Key Note & Speaker Information

More information on all speakers is available by clicking here or by clicking the link on each speaker's name listed below.

Opening Keynote Speaker

Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon: The Upside of Down

Session Speakers

Wedlidi Speck: First Nations Perspective

Nancy A. Greene & David McGee : Comox Harbour Fish Trap Mapping Project

Summary:

Long before European colonists sailed into Comox Harbour in 1862, indigenous people living along the shoreline of the Courtenay River Estuary pounded long wooden stakes into the tideflat to build large corral-like enclosures to trap fish. Today, the remains of the stakes appear as short stubs that protrude above the surface of the tideflat. The stakes often are arranged in patterns that give hints to the shapes of the original trap structures.

The study of tidal trap fishing at water-saturated “wet sites” is a relatively new area of archaeological investigation that holds the potential for greater understanding of ancient coastal fishing cultures. Nancy Greene and her husband/research partner David McGee have recently concluded a five -year independent archaeological study of the prehistoric fish traps at Comox Harbour. Together with a group of enthusiastic Comox Valley volunteers, Nancy and David have recorded the spatial positions of more than 12,000 wood stakes in the intertidal zone using GPS and high precision survey instruments (total stations). GIS analysis of the georeferenced stake locations has identified two distinct types of large trap structures on the tideflat that were capable of catching immense quantities of fish, especially salmon and herring. In comparison to other prehistoric intertidal fishing sites located along the Northwest Coast of North America, no site rivals the technological sophistication, large sizes, shapes and numbers of traps found at Comox Harbour. The Comox Harbour Fish Trap Complex appears to have operated as a sustainable mass-harvesting Aboriginal fishery for more than 1,000 years. 

Dan Buffett: Ranking of Estuaries in BC: Where does the Courtenay Estuary Fit In?

Summary:

Ducks Unlimited Canada has ranked 440 estuaries on the BC Coast. The talk will focus on importance of estuaries, the ranking of estuaries and how Courtenay and other East Coast Vancouver Island estuaries fit in.

Tim Clermont: State of the Courtenay River Estuary

Summary:

This presentation will provide a historical perspective of conservation efforts from the 1970's to the present with an emphasis on the process and outcomes of the Courtenay River Estuary Management Plan.  Present day threats to the health of the estuary will be discussed and the concept of a Wildlife Management Area designation will be proposed as a great opportunity to protect the extraordinary natural values of the Courtenay River estuary.

Dr. Will Marsh: Planning for Sustainable Systems for the Courtenay River Estuary

Summary:

Any measure of sustainability must include systems, for unless we see ourselves as players in nature's larger schemes, our quest to achieve an enduring balance with the planet is hopeless.  Accordingly, if we hope to manage estuaries effectively, we must approach them as systems.  To do this, we must change our approach to planning and management from one based on the  geography of conventional political jurisdictions to one that is systems based.  For the Courtenay River Estuary this requires not only an understanding of terrestrial systems, principally watersheds, and marine systems such as longshore cells, but new policies and decision-making arrangements among local, provincial, and federal levels of government.

Michele Deakin: Case Study: Englishman River Estuary

Summary:

The Englishman River Estuary is a focus of a major project coordinated by the Mid-Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society (MVIHES) and the Englishman River Watershed Recovery Plan (ERWRP). Whereas most watershed plans end in the river, the Englishman River Watershed Plan will extend out into the nearshore including inventories of eelgrass and forage fish spawn sites, fish species, and shoreline hardening or alterations. In what is hoped to set a trend, the estuary project includes a bio-inventory, a volunteer monitoring project, and a door-to-door public outreach component.

Shannon Anderson: Case Study: Campbell River Estuary Management Plan

Summary:
The Campbell River Estuary has been industrialized since the early 1900s with log storage and impacts of related activities. The challenge was to balance stakeholders - industry, commercial, recreational, environmental, community at large, Federal, provincial and municipal governments, First Nations - in the estuary. Additional pressures included mining of the upper Campbell and Quinsam Rivers watersheds, and BC Hydro impoundment of the system with 3 dams. Funding for study/restoration/assessment was a challenge, as were development issues –changing the land use focus to commercial/residential development. Local government and stakeholders needed to be convinced of the needs and benefits of a plan.

