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that exist presently or are known to have existed in
the Lower Mainland.
Environmental protection has to address both the
more natural hillside and upland areas, and the val-
ley floor where human settlements and farming have
reshaped the landscape. Environmental policies aim
not only to preserve the natural features, but to man-
age human activities, especially in the urban-nature
interface areas.
It is challenging to balance development and environ-
mental protection, requiring a variety of management
tools, including bylaws, guidelines, best practices and
standards. The majority of environmental protection
legislation falls within provincial and federal jurisdic-
tion, but the City is also able to play a significant role
through education as well as oversight of develop-
ment and land use decisions. It is important for the
management approach to be adaptable in order to
remain effective through changing conditions and in
light of new knowledge.
OBJECTIVES
1. Preserve and augment the City’s environmental
assets, which define our community character
and quality of life.
2. Promote development that protects and inte-
grates natural land and aquatic features, main-
tains biodiversity,
and ensures the
ongoing benefits
of
ecosystem
services;
3. Embrace sustain-
able development principles to build complete
neighbourhoods that reduce demands on natural
resources and impacts on the environment.
(See Goal 5, Build Healthy, Attractive Communi-
ties Policies.)
POLICIES
1. Develop environmental design guidelines to help
future development adopt best practices that
minimize its ecological footprint, including water
and energy conservation, and preservation of
environmental features.
2. Implement environmental management require-
ments specific to hillsides, through the Hillside
Development Standards Policy and Development
Permit Area 2 and 8 guidelines.
3. Establish environmental indicators to monitor
the City’s progress toward identified environ-
mental goals.
4. Adopt a sustainability checklist in the application
process to evaluate proposed developments’
environmental, social and economic contribu-
tions to the community, and to inform public and
private decision-making.
5. Ensure community planning incorporates the
following:
a. Overall environmental protection;
b. Special protection accorded to species and
ecosystems that are at risk;
c. Enhancement and remediation of creeks,
wetlands and riparian habitats;
d. Preservation of wildlife corridors, viewscapes
and other sensitive features; and green link-
ages to prevent smaller natural areas from
being isolated.
6. Through environmentally sensitive areas map-
ping (Maps 6 and 10) and the development per-
mit process, inform the public, the development
industry, decision makers and all stakeholders
about environmentally and geologically signif-
icant areas that need protection and enhance-
ment.
7. Under the provisions of Development Permit
Areas 2 and 3, initiate environmental impact as-
sessments when development applications raise
concerns about wildlife and habitats (Maps 6),
species at risk (Map 10) and watercourses (Map
8A and 8B).
Ecosystem Services’
benefits
include clean wa-
ter, crop pollination and
food production, climate
and disease control and nu-
trient cycles.
Goal 4 - Protect the Environment