| Summary: | The negative contribution of stream habitat loss to fisheries sustainability in BC has been
recognized. Thus, the impact of urban development on streams has become a critical aquatic
resource issue. Responsibility for protecting streams from urban development impacts is
distributed among all levels of government, and different management processes have
evolved to address limitations of this fragmented governance structure. Referral processes
have been established to allow senior government input into urban development, but are time
consuming, inconsistent, and somewhat reactive. Provincial planning processes support more
proactive decision making, but are unable to implement urban stream protection. Local
processes have only recently been introduced to fill management gaps and better address
urban stream issues.
The goal of this thesis is to analyze urban stream management processes in BC and evaluate
a new pilot initiative as a local mechanism for improving these processes. To achieve this goal,
a program evaluation framework is created and used to evaluate a pilot initiative between the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, and the
Regional District of Comox-Strathcona. This initiative was developed to improve the existing
system for reviewing aquatic habitat impacts of urban development proposals. Information on
the case study was collected from interviews, documents and records, case examples, and
observations.
Key strengths of the pilot initiative included a committed local government, supportive senior
agencies, sharing of information and resources, and opportunities for education. Key
weaknesses included limited public involvement, lack of a regulatory framework, and lack of a broader watershed perspective. Based on the case study evaluation, local processes can
improve opportunities for urban stream protection. Critical factors for local urban stream
management programs include local commitment and support, senior agency involvement, and
public involvement. Local programs need to strike a balance between consistent stream
protection and regulatory flexibility, and should be part of a larger watershed-based
management approach. Results of these local efforts may not be seen over the short term, but
initiating local programs to proactively integrate stream protection into urban development can
help protect aquatic and fisheries resources over the long term.
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