Solutions were found beginning with hiring a consultant to facilitate and prepare the plan, with the planning team to identify the areas, information gaps, existing inventories, maps, and establish goals (the balance of commercial, industrial and environmental interests)

The Commission to implement the Campbell River Estuary Management Plan had to find a common vision and common goals, with consideration to all users- dividing the estuary into 17 'management units' providing a responsibly managed mix of land uses.

A bylaw was created to outline the responsibilities of the Estuary Management Commission (EMC). Memoranda of Understanding (MOU’s) were created with senior governments to provide the EMC with some authority and one-stop shopping – recognizing the EMC as a necessary first step in any and all activities in the estuary (referral to government is still required).

Relocation of industry was a big issue to be addressed, that was initially to be funded by the province, but the funding fell through.

There was a move to create a Fish & Wildlife Management area in the estuary comprised of all area below the high tide. Existing water lot leases are to be moved into management areas as they become available. This needs cooperation/agreement with Lands Branch /Integrated Land Management Bureau. The purpose is to protect area from future development.

The principles of hard work, focus, respect, and commitment of all, promoted long term benefits over short-term gains to any particular agency or user. The group reacted to opportunities including available lands, (Tyee Spit, Nature Conservancy of Canada purchases), water lot leases, available funds, and restoration initiatives.
Community support was important with donations of time and money. Access was provided by trails, parks, and interpretative signage for the public, to allow a closer 'experience' of the estuary.

Peter Law: Case Study: Cowichan River Estuary Management Plan

Summary:

The Cowichan Estuary covers the estuaries of the Cowichan and the Koksilah Rivers, which enter into Cowichan Bay, approximately 40 km north of Victoria.  The intertidal area of the estuary covers about 277 hectares, making it one of the largest estuaries in British Columbia.  Loss and degradation of estuarine habitat, which has occurred since European settlement of the area began in 1862, has resulted from dyking for agriculture, filling for port development, log handling, waste discharges, sewage disposal and agricultural runoff. 

In the 1970’s the future of the estuary was brought into focus with requests from existing industries for further expansion, and public protests against such development.  The conflict is complicated by numerous overlapping jurisdictions, regulations or bylaws applying to various parts of the estuary. Beginning in 1974, The Province of BC undertook a series of negotiations with industry, residents, first nations, resource agencies and local governments that culminated in 1986 with an estuary management plan that was approved by the Provincial Cabinet.  The Plan called for log storage reductions, application of “area designations” within the bay to facilitate certain activities and provide a more detailed review of projects with environmental impacts.

In the 1990’s, the Ministry attempted to renew the Plan, however this was abandoned after 3 years due to public concerns and failure to obtain broad stakeholder support.  Today, the Management Plan is seen by most stakeholders as successful in reducing forestry impacts in the intertidal zone, however it is proving to be inflexible to meet changing environmental issues.  Many feel that changes are needed to amend the 1987 Plan, but are reluctant to open old wounds. 

Conservation and restoration initiatives have been ongoing. In 1985 the Pacific Conservation Estuary Program led by The Nature Trust of BC began acquiring Cowichan estuary lands.  In just 5 years this partnership program worked effectively to secure 9 parcels totalling 308 ha (770 acres).  Several restoration projects followed and the Cowichan estuary is now among the top 10 critical wetlands on the coast of BC due to its importance to wintering waterfowl and as habitat for all Pacific salmon species.   Recent bird use studies have recorded higher waterfowl densities within restored Cowichan estuarine habitats then all other BC Estuaries including the Number 1 ranked Fraser delta.  These achievements could not have been completed without the support of industry and local community stewards.

Community members were involved in a one-day   workshop on the ecological health of the Cowichan Estuary. The ‘Ecological Restoration Strategies for the Cowichan Estuary’ workshop focused on community and stakeholder participation by bringing together members of the local and scientific community. To assist community members in their participation, a literature review of biological studies of the Cowichan Estuary since 1980 was compiled and was made available to participants and posted on the CCLT website as a community resource.

