Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | LeBlanc GV. 2010. Millard-Piercy Watershed Gap Analysis: Towards a watershed-based planning framework for the Comox Valley. Comox Valley Conservation Strategy Community Partnership. |
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| Organization | Comox Valley Conservation Strategy Community Partnership |
| URL | http://www.cvconservationstrategy.org/wp-content/themes/CVCS-Child-Theme/docs/Tfinal_030910_GVL_11x17_maps.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | The goal of the Millard/Piercy Watershed Gap Analysis Project is to assess and evaluate the environmental health and biodiversity of the Millard/Piercy watershed. It is proposed that although existing local land use planning controls provide a level of protection, improvements can be effected that will enhance the health and diversity of this sensitive natural environment. Gaps in the current health information, policy/regulatory status, and land use planning and decision-making processes are identified and recommendations are made to fill these gaps. The Millard/Piercy Watershed was chosen for three reasons: 1. Multi-jurisdictional - multiple planning and engineering departments, with different political cultures, make recommendations and decisions that affect the watershed. This is typical of many watersheds in the Comox Valley. 2. The Millard/Piercy Stewards have amassed biophysical data on the watershed from which an analysis over time can be achieved; and, 3. There is increasing evidence that the declining health of elements of the MP Watershed can be linked to land use practices and related policy. The most significant outcome and action identified by the project team is to create a watershedbased, land use planning framework for local governments that enhances land use planning and development initiatives and promotes healthy watershed functions. It is intended that the findings of this project will be transferable to other watersheds in the Comox Valley and in other local government jurisdictions. The framework is built on a wealth of ecological health information available from numerous sources and an updated synopsis of the state of policy and regulation in the three jurisdictions, the Village of Cumberland, the Comox Valley Regional District and the City of Courtenay, that encompass this watershed. The end result of the analysis is that it helps all jurisdictions in the watershed to better understand existing problems and identify potential solutions to provide better protection of watershed health. The proposed framework presents a process that seeks to guide local government jurisdictions, local stewardship groups and landowners. It involves the compilation, integration and evaluation of watershed health and policy/regulatory information to enable an approach to be implemented where the watershed is managed primarily for ecological health. Included in the proposed approach are required improvements in data collection, decision-making, and monitoring and evaluation. It is important that actions be initiated to fill the gaps that are identified, and that a new framework to future decision making be implemented to better manage watersheds throughout the Comox Valley. The initial step proposed is for local governments to embark on a collaborative strategy that will result in the adoption of a comprehensive joint community/watershed land use or local area plan for the watershed. It will require an accord or memorandum of understanding signed by all jurisdictions setting out the agreement to prepare the plan and to establish the terms of reference for its completion, its format and the respective responsibilities of each local government dealing with its preparation, approval and implementation. The final step in the recommended planning framework is the most important. Lack of monitoring and evaluation has been the nemesis of many management plans in the past. The commitment to this new framework must include monitoring, evaluation and adaptation. This will require local jurisdictions to take a collaborative approach and to regularly revisit the framework, evaluating and adapting it through a comprehensive monitoring strategy. This will require a high level of inter-jurisdictional cooperation – a team effort. Envisioned as a major tool to ensure monitoring and evaluation occur is a Watershed Council, a non-governmental body of interested individuals and professionals that meet regularly to review and make recommendations on policy, regulatory changes and ongoing development applications within the proposed area. The Watershed Council is proposed to have a diversity of roles. The Watershed Council would: 1. act in a strictly advisory capacity on local government policy, regulatory proposals and development initiatives relative to a joint plan. 2. be the repository of scientific/technical information on the applicable watershed(s). 3. review policy and regulatory changes and development applications and advise local government on land use and process changes proposed in the watershed. The urgency of taking action to prevent ongoing deterioration of watershed health cannot be understated; it is a priority in all aspects of conservation planning and land use. Ignoring the current issues and actions to mitigate them will have significant negative consequences and repercussions on ecological, social and economic health of the watershed. Intervening with preventative actions will mean local governments must step away from conventional land use planning, decision-making and development models. The emphasis must be placed on the protection of environmental health and biodiversity, on a watershed basis. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Vancouver Island North |
| Sub-watershed if known | Comox Valley |
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