Public consultation and stakeholder engagement plan
Maplewood Marine Restoration Project Public consultation and stakeholder engagement plan
Introduction This public consultation and stakeholder engagement plan guides the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Habitat Enhancement Program as it undertakes public consultation and stakeholder engagement activities for the proposed Maplewood Marine Restoration Project. This plan is aligned with Project and Environmental Review (PER) ‘Category C’ projects as outlined in Section 5: Consultation Requirements of the Application Submission Requirements document, dated November 3, 2017.
This project is required for fisheries habitat offsetting purposes for the proposed Centerm Expansion Project and will be delivered by the port authority’s Habitat Enhancement Program, an initiative focused on creating, restoring and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. The program consists of projects around the Lower Mainland, through which the port authority ensures the viability and sustainability of new and enhanced habitat.
Project background The project is located on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, approximately two kilometres east of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. It lies within a large marine tidal area owned by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, immediately south of a Wildlife Conservation Area. The upland Maplewood conservation area is also owned by the port authority but is managed and administered by Environment Canada and operated by the Wild Bird Trust of B.C.
The project site is located within a deep waterlot basin (up to nine metres deep) that was dredged in the 1940’s to support a gravel extraction business and later used as a log storage facility. This proposed project is anticipated to enhance approximately seven hectares of low-value, deep marine habitat into higher-value marine habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife.
Artist’s cross-section illustration of the proposed Maplewood Marine Restoration Project
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Permitting and approvals Permits and approvals required for the Maplewood Marine Restoration Project will be obtained prior to construction to ensure that the project meets applicable regulatory requirements.
Engagement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on the project initially began in 2012 via the port authority’s Habitat Enhancement Program and continues through the Habitat Enhancement Program and a Fisheries Act Authorization application for the proposed Centerm Expansion Project. Engagement with DFO will continue through project delivery.
The Maplewood Marine Restoration Project will also require a permit through the port authority’s Project and Environmental Review (PER) process. It has been determined that this project will fall under a ‘Category C’ PER project (PER No. 17-278).
In addition, the Maplewood Marine Restoration Project is anticipated to require a review under Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Disposal at Sea process to approve the use of dredged material placement under water as beneficial use.
The District of North Vancouver owns one street-end that extends through the marine basin. VFPA has secured a land tenure agreement to access and construct within this small street- end area, should the project be approved to proceed.
Key stakeholder engagement and public consultation The project team recommends a “consult” level of engagement with stakeholders and the public, per the International Association of Public Participation Engagement Spectrum (Appendix 2), which includes the following:
The project team will obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions The project team will keep public and stakeholders informed, listen and acknowledge concerns and aspirations and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision. We will seek feedback on drafts and proposals A range of consultation and engagement methods will be used to maximize participation Input received during public consultation and engagement will be considered, along with technical information, input from Aboriginal groups, and other considerations, to inform project design
Consultation and engagement audiences As part of consultation and engagement, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority will engage a variety of audiences, including:
Aboriginal groups: Consultation with Aboriginal groups will be, and has been, guided by a separate Aboriginal consultation plan.
Key stakeholders: District of North Vancouver, Environment Canada Pacific Environmental Science Centre, Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia, North Shore Waterfront Liaison Committee, Chemtrade Electrochem Inc. (Canexus).
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Note: Jonathan Wilkinson (MP, North Vancouver and Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard) and Jane Thornthwaite (MLA, North Vancouver- Seymour) will receive communication to inform them of project work. Meeting(s) and/or emails will also be held with or sent to Chloe Hartley, a SFU/BCIT Master's student in Ecological Restoration who is currently examining the association between plant assemblages and bird presence in the Maplewood Flats Conservation Area, as well as the West Coast Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) who, at the request of Tsleil-Waututh Nation, have been contacted to advise about proposed restoration plans and any synergies with WCMRC initiatives in the area.
