DOWNLOAD BEYOND THE GUIDEBOOK 2010: “Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia” (released June 2010)
Note to Reader:
The formal roll-out of Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia began at the 2010 annual convention of local governments, held in Whistler. The convention theme was Forging Gold Medal Standards in keeping with the Olympic spirit of the Whistler venue.
A pre-convention study session co-hosted with the Ministry of Environment was the setting for the presentation on Beyond the Guidebook 2010. The session spoke to the theme of moving communities forward, and equipping local governments with new tools and fresh approaches to the challenges of local government leadership.
Glen Brown (Ministry of Community & Rural Development) and Ray Fung (District of West Vancouver) represented the provincial and local government perspectives, respectively, in delivering an integrated presentation to a packed study session (180 attendees). They spoke on behalf of the “convening for action” partnership that is responsible for Beyond the Guidebook 2010, released under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.
Historical Context for “Beyond the Guidebook 2010”
In October 1997, a focus group workshop convened by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities set in motion a chain of outcomes that culminated in release of Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia in June 2002.
Five years later, the evolution in practitioner thinking was captured in Beyond the Guidebook: Context for Rainwater Management and Green Infrastructure in British Columbia. Released in June 2007, this guidance document foreshadowed release of Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan and the Green Communities Initiative in 2008.
The second in the Beyond the Guidebook Series, released in June 2010, describes how water sustainability can and will be achieved through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices. Getting there relies on a change in mind-set.
Case Study Experience Shows that Embracing Shared Responsibility Leads to Outcome-Oriented Actions
The case study experience presented in Beyond the Guidebook 2010 shows that a new land ethic is taking root in British Columbia. Changing the culture requires a process. This takes time to complete. There is no short-cut; however, lessons learned by those who have done it can help those who want to do it.
Ten Guiding Principles
Beyond the Guidebook 2010 synthesized a set of ten guiding principles that provide a framework for a successful local government implementation process. Ray Fung spoke to these principles in his part of the integrated presentation at the UBCM convention.
“There are a lot of times when we in local government like to blame or put on senior governments the responsibility to provide the framework for doing something, but there are things that we in local government can do. We need to choose to be enabled,” stated Ray Fung (District of West Vancouver), Chair, Green Infrastructure Partnership. “So, what we mean by shared responsibility is that everyone has a role, and everyone can act – all levels of government, developers, regulators, bureaucrats, consultants, planners, engineers – we all have a role.”
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