NEWS
The judging panel for the 2023 International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Core Values Awards noted: Your submission impressed the international jury, where one jury member thought the project was amazing. “Indigenous reconciliation is a major theme in public policy decision making in Canada right now, and an important consideration for meaningful engagement with project interest-holders and rights holders. I loved how this project integrated Indigenous perspectives and values into their engagement approach.”
2023 PLANON VISION AWARD: PLANNING PROCESS
Oct. 18, 2023
NADF and EcoPlan
NADF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION TOOLKIT: BUILDING BIMADIZOWIM:
As a follow-up to Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund’s (NADF) Comprehensive Community Planning Toolkit, the Project Implementation Toolkit is a practical guide, grounded in the context of First Nations in Northern Ontario.
THE KWIKWASUT’INUXW HAXWA’MIS FIRST NATION CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THEIR AWARD WINNING CCP
Sep. 7, 2023
KHFN make the news again with another big step in implementing their Comprehensive Community Plan, which was supported by EcoPlan. This time it is new camping facilities at Buddy Bay, near the village of Gwa’yas’dums.
ECOPLAN IN ALASKA – 2 MAJOR PLANNING AWARDS AND A APA FEATURE BLOG!
Februrary 21, 2022
APA Feature: The Power of Planning in a Remote and Rural Context
EcoPlan International and the City of St. George Alaska win two major planning awards:
- Canadian Institute of Planners – National Planning Award for Planning Excellence (July 2021)
- American Planning Association – Western Planners Award (August 2021)
REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY RELEASED FOR PEMBERTON AREA
July 26, 2021
EcoPlan International provided technical economic development analysis and planning support to the participating community representatives at the Economic Development Collaborative table which resulted in the successful Regional Economic Development Strategy for Pemberton area.
ECOPLAN IS SUPPORTING A TREATY FIRST NATION JOIN THE STRATHCONA REGIONAL DISTRICT AS MEMBER GOVERNMENT
February 2, 2021
The Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nation (KCFN) is one step closer to joining the Strathcona Regional District, as the two bodies met last week to look into details around the process and what to look forward to after KCFN becomes a full member on April 1, 2021.
CONGRATULATIONS TO UNANGAN COMMUNITY OF ST. GEORGE, ALASKA!
January 8, 2021
In January 2020, EcoPlan International helped St. George with the development of their Economic Development Strategy: Rebuilding Our Future – Kayutuuxtxin Tanagnangin Igayuusalix angagiimchin agnaxtxichin ( https://www.stgeorgealaska.org/). A key component of this was the development of a new harbour. In December 2020, the US Federal Government passed the Water Resources Development Act approved St. George Harbor development. The bill will authorize $164 million for St. George’s navigation improvements. The project will provide for the operability, safety, and reliability of the St. George Harbor, as promised by the federal government, to aid the economic transition from fur seals to commercial fishing on the Pribilof Islands.
ECOPLAN’S TECHNICAL EVALUATION SUPPORT OF THE STEWARDSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM SHARED BY COASTAL FIRST NATIONS
November 10, 2020
In the fall of 2019, the Coastal Stewardship Network (CSN), a program of Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative (CFN), retained EcoPlan International to support an evaluation of their Stewardship Technician Training Program (STTP). The evaluation informed on-going program design and delivery of STTP; shared the STTP story with stewardship departments, participating communities, and funders; and, provide information for other on-the-land/ on-the-water training programs, communities or institutions currently conducting, or interested in creating, Indigenous stewardship training programs. CFN decided to conduct a participatory co-evaluation of STTP with EcoPlan to bring forward the program and students’ successes and learnings. EcoPlan provided experience and expertise in program evaluation and working with coastal First Nations. The evaluation drew on the experience and perspective of those involved as well as academic literature and case studies. Click here to view.
ECOPLAN INTERNATIONAL IS WORKING WITH UNITED NATIONS TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT: “GLOBAL BUILDING OF ECONOMIC RESILIENCE DURING AND AFTER COVID-19”
October 1, 2020
EPI, contracted with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and working with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as the two executing agencies, is supporting the development of a global project document as well as providing technical analysis and planning support of Covid 19 recovery efforts in in Accra (Ghana), Yaoundé (Cameroon) and Harare (Zimbabwe). The implementing partners are United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA), Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the technical collaboration partners are United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
SURREY COASTAL FLOOD ADAPATION STRATEGY WINS AWARD OF PLANNING EXCELLENCE
July 16, 2020
Surrey Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy wins Award of Planning Excellence (Merit) for Climate Change Planning: The Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy (CFAS) is a multi-year undertaking that identified the current and potential impacts of climate change on Surrey’s large coastal floodplain area—a long-term strategy to reduce climate change-driven coastal flooding risks. Launched in 2016, and one of the first programs of its kind in Canada, CFAS blended a value-based, participatory planning approach with an innovative structured decision-making component. The in-depth, robust technical analysis helped develop a range of strategic actions to make coastal communities more resilient to the challenges ahead.