General Public: Residents of North Vancouver and area
Early stakeholder engagement summary November 2017 Early engagement with key stakeholders began in November 2017 to review the project at a conceptual design stage (30 per cent of design) and to gather input to inform future engagement efforts. In-person meetings were held with the following groups, including phone conversations where relevant:
District of North Vancouver – Richard Boase and Janine Ryder Environment Canada Pacific Environmental Science Centre – Graham van Aggelen and Barry O’Regan Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia (WBT) – Irwin Oostindie, Dan Straker, Ernie Kennedy, Kevin Bell and others, including SFU/BCIT Master's student (Ecological Restoration), Chloe Hartley North Shore Waterfront Liaison Committee (presentation at November 23, 2017 meeting) Government (project communication via email): o Jonathan Wilkinson (MP, North Vancouver and Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard) o Jane Thornthwaite (MLA, North Vancouver-Seymour) West Coast Marine Response Corporation (via email and phone) – Trevor Davis
The project team also engaged two BCIT/SFU students conducting research and restoration projects in the area; these students are working closely with the WBT on their work.
Information gathered from the feedback from all groups and individuals noted above included the following: Interest in learning more about the proposed project as preliminary work continues; Interest in supporting public consultation that’s anticipated to take place in 2018; and A request that public consultation materials include information about if and/or how public access to the mudflat immediately adjacent to the Maplewood Flats Conservation Area would be affected by the proposed project.
This feedback will be incorporated into the material developed for public consultation that’s proposed for fall 2018, as noted below.
February through spring 2018 Starting in February 2018 through spring 2018, the project team continued engagement with the District of North Vancouver, Environment Canada Pacific Environmental Science Centre, Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia and North Shore Waterfront Liaison Committee
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Over 50 residents near the Maplewood Flats Conservation Area were also notified in April 2018 for a specific part of this spring fieldwork (related to PER 18-042). This work included an environmental and geotechnical drilling investigation at the site, which took place during evenings and weekends. The project team answered one question from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation band office regarding overnight lighting (on the drilling barge) for this work but received no public complaints.
Public consultation As a ‘Category C’ PER project, it is proposed the project team holds one round of public consultation in fall 2018 to provide input on the project. Public consultation would include the following:
A three-week consultation period, with a two-week notification period Consultation materials, including a discussion guide and feedback form (hard copy and online) One three-hour open house at Corrigan House, located on the Maplewood Flats Conservation Area in North Vancouver, with informational display boards and informed project team members to speak to the project An online survey posted on PortTalk A consultation summary report and consideration memo developed by Kirk & Co., demonstrating how input was and will be considered in project refinement
A separate but parallel consultation process with Aboriginal groups has been undertaken by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and will continue throughout project development.
Notification The port authority will use a variety of notification tactics to ensure that stakeholders and the general public are aware of opportunities to provide input and participate in the spring 2018 public consultation process.
Public notification will include the following: Two advertisements in the North Shore News community newspaper Email distribution to the Habitat Enhancement Program list of subscribers Phone call/email invitations to key stakeholders Postcard mail distribution to nearby residents Promotion of engagement opportunities on Port of Vancouver social media channels Notification to key stakeholders of the Centerm Expansion Project
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Timing The following is an anticipated timeline for key stakeholder engagement and public consultation for the project:
Timing Activity November 2017 Key stakeholder engagement through spring 2018 Individual meetings and ongoing communication with the following groups: o District of North Vancouver o Environment Canada Pacific Environmental Science Centre o Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia Project overview communications via email with the following government representatives: o Jonathan Wilkinson (MP, North Vancouver and Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard) o Jane Thornthwaite (MLA, North Vancouver- Seymour) o West Coast Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) Fall (September- Public consultation – concurrent with the port authority’s PER October) 2018 process Prepare notification materials; advertisements, postcard, social media posts, etc. (two-week notification period) Prepare consultation materials; discussion guide, display boards, etc. Undertake consultation (three-week consultation period) Report out on consultation (summary report and consideration memo) Late summer 2019 Project construction start (Earliest) Construction communications to be undertaken, as needed
Draft key messages The following are draft project key messages:
About the project The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is proposing to develop the Maplewood Marine Restoration Project for two purposes: o For use as a habitat offset for the proposed Centerm Expansion Project, pending approval from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) o To proactively create functioning habitat to provide a balance between a healthy environment and future development that may be required for port operations. The Maplewood Marine Restoration Project will be developed and delivered by the Habitat Enhancement Program, a port authority initiative focused on creating, restoring and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. The Maplewood project is currently in the ‘design development’ and ‘permitting and approvals’ phases, and requires permits and approvals through the port authority’s Project and Environmental Review (PER) process and other regulatory reviews.
