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Environmental Planning
Environmental planning balances ecological considerations with
community development and economic demands. This requires developing
both short and long-term strategies that will minimize environmental
impacts associated with urbanization.
Environmental planning works across a range of scales, from detailed site specific plans to regional and more comprehensive plans such as:
Identifying and effectively addressing environmental issues does
not happen in isolation. It requires working with an
interdisciplinary team that have expertise in biology, planning and
engineering and consulting with various groups including developers,
stakeholders, community associations, city councils, special
interest groups and non-profit organizations.
Integrating environmental values and goals into all planning
processes will help ensure that environmental risks are identified
and that mitigation strategies are developed and implemented.
Proactive environmental planning is essential if urban development
is to proceed in a sustainable and environmentally sound way.
Local Government Department
The Local Government Department participates in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of environmental initiatives in conjunction with other ministries and organizations at the provincial and local level. The Department helps local governments advance community sustainability by promoting comprehensive plans and developing legislation, regulations, tools and strategic polices that support effective environmental management practices, including recovering resources from waste.The Department represents the Ministry regarding major projects reviewed
by the BC Environmental
Assessment Office under the Environmental Assessment Act and works with local
governments to ensure that infrastructure projects funded under the
Department's Capital Grant
Programs meet environmental and resource conservation conditions.
Local governments undertaking long-term comprehensive plans or related
feasibility studies are eligible to receive funding up to $10,000 from the Local
Government Department's Infrastructure
Planning Grant Program. Joint initiatives that encourage
innovation and capacity building in local government planning and
decision-making may be eligible to receive funding from the
Smart Development
Partnership Program.
Environment Planning Policies and Bylaws
Local governments are increasingly developing polices and bylaws that promote ecologically responsible development and show a commitment to environmental, economic and social stewardship. Land use planning and decision making is strengthened by having policies and bylaws that recognize the value of a healthy environment. Local governments across BC are establishing policies and bylaws that:- decrease automobile dependency
- promote urban densification
- encourage low impact rainwater (stormwater) management
- minimize habitat loss
- protect trees
- support the establishment of new greenways and trails
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- improve energy efficiency
- promote green buildings
- reduce impervious surfaces
- conserve water
- protect water courses, riparian areas, species at risk and environmentally sensitive areas
Forms
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Legislation
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Maps & Statistics
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Publications
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Subject Index
Department Staff Directory
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Local Government Directory
