CONVENING FOR ACTION AT THE BC LAND SUMMIT: “The 3-year transition strategy for embedding EAP at Vancouver Island University has multiple layers and partnerships, with several moving parts to balance,” stated stated Anna Lawrence, Project Coordinator, Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute at VIU
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 April 16, 2024 features Tim Pringle, Anna Lawrence, and Sam Gerrand who personify the passing of the intergenerational baton.
They tell the story of Year One of the 3-year transition strategy to embed EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, at Vancouver Island University. EAP is a financial tool that fills a gap. It provides a measure of the Riparian Deficit which is a consequence of urbanization.
Convening for action at the BC Land Summit: Going beyond doing just enough
At the BC Land Summit on May 9 in Nanaimo, Tim Pringle will tag-team with Anna Lawrence and Sam Gerrand to tell the story of Year One of the 3-year transition strategy to embed EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, at Vancouver Island University (VIU). For a session overview, CLICK HERE.
“EAP is a financial tool to help streams survive because it yields realistic and defensible financial values — based on parcel data from BC Assessment — on how much to invest in stream M&M (which is the acronym for maintenance and management),” states Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director and Waterbucket eNews Editor.
“Because local government Asset Management Plans need real financial values, EAP fills a gap. It allows local governments to establish affordable annual budgets for stream M&M. This moves the budget-setting process beyond rhetoric and into the realm of the substantive.”
Local government Asset Management Plans need real financial values in order to include budgets for streams
Human settlement degrades stream systems. A series of reports by the Ombudsperson link weak oversight of riparian areas regulation to continuing degradation.
Meanwhile, the pressure on governments to pave the way for housing is seemingly relentless. So, how do communities find a balance between these competing realities? What are the RISKS and COSTS when we fail to get it right with our land development and drainage policies and practices?
In a world of competing priorities when governments must make hard choices on what and how much to fund, what are the affordable and effective measures that might drive changes in policies and practices to achieve a balanced outcome?
“How will we course correct to find the balance that achieves a desired outcome such as: create liveable communities and protect stream health? The vision for the EAP Partnership is to continuously train the next generations of local government staffs and build capacity to get the job done,” states Tim Pringle, EAP Chair.
Embracing the intergenerational baton
“We have just completed three Year One projects through partnerships with three local governments. The work involved four students, two in Geographic Information Systems and two in the Master of Community Planning program, as well as three MABBRI staff who have been trained in the EAP methodology,” states VIU’s Anna Lawrence who is being mentored by Tim Pringle as part of the intergenerational baton strategy.
“As we become more familiar with EAP and its applications, it is becoming increasingly apparent that it requires tailored communication to a variety of audiences to emphasize that this is one tool to increase and maintain the health of our stream systems .”
To Learn More:
To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: EAP is a financial tool to help streams survive.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_EAP-Partnership-and-intergenerational-baton_2024.pdf