-in-progress from 1997 through 2000. After that, the provincial cabinet passed an Order-in-Council in January 2001 to enact SPR.”

“But in May 2001 a new provincial government was elected. Cabinet rescinded SPR as one of its early actions via an Order-in-Council, and replaced the SPR with the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation (RAPR) which became law in 2004.”

Systemic failure results in Riparian Deficits

“In Striking a Balance, an investigative series of reports published in 2014 through 2022, the Office of the Ombudsperson analyzed the impact of RAPR after a decade of the regulation being enforced.”

“The Ombudsperson’s report was a catalyst for the Partnership for Water Sustainability to undertake the program of applied research which culminated in the EAP methodology and metrics for establishing maintenance and management annual budgets for streams.”

“This finding by the Ombudsperson has financial consequences for local governments and EAP addresses those consequences. This is why we focus on the Riparian Deficit. It is a measurable consequence of the disconnect between land use oversight and direct responsibility for maintenance and management of stream condition.”

“The requirement that local governments have an Asset Management Plan addresses the disconnect. The financial focus of EAP is like a household budget; there are certain expenditures required – how much are they and where does the money come from to meet them?”

“Affordable, effective, pragmatic. EAP grounds Natural Asset Management in the real world of municipal infrastructure budgets. The EAP methodology and metrics use real numbers to make the financial case for annual investments in stream systems.”

TOPIC TWO: Why an interagency task group developed the Riparian Forest Integrity relationship to land use for the Metro region

When the Metro Vancouver region’s first Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) was adopted in 2001, it established a precedent with a “streams and trees” component that was informed by science.

Streams were degrading

“This component was the work of the Stormwater Management Technical Advisory Task Group. Established in 1997, the Task Group was interagency in scope and had federal, provincial and local representation,” states Robert Hicks, former senior engineer with Metro Vancouver who was staff support for the group.

“It was clear to the Task Group that engineering solutions alone would not result in good stormwater management and environmental protection, nor address regulatory infraction risk.”

“At the time, the 1992 Land Development Guidelines were in effect. Produced by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), they were about doing business differently. It was a best attempt at the time.”

Riparian forest integrity is a pillar of stream protection

“The federal and provincial representatives advocated for a new business as usual regarding downstream flooding of agricultural lands and fish habitat preservation.”

“The priorities were hydrology and riparian forest canopy which is why we involved Rich Horner of the University of Washington in our watershed assessment and classification work in the late 1990s.”

“The research team developed and tested the RFI classification system using 19 streams that were representative of physiography and land development patterns in the Metro Vancouver region. In 1999, the majority of streams were in the FAIR and POOR categories.”

TOPIC THREE: Watershed Health Rating System applied the lessons from Puget Sound research and did projections to the Year 2036

“We worked with Rich Horner and an expert team to build on Puget Sound research and develop a watershed health rating system for our region. A trend projection from 1996 to 2036 demonstrated how the status quo would lead to a further region-wide decline in stream health,” explains Robert Hicks.

“The classification system relied on two parameters, total impervious area (TIA) and percentage of riparian forest integrity (RFI). We had our GIS techs count the trees within riparian corridors from air photos. We found a correlation between population density and TIA.”

“When we showed the picture of the RFI versus TIA relationship to the Board members, they agreed that things had to change. Things will get worse if we do not change our ways.”

The picture tells a story. RED denotes POOR and ORANGE denotes FAIR.

A missed opportunity

“The Metro research team anticipated that local governments would incorporate these assessment measures into planning strategies, development approval processes, and engineering standards with the goal of avoiding degradation of small watersheds and streams,” observes Tim Pringle.

TOPIC FOUR: Predictive tool for making the financial case at a regional scale for investing in annual maintenance of stream systems

“In the late 1990s, the science which connected land use alterations of water pathways and riparian environments opened the eyes of levels of government and stewardship interests,” continues Tim Pringle.

“The region can move to a restored and renewed leadership position by revisiting the 1999 research and updating the analyses. This would be achieved through Metro participation in the next evolution of the EAP Partnership in 2025.”

The spatial approach using land parcels makes sense to local governments

“We are taking a spatial approach. We deal with parcels which is as spatial as you can get. We need readers to understand that in order for EAP to be real to them. Both the Metro research in the late 1990s and the current EAP research are spatial analyses and they look at several variables.”

“We have a two-step plan. Step One is an update that would add the EAP dimension to the analyses. This would demonstrate how to make the financial case for action in at-risk watersheds. This would provide Metro municipalities with a starting point that is science-based and pragmatic, affordable and effective, and is easy to grasp.”

“The predictive tool would make it possible for municipalities to quantify the financial implications of increased development density, including provincial housing policies, for the RIPARIAN DEFICIT.”

Sam Gerrand completed the first master’s EAP thesis

“In my thesis, I looked at ways to simplify the process for moving EAP to the regional scale and lower the boundaries to entry on different types of projects,” states Sam Gerrand, a graduate in the Master of Community Planning program at Vancouver Island University.

“In his thesis, Sam took advantage of the spatial approach to analysis. He saw the potential to extract rules of thumb about the spatial analysis that tell us why we get a certain EAP value when we do a stream valuation,” adds Tim Pringle.

“Once the EAP Partnership completes additional case studies in the Metro region to supplement the 14 already completed or underway, then we will have enough information about the metrics and measures to to glean helpful rules of thumb. This shorthand would be most helpful to community planners,” concludes Tim Pringle.