200 - 1627 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8R 1H8 Telephone (250) 405-5151 Fax (250) 405-5155 Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 660-2421. Elsewhere in BC 1.800.663.7867 Email [email protected] Web www.islandstrust.bc.ca September 26, 2013 File Number: 0420-20 via e-mail: [email protected] The Honourable Steve Thomson Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations PO BOX 9049, STN PROV GOVT. Victoria BC V8W 9E2 Dear Minister: Re: Shoreline Tenures on Bowen Island I am writing at the request of the Bowen Island Municipal Council to ask that your ministry postpone the approval of new shoreline dock tenures on Bowen Island until the municipality can adopt local land use bylaws to regulate dock location and construction. As you know, Bowen Island is within the Islands Trust Area, established by the province almost forty years ago to preserve and protect the environment and unique amenities of BC's southern coastal islands. Careful planning and management of our island shorelines are consistent with this provincial objective, as reflected in both the provincially-adopted Islands Trust Policy Statement and the protocol agreement between the Islands Trust Council and your ministry. While the Islands Trust Act and Policy Statement encourage careful shoreline management, they also provide for local determination as to how this should be implemented. To this end, we understand Bowen Island Municipal Council is now in the midst of an extensive public process to develop appropriate shoreline bylaws, which could be in place later this year. Wise management of Bowen Island’s significant shoreline is in the provincial public interest articulated in the Islands Trust Act, which encourages cooperation from all coastal land use regulators. This cooperation would be demonstrated by holding any new applications in abeyance until Bowen Island Municipal Council can complete its important land use planning process. Sincerely, Sheila Malcolmson Chair, Islands Trust Council [email protected] cc: Bowen Island Municipality ([email protected]) The Honourable Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development ([email protected]) Keith Anderson, Manager Authorizations, FLNR ([email protected]) Jordan Sturdy, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky ([email protected]) Bowen Denman Hornby Gabriola Galiano Gambier Lasqueti Mayne North Pender Salt Spring Saturna South Pender Thetis .