The Corporation of Delta
Fraser River Delta Ramsar Wetland of International Significance
Delta Council Meeting November 5, 2012 The Corporation of Delta Ramsar Designation • The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) called the "Ramsar Convention" is an intergovernmental treaty that embodies the commitments of its member countries to maintain the ecological character of their Wetlands of International Importance and to plan for the "wise use", or sustainable use, of all of the wetlands in their territories The Corporation of Delta Ramsar Designation Background • Originally started as a Burns Bog project, however Delta, working with the Canadian Wildlife Service, BC Ministry of Environment and Metro Vancouver identified a larger ecological area to propose for the designation • Burns Bog ECA, Burns Bog boundary parcels, Boundary Bay WMA, Serpentine WMA, South Arm Marshes WMA and Sturgeon Bank WMA • Proposed a“Fraser River Delta Ramsar Site” – Over 20,000 hectares in area The Corporation of Delta The Corporation of Delta The Corporation of Delta Wildlife Management Areas
Sturgeon Bank
South Arm Marshes
Roberts Bank Boundary Bay The Corporation of Delta Ramsar Designation • Application submitted to Federal Government in July 2011 • Followed up by meeting with Federal Minister of the Environment and letters from Mayor Lois E. Jackson urging the submission of the application to the Ramsar Secretariat • Minister Kent recognized Mayor Jackson for her role in championing the nomination • Formally announced on September 22, 2012
The Corporation of Delta Ramsar Implications • International designation is not regulatory – symbolic and raises international profile of wetland sites and their ecological importance • Fraser River Delta Site is recognized for its international ecological importance for migratory birds and fish species and diverse habitats that support a multitude of species The Corporation of Delta Recommendations • THAT letters of appreciation from Mayor Lois E. Jackson on behalf of Delta Council, be sent to the senior government agencies and other municipalities that contributed to and supported the Ramsar designation application • THAT a letter be sent from Mayor Lois E. Jackson to the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations in support of the addition of the Roberts Bank Wildlife Management area to the Fraser River Delta Ramsar site