Biodiversity Conservation - the BIEAP and FREMP Website

Breakout Sessions Concerning the Ten Strategic Directions | Key Points
Although fairly common in the Greater
Vancouver Region, the Pacific great
blue heron, Ardea herodias fannini
was federally designated as Special
Concern by COSEWIC in 2003. Threats
to these birds include the loss of
breeding and foraging areas to urban
development, forestry, hydroelectric
power development and increasing
predation from a growing bald eagle
population. Its importance as an
indicator of coastal ecosystem health
is only now being recognized.
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Secure Land continued
Comments about Tactics continued
Islands Trust has the ability to take part in a free
Crown land transfer program where you can arrange
full conservation. They’re getting land surveyed now;
it’s only 17 hectares but is a connecting piece. It had a
competition between islands regarding which lands
were best for protection and doesn’t have a lot of
commercial value.
There is a perception that wildlife corridors invite
problem wildlife or problem activities.
We need to provide more opportunity for people to gift
properties to the municipality.
Work with realtors and estate planning lawyers for
distribution of information to clients.
We should target land owners and establish pathways
to promote ideas to them.
There is a natural areas tax exemption—99 year trust
agreement between municipalities and landowners. We
need to share this information.
It’s very difficult to acquire and manage lands not
just for people but for conservation. We need to manage
lands for intrinsic values.
We should organize a strategy for acquired land,
spearheaded by strategic alliances.
Strategic Directions for Biodiversity Conservation in the Metro Vancouver Region | Forum Proceedings: Key Points and Potential Action Steps
We should go back to the list of 17 priority areas and
exert pressure to acquire those not yet purchased and
adjacent lands.
Municipalities are often unwilling to buy land in
partnership without funding from federal/provincial
governments
Riparian areas are typically good connectivity
corridors. A little used tool is Development Permit
Areas (DPAs) to secure streamside corridors. We might
be able to expand a bit into hydro right-of-ways and
utility corridors, i.e., make them wider than riparian
regulations would give.
[Response] Even with DPAs, it’s the same thing—no one
is managing.
Lots of land is already fallow; it could be bought for
parks purposes. The ALC sees the difference between
this and buying “in-use” farmland.
There is a difference between regulation and
incentives, what would work best? Could there be
a combination?
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