Basin Authority - Soon To Be Launched
Extensive impacts on the quality and quantity of our water supply through private land logging, gravel pits, contaminated soil dumping, back-country access, aging septic systems, interface wildfire risk to communities, invasive species, and loss of biodiversity - all accentuated by climate change that is altering the pattern of winter precipitation and summer drought - are all issues in Shawnigan Lake indicating the need for a Basin Authority. Most of these issues, if they are addressed at all, are dealt with piecemeal by a host of government agencies with no means of coordination or capacity to deal with cumulative environmental impacts.
The Authority is intended to provide the Shawnigan public with a civic mechanism that can create a watershed master plan, identify and implement wastershed security projects, coordinate the efforts of the many government agencies with watershed responsibilities and to ensure that the concerns of the public are respected in all watershed decisions.
Working independent of the CVRD, but supported by the Area Director, the Authority maintains a strong cooperative link with the CVRD Board and Staff. Active partnership with the duly elected local government is one of the essential ingredients in taking positive control of our watershed. Additionally, both the Malahat First Nation and the Cowichan Tribes will be invited to join the Authority as both have long-term traditional rights and interests in the geographic area. Their partnership is an important step in establishing government-to-government relations and collaborative decision-making for long-term watershed management.
The Authority is intended to provide the Shawnigan public with a civic mechanism that can create a watershed master plan, identify and implement wastershed security projects, coordinate the efforts of the many government agencies with watershed responsibilities and to ensure that the concerns of the public are respected in all watershed decisions.
Working independent of the CVRD, but supported by the Area Director, the Authority maintains a strong cooperative link with the CVRD Board and Staff. Active partnership with the duly elected local government is one of the essential ingredients in taking positive control of our watershed. Additionally, both the Malahat First Nation and the Cowichan Tribes will be invited to join the Authority as both have long-term traditional rights and interests in the geographic area. Their partnership is an important step in establishing government-to-government relations and collaborative decision-making for long-term watershed management.
Structure
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What is the relationship between the Authority and other Shawnigan Groups?The Shawnigan Basin Authority is a civic governance mechanism for gaining the official attention of government agencies with legislated responsibilities within the watershed landscape. It is only one of the necessary partners in achieving greater attention to the issues of watershed integrity. The Residents Association, the Advisory Planning Commission, the Business Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the Historical Society, the Parks and Recreation Commissions, the public and private schools, and the diversity of social service groups in our community will all need to make watershed stewardship their common cause.
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What Makes up the Authority?The Authority consolidates three existing civic organizations: The Shawnigan Watershed Roundtable designed to engage the public with government agencies; the Shawnigan Basin Society designed to apply for, manage, and account for funds raised to develop a master plan, implement projects, coordinate watershed initiatives, and engage the public; and the Ecological Design Panel, a group of land and resource experts that provide scientific and technical advice to the Roundtable, the Basin Society, government agencies, and other interested parties.
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Why call it an "Authority" if there is no official government mandate? |
The Basin Society's intention is to send a very direct message to senior government: The Shawnigan public wants to play a significant and material role in decisions that affect the management of their community watershed. Doing so will endorse a grassroots initiative, a bottom-up governance structure, and displace negative ecological consequences brought about by short-term fragmented decision-making with desirable ecological outcomes achieved by long-term place-based decision making.
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What is the geographic area of interest for the Authority? |
There are two main areas of geographic interest:
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