With the updated Estuary Management Plan in 2003, we have developed a new Action Program to integrate the different components of the Plan. Links exist between Action Programs and many interrelated tasks. We also need an integrated view of the River that recognizes the linkages between reaches and between shoreline and upland areas. Natural and human systems reliant on the Fraser River do not operate in isolation of one another, so while the FREMP boundary is on the wetted side of the dike, achieving a healthy ecosystem means the Plan must reflect the linkages between land, air and water.

The Integration Action Program includes an objective of implementing a "features and functions" approach to management in the estuary, including the preparation of Reach Overviews for the ten reaches (or ecological segments) we have identified in the estuary.

Features and Functions Approach
A"features and functions" approach identifies the natural and human processes that need to be preserved in any given location, then identifies the types of activities that can occur in the places without compromising these processes. Rather than focusing on specific resources, the approach attempts to reveal and protect the underlying needs within a system.

To apply the features and functions approach to effectively manage the Fraser River estuary, we need to consolidate information about policies, plans and regulations affecting shoreline activities. A Reach Overview will provide a summary of the ecological, economic, social and cultural importance of specific reaches in the estuary. It will also document and consolidate all of the current plans (federal, provincial, municipal, regional and port), policies and regulations in place for the reaches of the estuary. A valuable outcome of reach overviews will be the identification of issues and areas where consensus exists between the various plans and where it does not. From this, we may be able to identify strategies to address long-term planning and development in the reach.