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Following completion of these regulatory reviews, the earliest Maplewood Marine Restoration Project construction could start is expected to be fall 2019, for a period of approximately eight months. To mitigate potential impacts to fish and fish habitat from construction, most work would be scheduled to occur within the annual least-risk work window for Burrard Inlet (August 16 to February 28). For any work that occurs outside of this least-risk window, appropriate mitigation measures would be put in place. The project team is working closely with Aboriginal groups and engaging stakeholders and regulators. The project design may change based on further consultation and technical input.
Project components The Maplewood Marine Restoration Project consists of one site located on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, approximately two kilometres east of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge in North Vancouver. The proposed marine site was selected for habitat enhancement because of its current relatively low habitat values, and based on input from Aboriginal groups. The site was proposed as the preferred habitat offsetting site by Tsleil-Waututh Nation during engagement on the Centerm Expansion Project. The project would enhance approximately seven hectares of low-value marine habitat into high-value marine habitat. The restored marine habitat is anticipated to provide long-term benefits for fish and invertebrates that depend on marine vegetation for rearing habitat, along with other fish and wildlife species such as waterfowl and wading birds. As is the case with all Habitat Enhancement Program projects, we will undertake annual site monitoring that’s guided by biologists and coastal engineers to ensure biophysical objectives were met and the enhanced habitat continues to function well.
Appendix 1: List of key stakeholders The following are key stakeholder organizations and contacts:
District of North Vancouver o Richard Boase, Environmental Protection Officer, Planning, Properties & Permits . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 604.990.2365 (office) o Janine Ryder, Property Services Agent . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 604.990. 2455 (office) Environment Canada Pacific Environmental Science Centre o Graham van Aggelen, Manager, Pacific Environmental Science Centre . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 604.903.4444 (office) Wild Bird Trust of B.C. o Irwin Oostindie, President . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 604-929-2379 (office) o Ernie Kennedy, Site Caretaker . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 778.881.5300
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o Chloe Hartley, SFU/BCIT Master's student (Ecological Restoration) . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 778.322.7108 North Shore Waterfront Liaison Committee o Alycia Majorkiewicz-Ata, Municipal Liaison, VFPA . Email: Alycia. [email protected] . Phone: 604.665.9177 (office) Chemtrade Electrochem Inc. (Canexus). . Phone: 604-929-1107 Federal government representative o Jonathan Wilkinson, MP, North Vancouver and Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 604.775.6333 / 1.613.995.1225 Provincial government representative o Jane Thornthwaite, MLA, North Vancouver-Seymour . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 604.983.9852 / 1-250.387.2796 Provincial government representative o Bowinn Ma, MLA, North Vancouver-Lonsdale . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 604.981.0033 /1.250.387.3655 North Shore Streamkeepers o Glen Parker . Email: [email protected] North Vancouver Save Our Shores Society o Maureen Bragg . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 604.985.7272 North Shore Fish and Game Club . Email: [email protected] West Coast Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) o Trevor Davis, Southcoast Area Manager . Email: [email protected] . Phone: 778.865.7575
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Appendix 2: International Association of Public Participation Spectrum of Engagement
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