Develop with Care: Environmental Guidelines for Urban and Rural Land Development in British Columbia
Province-wide Guidelines
The Ministry of Environment has prepared Develop with Care: Environmental Guidelines for Urban and Rural Land Development in British Columbia to provide guidance for maintaining environmental values during the development of urban and rural lands. This document is intended to assist people who are involved in planning, implementing, reviewing and/or approving land 
developments throughout British Columbia. “While its primary purpose is to provide province-wide guidelines, Develop with Care also provides information on ways that environmental protection and stewardship can benefit the community, the property owner and the developer, as well as the natural environment”, notes Marlene Caskey, the project lead for the Ministry of Environment.
The Develop with Care and Green Value programs of the Ministry of Environment and Real Estate Foundation, respectively, have produced a collection of twelve case studies that profile and/or celebrate leading examples of real estate development projects in Vancouver Island communities. These case studies illustrate how green value approaches have been implemented, and include a review of the benefits/liabilities of each project.
Cowichan Valley Seminar
At the second in the Cowichan Valley Learning Lunch Seminars, Marlene Caskey and Maggie Henigman of the Develop with Care team were part of the guest faculty. They provided local government participants with a primer on the 
importance of preserving intact functioning ecosystems as an integral part of the strategy for addressing overall climate change and water wise issues. To download a copy of their tag-team presentation, click here.
“Develop with Care is a valuable provincial guidance document that for whatever reason has not received the province-wide recognition that it deserves,” stated seminar team leader Kim Stephens (Program Coordinator, Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia). “By including it in the curriculum for the Learning Lunch Seminar Series, our hope is that local government practitioners will increasingly make use of Develop with Care.”
YouTube Videos
To view a video clip of Marlene Caskey setting the context and explaining the objectives for the Develop with Care program, please click here. After that, watch Maggie Henigman elaborate on climate change implications as she underscores what is at risk on Vancouver Island. In a third and final video clip, Marlene and Maggie tag-team to describe the four principles that show “how to get there” in terms of achieving shared environmental goals.
Learning Lunch Seminar Series
The Learning Lunch Seminar Series promotes a consistent provincial approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure. The Cowichan Valley Regional District and City of Courtenay are the host local governments for Learning Lunch Seminar Series in the Spring and Fall of 2008, respectively. In total, the Vancouver Island local governments that will be participating represent some 250,000 people.
The Learning Lunch Seminar Series is the first step in building a regional team approach so that there will be a common understanding and consistent messaging regarding on-the-ground expectations for rainwater management and green infrastructure. The Seminar Series is part of the implementation program for Beyond the Guidebook: The New Business As Usual.
Posted July 2008