ADAPTING TO CHANGE AND UNCERTAINTY

LESSONS FROM THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA

Chad Day

School of Resources & Environment

Simon Fraser University

Dave Marshall

Fraser Basin Council

Vancouver, British Columbia

PLANNING, MANAGEMENT, IMPLEMENTATION

• Compare Columbia Basin with three large-scale governance systems

• How effective are our decision-making systems?

– policy options, predicting risk, acting early, responding to uncertainty?

– Promote sustainability in basin?

• Examples: CALFED, PSWQ Action Team, Fraser Basin Council, Columbia

Evaluative Criteria

• Legislation– Comprehensive– prioritized– enforceable– public involvement

• Adaptive planning, implementation, monitoring– Clear goals, priorities, targets– Range of initiatives– Public evaluation of outcomes– Ecosystem based

Evaluative Criteria

• Representation

– All interests at decision table

• Financing

– Sustainable and adequate

• Leadership

– Innovative, political support

• Outcomes

– Promoting social, economic, & environmental sustainability

CALFED Bay-Delta Program

Problems– Ecosystem Quality

– Water supply and quality

– Levee reliability

1995 FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION– coordinated approach to CA economy, water, &

environment

Framework forAction (1995)

CALFED Bay-Delta Policy Group

Record ofDecision (2000)

Federal Agencies State Agencies

Resources Agency

- Department of Water Resources

- Department of Fish & Game

- Reclamation Board

- Delta Protection Commission

- Department of Conservation

- San Francisco Bay Conservation

and Development Commision

California Environmental Protection Agency

- State Water Resources Control Board

Department of Health Services

Department of Food and Agriculture

Department of the Interior

- Bureau of Reclamation

- Fish & Wildlife Service

- Geological Survey

- Bureau of Land Management

Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Department of Agriculture

- Natural Resources Conservation Service

- Forest Service

Department of Commerce

- National Marine Fisheries Service

Bay-Delta Advisory Council (30+ Representatives)Agriculture Urban Rural Environment Business Fishing

CALFED Accomplishments 2000

Watersheds

WaterManagement

Storage

Conveyance

DrinkingWater Quality

WaterMarkets

LeveeIntegrity

ProgramGovernance

EnvironmentalWater

Water UseEfficiency

EcosystemRestoration

Public AdvisoryBodies

CALFED

• Legislation

• Adaptive

• Representation

• Financing

• Leadership

• Sustainability

• Promising program

• Yes

• Agencies decide Stakeholders advise• $879 MM in 2000

• Strong political, support

• Time will tell? Too late?

Puget Sound Ecological Problems

• 7million now; 9 in 20 years• Marine species: 220 fish, 26 mammals, 100 birds• 3 listed fish, many fish and bird declining• 70% of tidal wetlands lost, 33% shorelines

changed, shellfish beds down 25%, sediments contaminated in urban areas

• Public education and research• Action Team implements

Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team

• Restore and protect biological health and diversity– Wetlands & aquatic habitats– Pollutant elimination

• Partnership framework-all interests– 12 counties, 122 cities

• Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan (CWA)-6th iteration since 1987

• Biannual PSWQ work plan• Sound + basin

Puget Sound Water Quality Planning and Management

Puget SoundCouncil Members (12)

Puget Sound Water QualityAction Team (17)

Chair: Governor’s Representative

Washington State

(2) State House of Representatives

(2) State Senate

Other Interests (Goveneor)

(1) Agriculture

(1) Business

(1) Cities

(1) Counties

(1) Environmental Community

(1) Shellfish Industry

(1) Tribes

Chair: Governor’s Representative

United States Federal

(1) Environmental Protection Agency

(1) Fish and Wildlife Service

(1) National Marine Fisheries Service

Washington State

(1) Agriculture

(1) Community Development

(1) Conservation Commission

(1) Ecology

(1) Fish and Wildlife

(1) Health

(1) Natural Resources, Public Lands

(1) Outdoor Recreation

(1) Parks and Recreation

(1) Transport

(1) City Mayor

(1) County Council

(1) Tribal Environment

Puget Sound

Water Quality

Management Plan

Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team

• Legislation

• Adaptive

• Representation

• Financing

• Leadership

• Sustainability

• Focused, clear, supportive

• Yes

• Agencies decide, public advise

• Adequate

• Innovative, inventive, adaptive

• Impressive beginning, Time will tell?

