Agency Coordination: Fraser River Estuary Management Program [FREMP] 1985-2003

Agency Coordination: Fraser River Estuary Management Program [FREMP] 1985-2003

2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference 3 April 2003 Vancouver, BC

Fraser River Estuary Management Program 1985-2003Geographic context of the Fraser River estuaryJurisdictional context for managing the Fraser River estuary ecosystemNature of the FREMP partnershipEstuary Management Plan: A Living Working RiverConditions for success

Jurisdictional ContextCanada is a federal state where legislative powers are divided between two levels of government federal and provincial. Local governments exercise powers delegated by provincial governments.Constitution (1867) provides federal and provincial governments with distinct spheres of authority.Regulatory confusion about matters not foreseen by Fathers of Confederation.

Fraser River Estuary Management Program FREMPFREMP is a partnerships for integrated management working toward sustainabilityFREMP emphasizes co-operative made-in-the-region policy solutionsFREMP coordinates the environmental review of project proposals that can affect the environment

Partners in FREMP Environment Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection Greater Vancouver Regional District Fraser River Port Authority North Fraser Port Authority

Environment CanadaProtects migratory birds Migratory Birds Protection ActConducts research and regulates environmental contaminants Canadian Environmental Protection ActEnvironmental Assessment Canadian Environmental Assessment Act -- CEAAManages water bodies and ocean disposal Canada Water Act and Oceans ActControls deposition of deleterious substances Fisheries Act

Fisheries and Oceans CanadaProtects physical habitats for fish, and water quality for fish and fish habitats Fisheries Act Environmental Assessment Canadian Environmental Assessment Act -- CEAAProtects the public right of navigation [Canadian Coast Guard] Navigable Waters Protection Act

BC Ministry of Water, Land & Air ProtectionManages discharge of pollution to air, water and land BC Waste Management ActManages contaminated sites Waste Management ActProtects resident or migratory wildlife and their habitatsBC Wildlife Management ActEnvironmental Assessment BC Environmental Assessment Act

Port AuthoritiesManage land and water lots Maintain navigation Administer environmental policy Canada Marine Act and Port Operations Regulation

Greater Vancouver Regional DistrictAir Quality management BC Waste Management Act Regional Utilities: liquid waste and solid waste management BC Waste Management Act Contributes on behalf of municipalities who regulate land use BC Local Government Act -- Regional Growth Strategy and Official Community

FREMP Business Categories Policy development, overall priority setting and strategic management Operational issues requiring coordinated decision making

Partnerships Governed by Memoranda of Understanding Since 1996, BIEAP and FREMP have been jointly administered, providing effective coordination of the programs while addressing the distinct needs and priorities of the two individual areasTwo-level management structure

Overall Management and Policy DirectionSteering Committee comprising principals of signing partners, meets annually to discuss progress on programs and provides direction on matters unresolved at other levelsManagement Committee meets monthly to deal with overall management and policy issues

Operational ManagementManagement Committee can establish subcommittees and work groupsManagement Committee annually develops five-year business plans and annual budgets and work plansManager, supported by staff, reports routinely to Management Committee to provide functional direction to programs

FREMP Achievements

www.bieapfremp.org

BIEAP and FREMP AchievementsReform package implemented for Coordinated Project Review -- new three phase, four track process [160 projects in 2002]Liquid Waste Management Plan process to develop a long-term made-in-the-region plan with partner input mediated with program resources

FREMP AchievementsFREMP Estuary Management Plan [EMP]: A Living, Working River 1994EMP endorsed by FREMP municipalitiesArea Designation AgreementsSediment Budget to manage dredgingHabitat classification and GIS capabilityIndicator Monitoring Report on the Estuary Management Plan 2001

The Estuary Management PlanVision, Goals, and Action ProgramsHabitat colour-coding systemArea Designation Agreements

Estuary Management Plan ACTIONSEnvironmental ProtectionWater Quality ManagementFish and Wildlife HabitatHuman ActivitiesNavigation and DredgingLog ManagementIndustrial and Urban DevelopmentRecreation

Summary and ConclusionsThere has been steady progress on program priorities and improvements to project review proceduresThe innovative, linked management structure is a suitable vehicle for partners to shift their environmental focus - from permits and approvals to a performance based regime of standards and monitoring compliance

Conditions for SuccessBroad recognition of the need for integrated managementEffective communications within and between agencies Commitment to resolve conflictsAbility to learn and adapt Public support

BIEAP Partners BIEAP has five key partners : Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Vancouver Port Authority and the Greater Vancouver Regional District; i.e., all of the key agencies with responsibilities to manage growth and protect the environment in the Inlet.

The key achievement of FREMP was the 1994 approval of a comprehensive management tool the Estuary Management Plan, also known as A Living, Working River. The Plan has been endorsed by all 12 of the municipalities in the FREMP area of interest.

The Estuary Management Plan addresses the key concerns identified as gaps in our individual agency efforts to manage the estuary. These concerns have benefited from an extensive body of research, from the Fraser River Estuary Study two decades ago that provided the genesis for the FREMP partnership, through the extensive reports prepared for the Fraser River Action Plan, to the research focus of the current Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative.

The Estuary Management Plan also benefited from consultations with stakeholders, community organizations, interest groups, local governments and the general public.The Action component of the EMP comprises two broad themes: Environmental Protection and Human Activities. The supporting action framework for Environmental Protection addresses Water Quality Management and Fish and Wildlife Habitat. Under the Human Activities rubric we find four elements in the action framework: Navigation and Dredging, Log Management, Industrial and Urban Development and Recreation.