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“Over 80% of the Englishman River watershed is dedicated to forest management. Applying a landscape level approach makes a working forest work for multiple values. Hydrology and ecology values are managed through conservation agreements, land sales, and cooperation with researchers and communities. A guiding objective is to ‘keep sediment out of streams’,” states Domenico Iannidinardo, Vice-President, Forest & Sustainability and Chief Forester for Mosaic.

Bill Derry has a unique combination of career experience: local government innovator, consultant with cross-border experience, and, stewardship sector leader. One of the first stormwater utility managers in Washington State, he worked to convince Puget Sound local governments to create and fund research at the Center for Urban Water Resources Management. Three decades ago, Bill Derry was a pioneer in developing a science-based framework for correlating land uses changes and urban steam health.

“Today, the scope of involvement and influence of stream stewards is expanding beyond the creek channel. What happens on the land matters to streams. Hence, stewardship groups are champions for community-scale responsibility. Given staffing and funding constraints, creative partnerships with stewardship groups are truly ‘win-win’ for local governments – especially when stewardship groups can access funding sources that local governments cannot,” states Richard Boase,

“The e-Newsletter series is designed to paint a picture of the field day and 2-day symposium,” states Kim Stephens. “Our hope is that delegates will take the time to read and reflect on the desired outcomes and educational objectives for the program as a whole. Also, that they will arrive in Parksville well-prepared to contribute to the ‘sharing & learning’ segments that are a feature of each day. The symposium program comprises four modules each day, and these are structured to achieve the educational objectives.”

“The Town of Comox is being proactive in changing development practices. This is demonstrated by the training course that the Town held for drainage and land development engineers. Because the course comprised six sessions over a 3-month period, participation required a major commitment of their time,” stated Marvin Kamenz. “The Town hosted this training because the planning and design process is becoming increasingly more complex, and with greater expectations than we have ever applied to drainage infrastructure.”

“A goal of restorative land development would be to restore the integrity of the natural water balance. If this work is done right, it should be possible to: first, halt ecosystem decline; and after that, bend the trend-line in an upwards direction,” states Paul Chapman. “Guided by a whole-system, water balance approach, restorative land development would reconnect hydrology and ecology. Connecting dots, then, a key message is that restorative land development results in sustainable stream restoration.”

“Understanding the complex interactions of whole-system, water balance processes that lead to water availability in and on the ground, and all the values that depend on it, is critical to effective water resource allocation. My vision is to develop relationships and partnerships with stewardship groups, local governments, federal government and First Nations to expand our collection and understanding of data,” states Neil Goeller. “Involving stewardship groups in streamflow measurement would fill a gap at the micro-scale where flow data are sparse to non-existent.”

“That the stream can sometimes support salmon and trout in an urban environment is just magic,” Robert Deane, president of the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society. But it’s more than magic, it’s long hours of hard work by a dedicated group of volunteers. “The town has been a good partner. Our aims and the town’s aims are aligned,” Deane said. He has a vision that could save Brooklyn Creek from dying the “death by a thousand cuts” that has killed other urban streams.

The bridge between the two symposium days is a free public lecture by Storm Cunningham, author and global thought leader. He will also provide Closing Reflections on what he heard throughout the 2-day symposium. “Restoration comprises the largest new economic growth cycle since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Development has arrived at the ends of the Earth. Progress has nowhere to turn, except to revisit and restore what we’ve already wrought,” states Storm Cunningham.

“At Kitsap County we have applied this Whole Systems concept to develop our strategy for watershed retrofit and rehabilitation – it is not sufficient to do only a single (or even a few) things – it is necessary to do everything! We know we need to work at multiple scales and multiple levels to improve conditions in our small stream watersheds – that’s our strategy,” states Chris May. “But, so many people in local government are just too busy these days to even contemplate what needs to be done to repair and restore at multiple scales and levels.”