A delegation from the Ruby Lake Lagoon Society that presented the new biodiversity strategy for the Sunshine Coast to the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) planning and development committee last week was delighted to receive the ongoing support of all the members.
Biodiversity covers all living things on Earth, and many jurisdictions are taking action on the topic because of concerns about observed declines in species diversity and abundance.
"The SCRD directors and staff have provided both moral and financial support to this important com-munity-led initiative to identify and protect biodiversity on the Coast, and it is very important to keep them informed and involved as further progress is made," said Michael Jackson, chair of the Ruby Lake Lagoon Society. "We will keep coordinating our efforts in research and planning with all levels of government at all future stages as we expand the number of people and groups involved."
The Sunshine Coast biodiversity strategy, written by Michele Evelyn and Jackson, lays out six primary goals to ensure the protection and enhancement of biodiversity throughout the SCRD. These key goals include community engagement, scientific research, local prosperity, economic valuation, innovative policy-making, and parks protection.
The strategy document, created after more than two years of collaborative effort with hundreds of dedicated individuals from all walks of life and numerous coastal groups, is now available on the SCRD and Lagoon Society websites. The next step of the process, development of a detailed action plan by summer 2014, is now underway.
Organizers hired by the Lagoon Society through funding provided by the Real Estate Foundation and the Vancouver Foundation will be reaching out to community members and groups, focusing especially on people who attended the Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Summit in June 2013.
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