The Comox Valley Conservation Strategy (CVCS), a community partnership of ten local environmental groups, has serious concerns with the proposed Comox Valley Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) Draft Approach to Growth.

“We can’t endorse the proposed RGS Draft Approach to Growth at this time,” says David Stapley, CVCS Project Manager. “The approach presented does not entrench the conservation principles and recommendations of the Comox Valley Conservation Strategy as outlined in the report, Nature Without Borders.”

Nature Without Borders outlined a framework for regional conservation planning in the Comox Valley by identifying a network of connected natural areas that forms the basis for long-term protection of human health, wildlife and plant habitat, and biodiversity. In 2008, the Valley’s local governments unanimously endorsed regional conservation planning, as described in the NWB report, as a "first step in growth management."

“If regional conservation is to be the first step in growth management, it must be a primary directive of the RGS,” said Jack Minard, a coordinator for the CVCS and a recent recipient of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce Environmental Initiative Award. “The RGS must entrench three key principles that form the basis of the NWB framework: (1) the Precautionary Principle, (2) habitat connectivity; and (3) protection of ecosystems and the environmental services they provide. The current proposed Comox Valley RGS Draft Approach to Growth does not establish or entrench these scientifically supported principles.”

“The RGS conservation features map that shows Sensitive Ecosystems but not the wildlife corridors connecting them, can be compared to a community land use map that does not show roads and other infrastructure needed to support human settlement; the required information for sound decision-making is deficient,” explains Jack Minard.

In addition to the omission of wildlife corridors, the CVCS has identified additional gaps in the proposed RGS Approach to Growth. Stream, lake and ecosystem buffers and protection for remaining wetlands do not appear on the RGS conservation map. Long-term protection of the Courtenay River Estuary is not ensured and solid direction to protect and restore sensitive ecosystems is absent.

“If these principals and a clear direction are not firmly established in the RGS they will likely be overlooked,” argues Jack Minard. “It is essential that the RGS, as the over-arching, regional strategy governing the future development of our region, direct environmental policies for all Comox Valley communities. Without the environmental safeguards recommended in NWB, the Valley will continue to lose ecologically sensitive lands, natural areas, and biodiversity.”

“The opportunity to truly balance human settlement with the ecology of our extraordinary Valley over the long term has been missed in this document. The ecological integrity of the region will be irreversibly diminished,” said Minard.

The CVCS group members include: Project Watershed, Comox Valley Land Trust, Tsolumn River Restoration Society, Comox Valley Water Watch Coalition, Milliard-Piercy and Portugese Creek Watershed Stewards, Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society, Morrison Creek Streamkeepers, Oyster River Enhancement Society and the Comox Valley Environmental Council.


For more information contact:

Jack Minard, Local Government Implementation Team Coordinator
(250) 897-4670