Activities
1. We monitor key land use issues and Islands Trust-related events on each island.
2. We influence Trustees to support our mission and objectives, and support them when they do.
3. We influence senior levels of government to help preserve and strengthen the Islands Trust and protect the terrestrial and marine habitats of the islands.
4. We inform and educate politicians and the public about the environment and communities of the islands and the purpose and role of the Islands Trust. This includes media outreach, membership services, and various gatherings to enable communication and action and maintain a collective, inter-island identity between supporters.
Priorities
The Islands Trust
The Gulf Islands Alliance encourages active implementation of the Trust mandate by staff and Trustees. We will support the Trust’s efforts to fully and effectively apply existing powers (bylaw enforcement, in particular) and resolve issues of equitable funding and representation. We will help influence the province to give the Trust additional powers to meet our islands’ needs.
Environment
1. The Gulf Islands Alliance supports the conservation of island landscapes and ecosystems. Our island ecosystems are finite, threatened and in need of greater protection. We will work with the Trust, other levels of government, and private landholders to ensure the careful stewardship of species and ecosystems at risk.
2. The Gulf Islands Alliance advocates for new marine protected areas and particularly for expansion of the proposed National Marine Conservation Area to safeguard ocean wilderness in the Trust area. We will educate and engage our members and work with the Trust to support the creation and good management of marine protected areas.
3. The Gulf Islands Alliance works to further freshwater conservation. In particular, we want rainwater catchment systems to be required in new homes and businesses in the Trust area, with retro-fitting incentives for existing structures.
4. The Gulf Islands Alliance supports a wide range of approaches to address climate change. We engage our members to implement individual and community solutions to the climate crisis. We urge the Trust to develop a suite of climate-related planning practices for use throughout the islands.
Community
The Gulf Islands Alliance supports socio-economic plans that are environmentally-based, sustainable and equitable. We encourage island-wide dialogue and resulting islands’ sustainability initiatives. We want to ensure that our rural island communities remain resident-based, diverse and affordable.