COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Current Representatives:

• Comox Valley Land Trust (Verna Mumby)
• Project Watershed (Betty Donaldson)
• Tsolum River Restoration Society (Jack Minard)
• Millard-Piercy Watershed Stewards (Lora Tryon)
• Morrison Creek Streamkeepers (Kathryn Clousten)
• Comox Valley Water Watch (Linda Safford)
• Comox Valley Environmental Council (Larry Peterson)
• Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society (Ian Moul)
• Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society
• Black Creek Streamkeepers
• Perseverance Creek Streamkeepers
• Saratoga and Miracle Beach Residents Association
• Portuguese Creek Stream Keepers (Murray Schmelz)
• Oyster River Watershed Management Committee (Curtis Scoville)
• Comox Town Residents Association (Bill Halliday)
• Comox Valley Naturalists Society (Murray Little)
• Forbidden Plateau Road Residents Association
• Friends of Comox Lazo Forest Reserve

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IMPLEMENTATION TEAMS OF THE COMOX VALLEY CONSERVATION STRATEGY

(Coordinators shown in parenthesis)

Local Government (Jack Minard)

The Local Government Implementation Team has been involved with opening and maintaining dialogue with all levels of local government. We are working with Planners, Engineers and politicians to move the recommendations in Nature Without Borders forward, coordinate and share information between local governments and the CVCSCP and encourage significant changes to land use practices and processes to better facilitate environmental protection.

We have encouraged improved integration between internal local government departments and the four local governments so they are better able to implement regional conservation planning. Our work with Citizens Convening for Action on Vancouver Island (CAVI) Learning at Lunch Series provided an opportunity to help shape the focus of the series on “Integrated Watershed-Based Planning”. Go to: http://www.waterbucket.ca/cfa/?type=single&sid=27&id=144 for more information.

Environmental Information and Mapping (Caila Holbrook)

The Environmental Information and Mapping Team supports the CVCS by providing environmental information, mapping, and technical expertise. This includes:

• Maintaining and updating the information in the Nature Without Borders report, and online atlas.
• Establishing the Mapping Centre to provide increased access to reliable environmental information and maps
• Undertaking mapping, data collection and on-site ground truthing to increase knowledge of local ecosystems and biodiversity
• Sharing environmental information with the general public, land owners, development industry, local government, and other stakeholders to make improved environmental land use decisions

Capacity Building (David Stapley)

The Team’s job is to build the capacity of the CVCS Community Partnership to sustain ongoing conservation planning and implementation activities. The Capacity Building Team is:

• growing the Conservation Strategy Community Partnership by expanding the number of Partner and Supporter Organizations.
• expanding the capacity of local environmental organizations to undertake conservation activities, identifying and developing resources and initiating collaborative projects.

Education and Outreach (Kerry Dawson)

The Education and Outreach Team has developed a series of dynamic, interactive and informative Powerpoint presentations about the Conservation Strategy and the importance of protecting Biodiversity. The Education and Outreach Coordinator is available to offer the presentation to the public for group meetings, school groups or other events. If you would like us to come and give a presentation at your next meeting, please be sure to contact Kerry Dawson!

WATERSHED GAP ANALYSIS PROJECT TEAM:

From Left to Right: Lora Tryon, Jack Minard, Caila Holbrook, David Stapley, Gerard Leblanc, Project Manager  Not pictured: Lynda Fyfe and Don Chamberlain

The Millard Piercy Watershed Gap Analysis Project is a project undertaken by the Comox Valley Conservation Strategy in partnership with all Comox Valley local governments. The purpose of the project is to determine the impact of land use policies and regulations on the health and biodiversity of local watersheds.

The Millard/Piercy watershed rises in Cumberland, flows through the Comox Valley Regional District and has its outlet to the sea within the City of Courtenay. Land use regulations and planning practices of each of these local governments will impact the natural functioning of the watershed. The project team undertook an analysis of the local Official Community Plans, zoning and other bylaws as well as biological and other environmental health information gathered by the Millard Stream Stewards. This information included water quality, stream flows, land cover, smolt counts and other measurable indicators. An analysis was undertaken to determine what gaps in local government policies, regulations and land use practises exist that negatively impact watershed health. The project identifies specific recommendations for actions to close these gaps. The end result of the analysis will be a comprehensive list of actions related to stream monitoring and a watershed-based land use planning framework that can better protect stream dynamics and environmental health and biodiversity.

The Gap Analysis Project was funded with assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, the Comox Valley Regional District and Ducks Unlimited Canada. In addition, in-kind assistance and advice was provided by staff from the Comox Valley local governments, Landworks C.onsultants Inc and by staff from Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service.