Letter re Howe Sound Biosphere Region

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Bowen  Denman  Hornby  Gabriola Galiano  Gambier  Lasqueti  Mayne  North Pender  Salt Spring  Saturna  South Pender  Thetis 
 
 
200-1627 Fort Street, Victoria BC  V8R 1H8 
Telephone  (250) 405-5151    Fax  (250) 405-5155 
Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 604.660-2421.  Elsewhere 
in BC 1.800.663.7867 
Email  information@islandstrust.bc.ca 
Web  www.islandstrust.bc.ca 
 
 
December 2, 2019 
 
via e-mail: howesoundbri@gmail.com 
 
 
File No. 4700-20 
Ruth Simons 
Chair, Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative 
PO Box 465 
Lions Bay, BC V0N 2E0  
 
 
 
Dear Ms. Simons: 
 
Re:  Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society 
 
I am writing on behalf of the Gambier Island Local Trust Committee (LTC) to heartily endorse the nomination by the 
Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society (HSBRIS) to designate Alt’ka7tsem/Howe Sound as a UNESCO 
Biosphere Reserve. 
The Gambier LTC is part of the Islands Trust, which is a unique federation of local governments with a legislated 
mandate to “preserve and protect the trust area and its unique amenities and environment”. 
While the Trust Area encompasses much of the marine and island areas in the Canadian portion of the Salish Sea, the 
Gambier Island Local Trust Area encompasses much of the proposed Biosphere Region, including most of the marine 
area and all of the islands with the exception of Bowen Island Municipality (which is also a member of Islands Trust). 
As Chair of the Gambier LTC, I have already signed an endorsement of the application document and we wish to 
provide an additional letter of support. Our mandate at the Islands Trust and the purpose and objective of the 
Biosphere Region mesh in many ways, including:   
a. The Reconciliation Declaration adopted by the Islands Trust commits our organization to engaging with and 
working in cooperation with Indigenous Peoples. In addition, we have committed to the implementation of 
the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the recommendations of the Truth and 
Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action.     
b. The islands in Howe Sound are within the boundary of the Coastal Douglas-fir and Associated Ecosystems 
Conservation Partnership, important to protecting these rare and threatened ecosystems. Our work on 
maintaining these ecosystems is reflected in the application.    
 
 
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Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative 
December 2, 2019 
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c. Over 1600 ha are protected within the Gambier LTC, including provincial parks, Islands Trust Conservancy 
lands, marine protected areas and regional parks, all of which would serve well as core preservation areas 
within the proposed Biosphere Reserve. The Islands Trust continues to work diligently to protect and enlarge 
these areas and hope to work with the Squamish Nation in the future to create new conservation areas 
d. The Gambier LTC has hosted three Alt’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Community Forum gatherings over the past six 
years and is committed to the work of that for

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