STREAM WORKSHOP
November 22nd, 2001 ~5pm-10pm
Background
Stream integrity and fish habitat protection, growth management, economic opportunity, and recreational values are among the issues requiring attention for sustainability planning and design. The Stream Protection Regulations (SPR) of the Fish Protection Act introduced recently are intended to help guide decision-making regarding streamside-related issues. Nonetheless, questions and concerns have been raised regarding the SPR's role, effectiveness and/or impact on sustainability planning, especially in the urban context.
To explore questions and related issues, and as part of EDRS's monthly program of events, EDRS is planning to design, develop and host a focused workshop involving members of the following constituencies:
- The developer/development community
- The design community (architects, engineers, landscape architects, planners)
- Municipal government (and other levels of government as may be interested)
- ENGOs
- Academic and general public
Goals
Our goal is to attract knowledgeable, open-minded, sustainability-oriented participants who are interested in cooperatively exploring the SPR with a view to identify:
- Strengths of the SPR and supported
- Issues and questions of concern regarding implementation particularly in the urban context;
- Consensus-based suggestions for solutions and next steps.
The event is intended as one step in a series of steps regarding future discussion, planning and implementation of the SPR. Reports of the outcomes of the event are intended to be forwarded to participants and a wider body of constituent groups and organizations.
Workshop Plan
We are targeting participation by 50 people. Participants will work both in small groups and as a whole group. Each small group will include representatives of each constituent group.
The workshop planincludes:
- Visual display boards and information tables to include information and displays from the various constituent groups, and to represent various stream conditions and response scenarios.
- Opening remarks. To set the stage for the workshop, some very brief opening remarks will be made in order to define the task, process and intended outcomes, and to emphasis a focus on sustainability, common interests and issues, and consensus-based solutions/next steps.
- Small multi-stakeholder working groups will work in stages on three common-interest themes during the workshop: (1) supportable elements in the SPR; (2) issues, concerns and questions; and (3) solutions and next steps.
- Dinner (to occur after small group work stage
- Final summary of workshop results and outline of next steps re: reporting.
Post Workshop
Post workshop plans are currently limited to a commitment to prepare a workshop summary for distribution to various agencies, associations and interest groups.
CostEDRS members $35.00 Non-members: $40.00
Note: A grant application has been submitted in order (a) to help cover the preparatory, delivery, and follow-up costs of the workshop, and (b) to provide full or partial funding for participants that might not otherwise be able to attend. In particular, we want to ensure participation by ENGOs who are often excluded from participating in such workshops as a result of cost constraints.
Further Information
If you are interested in participating in the workshop, or would like further information, please contact us. Include "Stream" in the subject line and provide any particulars (organization, 'constituency', etc.) if you wish to participate.
