Benefits of Working with Local Governments - A Non-Profit Perspective

Presentation Abstract

Land use developments within watersheds have led to a loss of natural estuarine and nearshore marine habitats in British Columbia - the receiving waters of land based activities. Agriculture, forestry, and dredging for commercial and residential development have all contributed to the loss. The pressure to modify natural marine features and habitat for the development of commercial facilities and residential units within coastal areas is intensifying. As well, marine activities are directly affecting nearshore habitats.

To prepare for the increase in populations on the BC coast and concurrent shoreline developments, it is necessary to identify and quantify nearshore habitats and restore them where possible, and to investigate strategies to restore lost or damaged habitats from historical industrial practices.

To this end, SeaChange Marine Conservation Society partnered with Islands Trust Fund to inventory eelgrass habitats surrounding the 13 islands within the Islands Trust jurisdiction from 2012-2014. The benefits of such a working relationship resulted in high quality maps that are used to better inform decisions affecting nearshores in the Salish Sea. This presentation will elaborate on these benefits to coastal community governments, residents and ultimately eelgrass nearshore habitats.

Session Title

Social and Policy Interconnections

Conference Track

Salish Sea Snapshots

Conference Name

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)

Document Type

Event

Start Date

2016 12:00 AM

End Date

2016 12:00 AM

Location

2016SSEC

Type of Presentation

Snapshot

Genre/Form

conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)

Contributing Repository

Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Subjects – Topical (LCSH)

Marine habitat conservation--British Columbia; Eelgrass--Monitoring--British Columbia; Riparian restoration--British Columbia

Geographic Coverage

British Columbia; Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)

Comments

Presenters: Leanna Boyer and Nikki Wright have worked together since 2001 to map and restore nearshore habitats through SeaChange, a non-profit marine conservation society based outside of Victoria, BC.. We work with all levels of government, First Nations and coastal communities through hands on mapping and restoration projects and in settings as diverse as school rooms and mudflats.

Rights

This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Jan 1st, 12:00 AM Jan 1st, 12:00 AM

Benefits of Working with Local Governments - A Non-Profit Perspective

2016SSEC

Land use developments within watersheds have led to a loss of natural estuarine and nearshore marine habitats in British Columbia - the receiving waters of land based activities. Agriculture, forestry, and dredging for commercial and residential development have all contributed to the loss. The pressure to modify natural marine features and habitat for the development of commercial facilities and residential units within coastal areas is intensifying. As well, marine activities are directly affecting nearshore habitats.

To prepare for the increase in populations on the BC coast and concurrent shoreline developments, it is necessary to identify and quantify nearshore habitats and restore them where possible, and to investigate strategies to restore lost or damaged habitats from historical industrial practices.

To this end, SeaChange Marine Conservation Society partnered with Islands Trust Fund to inventory eelgrass habitats surrounding the 13 islands within the Islands Trust jurisdiction from 2012-2014. The benefits of such a working relationship resulted in high quality maps that are used to better inform decisions affecting nearshores in the Salish Sea. This presentation will elaborate on these benefits to coastal community governments, residents and ultimately eelgrass nearshore habitats.