“The course was designed to assist local governments and consultants delivering the ISMPs to understand options available. Many local governments were struggling with having these done in a fashion that is meaningful for their community – we hoped that the course would open minds and lead to application of new ideas,” stated Carrie Baron.
“Watersheds are not all created equal. And when we begin to examine them, we find that they function in all kinds of different ways. And what I often see missing in most engineering methodologies is an understanding of how a particular watershed actually functions,” states Will Marsh.
“The real problems and solutions come together when you look at the site and the data you have to represent what you have. How do you compare the future condition that is very undefined with a calibrated tool that is very well defined? There is much that we do that has a place and purpose, BUT sometimes what we do is questionable,” states Dr. Charles Rowney.
“Member municipalities will develop a coordinated program to monitor stormwater and assess and report the implementation and effectiveness of Integrated Storm Water Management Plans (ISMP). The program will use a weight-of-evidence performance measurement approach,” stated Environment Minister Terry Lake.
“Outcome-oriented planning is a problem-solving PROCESS. It is not a procedure. It is not a matter of applying a regulation or a checklist. Participants have to be committed to the outcome. Going through a process becomes talent development. Participants have to be committed to the outcome,” stated Tim Pringle.
“The genesis for ISMPs was a desire to integrate the community, engineering, planning and environmental perspectives. Local governments knew they had to do business differently to protect or restore watershed health,” states Robert Hicks.
“In integrating actions at four scales, the intended purpose of an ISMP is to provide a clear picture of how local governments can be proactive in applying land use planning tools to protect property and aquatic habitat, while at the same time accommodating land development and population growth,” states Peter Law.
“Story #2 explains why ‘designing with nature’ is key to climate change adaptation; identifies what municipalities will need to do to protect or restore stream health; and introduces principles upon which a Regional Team Approach to green infrastructure implementation is founded,” states Ted van der Gulik.
“The Bowker Creek Initiative in the Capital Region, Surrey’s watershed objectives approach, and the District of North Vancouver’s vision for watershed landscape restoration are showcased. These three are demonstrating how to implement a new way of doing business, one that is founded on aligning efforts and collaborating as a team,” states John McMahon.
“What level does a community wish to provide, and what level can it afford? Establish the level-of-service that is sustainable to protect watershed health, and then work backwards to determine how to achieve that level of protection,” states Glen Brown.