SPECIAL ISSUES FOR IMPACTS TO CULTURAL SERVICES SEMINAR ON CONSULTATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
June 22, 2020
The seminar is presenting a framework applications and case studies for using multicriteria attribute theory and structured decision support to avoid impacts, mitigate for, or restore cultural services.
SEMINAR & PAPER ON THE USE OF STRUCTURED DECISION SUPPORT FOR VALUING LOST CULTURAL BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL INJURIES
JUNE 10-12, 2020
As part of the 5th International Conference on Environmental and Economic Impact on Sustainable Development, Trousdale and Hanson present a method for scaling the value of threatened or lost non-material cultural services associated with environmental injuries based on a structured decision support (SDS) approach, which draws from decision sciences (e.g., multi-criteria attribute) and negotiation theory (e.g., interest based). It has been successfully applied in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups in Canada and the US. The value of the benefit of cultural services or goods is estimated by scaling “Benefit-to-Benefit” when possible. In some contexts the use of “Benefit-to-Cost” method of scaling is sometimes warranted. Neither approach for scaling relies on direct comparisons of cultural benefits with economic values.
ECOPLAN’S ANNE-MARIE WHITAKER HELPS CUMBERLAND TO BE ‘AGE-FRIENDLY’ FOR SENIORS
January 17, 2020
Older residents still make about a sizeable portion of Village population. If Cumberland has young families moving in, there are still many seniors in the community. At the same meeting as a presentation on local child care demand and resources, council was presented with a report on how to make Cumberland more “age-friendly.”
COASTAL FLOODING ADAPTATION STRATEGY (CFAS) HONOURED WITH INAUGURAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION AWARD FROM THE COMMUNITY ENERGY ASSOCIATION
September 16, 2019
The City of Surrey was honoured with the inaugural Climate Adaption award from the Community Energy Association at this year’s Union of BC Municipalities Convention. EcoPlan is a key member of the project consulting team led by Northwest Hydraulics. With a recent $76 million grant from the Federal Government through their Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund, the City of Surrey is moving to implement early CFAS actions.
WILLIAM TROUSDALE PRESENTS ON INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND VALUE DRIVEN PLANNING TO A FULL HOUSE AT THE WESTERN PLANNERS CONFERENCE
September 10, 2019
In a joint session with Emigdio Ballon and Gailey Morgan of Pueblo of Tesuque, William presented on the integration of western scientific knowledge and Indigenous knowledge in the context of climate change. Further he provided a case study on how Swinomish Tribal Community integrated methods derived from decision science and behavioral research with local protocols and community participation. A paper is soon to be published (contact william@ecoplan.ca if interested in receiving a copy).
WILLIAM TROUSDALE INVITED TO JENA UNIVERSITY IN GERMANY
August 8, 2019
In June, William Trousdale was invited to Jena University in Germany to give a seminar on Structured Decision Support and Negotiation to graduate students of the Applied Ethics and Conflict Resolution program. The introductory seminar explored how ethics, which gives “big picture” support to a decision based “Value Approach” can advance “pragmatic ethics” principles.
COASTAL ADAPTATION PLAN – FRASER RIVER FORESHORE WINS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN PLANNING (GOLD)
May 8, 2019
EcoPlan was honoured with an Award of Planning Excellence (Gold) in the Research & New Directions in Planning category from the Planning Institute of BC. Working with Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Connect Landscape Architecture and the City of Vancouver, the Coastal Adaptation Plan – Fraser River Foreshore is one component of a larger, multi-year undertaking to determine the risk, consequences, vulnerability, and adaptation opportunities for Vancouver to address future sea level rise and flooding from the the Fraser River.
ECOPLAN WINS A 2019 PIBC AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PLANNING (GOLD) IN RESEARCH AND NEW DIRECTIONS IN PLANNING
May 8, 2019
The City of Vancouver’s Coastal Adaptation Plan (CAP) – Fraser River Foreshore is a path-breaking approach to values-based coastal adaption planning. With EcoPlan’s support, the project used a participatory, values-based approach to engage residents and other partners, including Musqueam Indian Band. The felt that “the plan addressed the urgency for action regarding climate adaptation, with a public education focus and a great framework for other communities to use.”
CONGRATULATIONS ABBOTSFORD!
February 15, 2019
Abbotsford has been named a Global Top7 Intelligent Community, 2019
We hope our support with your Economic Development Strategy and Innovation Forums contributed to this impressive honor: