The Town of Gibsons and its partners in the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) were recognized last week with a Real Estate Foundation of BC Land Award.
The MNAI was declared winner for not-for-profit enterprise in the Land Use and Conservation category.
The Land Awards celebrate “big ideas and bold leadership in land use, sustainability and real estate … and recognize projects that understand smart land use decisions lead to better possibilities for the future.”
First developed in the Town of Gibsons, the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative aims to provide local governments with the resources they need to identify, value and account for natural assets in their financial planning and asset management programs, helping them reduce infrastructure costs and create leading-edge, sustainable and climate resilient infrastructure.
“Restoring the ecological integrity of our natural assets, such as our watersheds, forests and wetlands, is crucial to our ability to withstand the impacts of an already changed climate,” said Gibsons chief administrative officer Emanuel Machado. “That’s why it’s so important that land use planning encourages development that is restorative.”
The Town’s partners in the MNAI include the David Suzuki Foundation, the Smart Property Institute and Brooke and Associates.