A Few Statistics

The Fraser Basin:

• Headwaters commence high in the Rocky Mountains and flow 1377 km to sea

• Constitutes 25% of the land mass of BC

• Is home to 2.7 million people - and growing!

• Produces 80% of the provincial economic output & contributes 10% of Canada’s GDP

• Is undammed on its main stem and major tributaries

FBC Vision...

“Social well-being supported by

a vibrant economy and sustained by a healthy

environment”

The Council is Governed by Four Directions:

The Fraser Basin Council:A Unique Model of Governance

A balanced and flexible partnership, comprised of:

“4 Orders” of Canadian Government (Federal, Provincial, Local , First Nations)

+

Private Sector

+

Civil Society

Board Structure36 Director Board:

• Federal Government (3)

• Provincial Government (3)

• Local Government (8)

• First Nations (8)

• Regional Representatives (10)

• Basin-Wide Representatives (4)

What makes the Council Unique?

• Brings broad range of individual perspectives together to achieve common ground toward sustainable solutions

• Acts as catalyst, sustainability educator, facilitator, and jurisdiction and conflict resolution agent

• Develops new modes of co-operative decision-making

• No legislated “teeth” - instead, uses dialogue toward decision-making

What does the Council DO (and not do)

• Typically the Council is invited to become involved

• Issues are often long-standing unresolved sustainability challenges

• Solutions demand inclusive and representative participation carried out in a safe and equal environment

• Focus on meaningful action on the ground

• NOT a think-tank

• NOT an academic exercise or research unit

• NOT a regulator

FRASER BASIN COUNCIL

• Legislation

• Adaptive

• Representation

• Financing

• Leadership

• Sustainability

• None, done through Council Partners

• Definitely

• Consensus Based Decision-Making

• Innovative and growing

• Influential and effective

• Fundamental

COLUMBIA BASIN

How to Consider Threats like Climate Change?• 1961 Columbia Basin Treaty-industrialized• Hydroelectricity, flood control, navigation,

irrigation, • urban, industrial, recreation lower priority• Recently ecology• Federal-provincial dominance: Corp, BPA,

BCH, BoR, Forestry and BLM 55% of U.S. basin

COLUMBIA BASIN INSTITUTIONS

• NPPC: States and tribes – Fish policy secondary now to ESA under

NMFS + U.S. Fish & Wildlife– Power policy

• Which forum(s) should consider climate change in Columbia?

Technical Management TeamNational Marine Fisheries Service

Corps of Engineers

Bonneville Power Administration

Bureau of Reclamation

US Fish and Wildlife Service

States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana

13 Tribes

Selected Columbia Basin Committees

Columbia River Treaty EntitiesBonneville Power Administration

Corps of EngineersBC Hydro

International Joint CommissionBoards of Control

Commission on Environmental Cooperation/NAFTA

Technical Management Team

• TMT Guidelines 5j (dam & reservoir operations)“Member of the public may comment on an issue or agenda item at the end of the meeting. They may also comment outside the TMT process.”

• No nongovernmental interest group members on TMT

• NPPC and Montana are not members• Does not reflect diversity of interests in basin

Northwest Power Planning Council

Implementation byBPA Corps BofR FERC etc..

Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority4 state Fish and Wildlife managers

13 Tribes

Power Committee(One member per State)

Fish and Wildlife Committee(One member per State)

Idaho State (2)Oregon State (2)

Montana State (2)Washington State (2)

Addressing Climate Change?

• No forum where all interests can work toward consensus decisions on such questions

• No international forum where all interests meet on regular basis

• Have all parts of orchestra but no conductor• No coordinating institution like CALFED,

PSWQAT, CBC• Difficult to achieve consensus, not impossible

Columbia Basin• Legislation

• Adaptive process

• Representation

• Financing

• Leadership

• Sustainability

• Not yet integrated

• Yes generally; climate?

• No

• Adequate

• Need coordinating body shared decision making

• Time will tell?