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FREMP
> Estuary Management Plan > Pitt
River Reach Overview > Background
Features
and Functions Approach
A “features
and functions approach” is an ecosystem-based, collaborative
and flexible approach to management which includes estuary and upland
features, while taking into account the biological, economic and
social characteristics of the river. The approach attempts to reveal
and protect the underlying needs within a reach given its various
economic, social, biological and cultural attributes. The approach
is particularly useful tool for the Fraser River Estuary Management
Program (FREMP) as it requires managers to look beyond the immediate
intertidal and riparian zones to understand the role of each reach
within the Fraser, and the function of the Fraser River in the region
as a whole.
A features
and functions approach provides a useful vehicle for consolidating
the existing site conditions and future management considerations
within a reach to allow for more integrated land use decisions between
private, municipal and other interests.
Estuary
Management Plan for the Fraser River
An
ecological features and functions approach to management and decision
making in the Fraser River estuary is a key element of the updated
Estuary Management Plan (EMP). The Plan was updated in 2003 and
includes an “Integration” Action Program that has as
its objective: Develop and implement a features and functions approach
to management and decision-making in the estuary. Our task is to
develop Reach Overviews for the estuary, and start with one Reach
Overview  to
test out the approach.
Click
here to view map of the estuary’s reaches (PDF, 350kb)
Within
the FREMP boundaries ten reaches have been identified, many of which
fall under more than one municipal jurisdiction and federal or provincial
Authority. Each reach has its own unique character and flavor –
from the brackish reaches of the lower Arms to the Fresh Water Channels
nearing Kanaka Creek.
Where
FREMP area designation agreements do not exist, a reach overview
detailing partner and municipal needs will provide future planning
guidance to both FREMP partners and municipalities. Where Area Designation
Agreements are in place, a reach overview will provide a broader,
river-based view of adjoining plans, policies and objectives. It
will situate those designations within the ecological context of
the reach, as opposed to municipal boundaries. The reach
overview is similar to a local  area
plan – it is a
forward looking document offering
guidance for a given area – as opposed
to more formalized Area Designation.
Click
here to see the colour coding and industrial sites along the northern
part of the Pitt River (PDF, 2MB) |
