Innovative subdivision design to retain valued community and environmental assets

A covenant was placed on the entire property which specifies protection of the common open space and the trail that crosses the back of the property was returned to the Crown through the BC Recreation, Sites and Trails program. [...] The report shifts back and forth between tools and examples of their use in BC and beyond, and information from interviews on the potential relevance of these tools in the Northwest, particularly in the Bulkley Valley and in the case studies. [...] The OCPs of the Town of Smithers, the Village of Telkwa, and the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako have content that emphasizes the importance of the protection of the natural environment and the importance of recreation – in the first two jurisdictions, trails are specifically mentioned. [...] The development approval process is expected to adequately consider and protect these values (RDBN 2014) The goals of the general plan that are relevant to this project include the following (excerpted): (3) limit rural development to the minimum level necessary to support the region’s economic and social needs, and make the best use of areas of existing development. [...] Environmental objectives and policies are found in Appendix C. In the preamble to the Natural Environment (4.2) objectives the Plan notes: The natural environment is the foundation of the economic, ecological, and social viability of the Plan area.