Ten objectives have been identified by the Islands Trust as being relevant to its work for the next three years and islanders have been invited to weigh in. The Islands Trust Council is looking for feedback that will inform strategic priorities for the 2011 to 2014 term of office.
Sheila Malcolmson, chair of Islands Trust Council, announced the consultation phase by explaining that the "trust council needs to focus its work this term on a few important priorities, and we want to know what really matters to islanders. Which of the ten proposed objectives are best for the next few years? Is there anything missing?"
Malcolmson added that the draft now circulating is based on what trustees have already heard from islanders and from discussions at committee meetings over the last six months. "To make the best use of our budget and staff time, we need to set specific and realistic objectives to focus on during our term. We are asking British Columbians to get formally involved in offering advice."
The ten objectives are based on the three primary goals in the Islands Trust's policy statement that focus on ecosystem preservation and protection, stewardship of island resources, sustaining island character and healthy communities and the overarching goal to do this work in cooperation with others.
The ten objectives under discussion are the protection of the natural environment of islands, the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems, the reduction of the impacts of climate change, the protection of the quality and quantity of water resources, the protection and restoration of community and socio-economic diversity, the increase of local food production, enhancing community economic sustainability and security, strengthening relations with First Nations, improving organizational cost and operational effectiveness and enhancing community engagement and participation
Islanders can submit their input by fax, mail or e-mail: [email protected]. They can also address the Islands Trust council in person, complete a survey and participate in an online discussion. The latter two options are hosted at a new online consultation tool called PlaceSpeak.com. Malcolmson said that, "all written input received by the end of July will be considered by Trust Council's committees in August, so I hope we will get broad participation in the survey this month. Input received after that will go to the Trust Council meeting in September and be considered before council finalizes the strategic plan."
Details are available from the Islands Trust website at www.islandstrust.bc.ca/strategicplan.cfm. Trust Council will review all the submissions and consider adopting its strategic plan at its September 11 to 13 public meeting on Bowen Island.