Rob Lawrance & Pam Shaw : Case Study: Nanaimo River Estuary Management Plan

Summary:
The Nanaimo River estuary is one of the largest estuaries on Vancouver Island and is a very significant regional feature. It is a highly productive biological system that supports a large number of plant life, fish and wildlife species. The Estuary is an important traditional use area for the Snuneymuxw First Nations. The estuary is also extensively used for industrial, as well as recreational purposes, by the rapidly growing population of the City of Nanaimo, which surrounds the estuary. The ongoing challenge is to find a balance between the social and economic benefits the estuary provides with the environmental need to stabilize the ecological functions of the estuary and to complete habitat restoration and monitoring.

Triggered by the impending expiration of the Nanaimo Port Authority’s head lease from the Province in 2002, a number of organizations came together to initiate an overall management plan for the Nanaimo estuary. The organizations that came together included: Department of Fisheries and Oceans; Environment Canada; Snuneymuxw First Nation; Ministry of Environment; Nanaimo Port Authority; Regional District of Nanaimo; Ministry of Agriculture and Lands; Nanaimo River Estuary Log Storage Association; The Nature Trust of BC; and the Nanaimo Community Estuary Support Coalition. These organizations worked together to eventually develop the Nanaimo Estuary Management Plan (NEMP), which was completed in December 2005.
Prior to the completion of the NEMP, the City of Nanaimo was encouraged to join the process and City staff did review the plan at the time. However, staff identified a number of areas in the plan process and content, which it did not support. The primary concern was that the committee would act as another approval body that did not have a clear mandate to act in its own right. As a result, staff was unable to recommend that Council ratify the plan in its entirety. Instead, the City agreed to provide a staff person to attend committee meetings to help improve communication between the City and committee members and provided an initial contribution of $15,000 to fund a NEMC coordinator position.

The coordinator position was created to represent the committee during public functions and presentations and to organize and facilitate committee meetings; help build partnerships and funding for projects and actions that the committee agrees to pursue for the year based on the NEMP. The coordinator also played a key role in balancing the interests of the various committee members and in keeping the committee on track by focusing on community awareness, restoration and monitoring of the estuary. To date, the coordinator has succeeded in avoiding the concerns the City initially had for the NEMC.

Another major motivation was the desire by the City to build a more positive relationship with the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Around the time the City was considering how to participate in the Nanaimo Estuary Management Plan, the City was working on a Communication Protocol Agreement with SFN. Recognizing the priority SFN had for restoring the ecological health of the Estuary was another reason for the City to participate.

To date, a monitoring plan has been completed and a Dyke realignment and creek restoration project has been completed. More effort is being made to inform the public about the values and importance of the estuary through an interpretative sigh project (currently underway) and through participation in local community events in the spring that highlight the estuary.

The current challenge is securing sustainable funding to proceed with monitoring and restoration efforts for the future. Likely it will have to involve negotiating a consistent funding from all participants and from the province. We are still in the early days of this discussion.

Dr. Rob Butler: Rebuilding Nature in the Strait of Georgia

Summary:

Rebuilding the Strait of Georgia ecosystem takes a look at what we had, assesses what what we have, what we need to save, and what we can rebuild. It underscores the importance of the Strait to the ecology of the north Pacific and sets out steps to take.

Saturday Speakers

Mike Richards: Green Boating

Summary:

The Green Boating presentation will give an overview of the Green Boating Program in BC, an initiative of Georgia Strait Alliance, including the various projects that come under its banner. These include outreach activities, the Bilge Pad Kit distribution project, Oceans Solutions Sewage Pump-out project and Clean Marine BC marina recognition and certification program. There will be practical greenboating tips and and opportunity for discussion on related issues.

Richard Somerset Mackie: Naturalists of Comox Harbour

Summary:

Several noted naturalists of the 20th century lived on the Comox waterfront. Hamilton Mack Laing, Theed Pearse, Ronald Stewart, Allan Brooks, and Melda Buchanan were passionate and influential naturalists who worked in different ways to protect elements of the estuary and the ecosystem.

Harriet Rueggeberg & Brian Emmett : Green Shores

Summary:

Marine shorelines are dynamic places, but too often we try to 'immobilize' them, make them static to suit our needs. This frequently destabilizes the shoreline's natural processes and disrupts their important biological functions.

There are major challenges in moving towards more sustainable shore development, but also important opportunities to build, or rebuild, along the shore in ways that reflect natural processes.The presentation will look at ‘good and not-so-good’ shore designs, including a short walk outside to look at local examples.