| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
As demonstrated through this discussion paper there are numerous actions required to effectively manage for the health and sustainability of watersheds in BC. For the purposes of this discussion paper, the primary areas of management actions include: 1. Collecting and Analyzing Data and Technical Information • For example, collecting monitoring data on water quality and quantity 2. Developing and Implementing Policies, Plans and Governance • For example, facilitating shared decision-__making processes on land and resource use; 3. Administering Operational Permits, Licenses and Regulatory Requirements • For example, issuing water licenses and other natural resource tenures; 4. Implementing Watershed Protection, Conservation and Restoration • For example, designing and constructing habitat restoration projects5. Delivering Education, Outreach and Capacity Development • For example, education programs for private landowners and the broad public In some cases the need for management efforts is being outpaced by the pressures that are occurring in watersheds in some regions of BC. Many organizations at local, regional and watershed scales have contributed significantly to the protection, conservation and restoration of streams, habitat and watersheds. Many of these organizations are well situated to continue this work if adequate funds are made available. However, these community-__based initiatives should not be seen as a substitute for the critical roles of provincial and federal governments, which are best suited to provide certain core functions due to their access to financial resources and technical capacity and expertise. These include setting water objectives, research and monitoring, data acquisition and storage, as well as auditing, compliance and enforcement processes. Senior governments possess the capacity and resources to provide stable, multi-__year funding support to the various organizations and initiatives working to advance watershed health throughout BC. This can be done in a way that helps achieve the mandates and policy objectives of senior orders of government alongside the broader public interests and aspirations for healthy, sustainable watersheds and communities. |
