Islands Trust Council Quarterly Meeting Agenda Appendix B
· Islands Trust Area · Meeting Documents · 2025
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Topics: Marine & foreshore · Fresh water & aquifers · Housing & affordability · Agriculture & the ALR · Transportation & ferries · Governance & budget · Climate & environment — our classification, not the Trust's.
Extracted text (beginning)
Pages 2-21 Jennifer Margison, Friends of the Gulf Islands Society – Addressing the need for growth limits assessments in the islands of the Trust Area. Growth Limits for the Islands Trust Area Friends of the Gulf Islands Society The Purpose of the Islands Trust • Created in 1974 as a public trust to preserve and protect the islands’ natural environment, rural character and unique amenities • Recognized thenthat development would have to be controlled in order to achieve these goals Why This Issue Matters Now • Unprecedented growth pressures in recent years • Between 2016 and 2021, population increased 27% while BC grew only 7.6% and Canada 5.2% • Ecosystem conversion has already surpassed safe thresholds on some islands The Critical Questions • How many residents and visitors can the islands sustain without compromising the very values the Trust was created to protect? • What level of development is compatible with ecosystem health? • What preserves long-term livability? • Some argue: “It’s not how many people, but how we live.” • But the evidence shows: numbers do matter for sustainability • Each person uses water, creates waste and relies on ferries, roads and services • Population affects ecological resilience and infrastructure Why Growth Limits Matter Environmental Pressures Development harms ecosystems by: • Removing vegetation and fragmenting forests • Impacting wildlife and species-at-risk • Reducing groundwater recharge and ecosystem health The Warning Signs • Significant water trucking is already happening on islands - Gabriola, Galiano, Pender, Mayne, Saturna • Indicates islands may already have exceeded their natural capacity • A Trust-declared Climate Emergency in 2019 adds urgency A Pressure-State-Response-Model Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development • Pressure: Human activities that stress ecosystems • State: The condition of these ecosystems • Response: The policies and actions taken to reduce damage Build-out Numbers: the Missing Piece • Build-out = full development by current zoning • Essential to estimate future population and impacts • Zoning should reflect what the island can actually support What to Measure in Each Island Study 1. Ecosystem Health • species diversity, forest cover, invasive species, water quality 2. Freshwater Availability • balance between human use and ecosystem needs 3. Waste Absorption Capacity • septic system impacts on groundwater and marine life 4. Service and Infrastructure • ferries, roads, health care, housing, schools Key Concerns on Water and Waste • Groundwater sustains forests, wildlife, wells • Rainwater collection and desalination have limits • On-site septic systems do not remove all contaminants Facing the Challenge • Determining growth limits is complex but possible • Political courage will be required • Some landowners may not be able to expand beyond their existing development potential The Precautionary Principle ”A well-informed estima
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