Severn Sound Sustainability
Bill introduced Keith Sherman, Director of the Severn Sound Environmental Association which has been charged by its funding communities to do a sustainability study of the watershed. Sally Leppard is the founder and President of LUNA, the firm contracted to carry the study out. Sally has worked on projects like this for the Hamilton Harbour and other senstivie areas.
Sally thanked the Club for the opportunity to speak which is part of an approach to 'collaborative facilitators of community knowledge'. She said the study was just the start of what would be a 40 year process.
42 hot spots were identified by the Great Lakes Water Quality Remedial Plan in the 1980's and the Severn Sound watershed basin is one of only 3 that have been delisted as an area of concern in the interim. The success of the 9 collaborating communities in this and in the Picture This initiative, which Rotary was a partner in, encouraged them to embark on a sustainabiltiy plan.
With so many jurisdictions the first step was to establish who's responsible for what. The Province is responsible for drinking water, species at risk and roads. The County takes care of Sewage, Natural Resources, some other roads and solid waste. The municipalities oversee land use planning, drinking water quality and parks, etc. Non Governmental Organizations contribute their assistance, money and participate in things like Land Conservancy.
Only 2 municipalities, Penetang and Midland, are completely within the watershed and that leaves 7 to decide if they want to implement recommendations in those areas within their boundaries that are not inside it. Most have. The area includes 1,000 square kilometres, hundreds of miles of shoreline, 110,000 permanent residents and 300,000 seasonal ones.
The pressures on the watershed affect our quality of life, the ecological balance and local economic prosperity. Different people have different ideas of what sustainability is. For their purposes, the SSEA defines it as meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the needs of the next generations or, not living above our means. They are trying to work towards a philosophy that encourages the leaving of more behind than we take.
Given these successes, why does the watershed need another plan? By 2031 projections have our population increasing by a third which is another 45,000 people and this will have an effect on resource consumption, on services and on the environment. The intent is to base the plan on the values of the local communities.
The Vision is to see all aspects of a sustainable community in place in each of the 9 jurisdictions. So far the authors have held public meetings, visited fairs and other public events and spoken to over 11,000 people, to advisory organizations, and to Councils. The primary goals are the protection of the environment, especially the water; the minimization of sewage production; enhanced air quality and action on climate change.
Strategies include the protection of Natural Heritage and biodiversity, the reduction of consumption, conservation, shoreline protection and waste management. They also hope to promote Community well being through active living, cultural identity, getting nature included in the curriculum, expanded volunteerism, a balanced economic base and a balance between production and consumption. They hope to promote the consumption of locally grown food, of cultural tourism and e communications.
They have a strong level of support from their communities and are currently asking them to identify their priorities and to support the appointment of the SSEA as steward, providing annual monitoring and progress reports.
Steve thanked Keith and Sally for coming and talking about something which will have an impact on all of us living in the area.