It’s not an overall plan for Howe Sound, but it may be the next best thing, Ruth Simons says.
For the past couple of years the Future of Howe Sound organization has called for a comprehensive management plan for the waterway. But after gathering support from the area’s municipalities, provincial officials made it clear that it wasn’t going to happen.
“They don’t have an interest in going into any planning,” the Future of Howe Sound executive director said, noting government officials said they don’t have the resources nor time.
Back at the drawing board, Future of Howe Sound members charted a new course. This year the province rolled out a tool to guide resource use, while providing opportunities to assist with improving environmental outcomes. The new Cumulative Effects Assessment Framework (CEA) quickly became the focus of meetings between regional officials and provincial staff, Simons said.
“[The CEAs] help the province understand residents values and the area’s resources,” she said.
Howe Sound could be a part of a pilot project in one of the province’s first CEAs, Simons said. Organization members still have questions regarding the process and the outcome of the framework. But the pilot project would bring the province to the table and accumulate data, Simons said.
All stakeholder groups and First Nations will have a voice in the process and area residents’ visions and values will be captured, she said. The assessment would not halt any industrial proposals currently slated for Howe Sound, such as the Woodfibre LNG plant, Simons added.
The new paperwork could fill in some gaps, Squamish Coun. Patricia Heintzman said, noting provincial environmental assessments don’t examine the cumulative effects of projects.
“[CEA] is a piece in understanding The Sound and its future,” she said.
The issue will be on the Howe Sound Community Forum’s agenda on May 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Totem Hall.
