Salmon-Safe BC

In September 2022 Salmon-Safe BC announced its first certified site on Vancouver Island — BC Transit's new HandyDART site in View Royal. With a salmon-bearing stream running along the perimeter of the site, BC Transit's project team took important measures to preserve and restore the health of the wild salmon habitat and the Craigflower Creek watershed overall. The site design incorporates nine rain gardens to capture and treat stormwater on site before releasing it back into the environment. Restoration of a watercourse will provide an acre of additional instream and riparian habitat.

The Fraser Basin Council manages Salmon-Safe BC —a third-party certification program that recognizes land management practices that better protect Pacific salmon habitat and enhance water quality on agricultural and urban lands. To date, more than 40 BC urban sites, farms and vineyards have achieved Salmon-Safe certification.

The program was introduced in British Columbia in 2011 by the Fraser Basin Council and Pacific Salmon Foundation in collaboration with Salmon Safe in the United States, which has now certified over 95,000 acres of farm and urban lands in the Pacific Northwest and promoted related products in 300 supermarkets and natural food stores.

Since 2018 FBC has been the sole program delivery body for Salmon-Safe BC. There are three opportunities to participate. Take a look!

• Urban site certification
• Design firm accreditation
• Agricultural site certification

Commercial, industrial and residential sites, even those not immediately adjacent to streams, rivers or coastal waters, have long-term cumulative impacts on fish and other aquatic and terrestrial species. Contaminants, for example, can affect groundwater and be transported through storm drains into rivers and marine waters.

Salmon-Safe urban site certification is available to BC municipalities and regional districts, developers and other landowners and property managers in both the private and public sector. The certification can apply to such places as parks and natural areas, college or university campuses, business sites and residential developments in urban, suburban and rural settings. Land with or without watercourses on it can be certified.

Salmon-Safe standards can help landowners and property managers improve urban land management practices by:

• Capturing and infiltrating stormwater on site

• Maintaining a buffer of trees and vegetation along streambanks

• Restoring streams and watercourses that were diverted or buried by previous development

• Increasing the use of permeable surfaces to reduce runoff

• Using integrated pest management techniques to control weeds and pests

• Reducing water use through more efficient irrigation and drought-resistant landscaping

Martin Nielsen of the design firm DIALOG. In February 2021, the Vancouver studio of DIALOG became the first Salmon-Safe accredited firm in Canada, based on its commitment to sustainable design and environmental protection. The Vancouver DIALOG team has developed a number of projects in Metro Vancouver that align with Salmon-Safe BC urban development standards. These include 2150 Keith Drive (an upcoming 10-storey office building in False Creek Flats), a planned six-storey office building in North Vancouver and a new North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Salmon-Safe firm accreditation is available for design consultants, land developers and construction firms that want to respect key principles of urban watershed stewardship while undertaking work on buildings, streets, parking areas and related infrastructure.

Through thoughtful site planning, implementation of low-impact design solutions, and use of eco-friendly materials, site designers have the opportunity to contribute to the restoration of urban watersheds.

Learn more on the Salmon-Safe site: Firm Accreditation

Salmon-Safe works with agricultural producers to adopt agricultural practices that better protect water quality and salmon habitat. Erosion and runoff, excessive irrigation, pesticide use and lack of vegetation are examples of how farms can negatively impact water quality and habitat for fish and wildlife. Salmon-Safe standards help agricultural producers to better protect stream habitat and water quality by:

• Optimizing water use

• Applying natural methods to control farm pests

• Reducing nutrient runoff

• Controlling erosion

• Maintaining healthy riparian and in-stream habitat conditions

• Protecting wetlands and natural areas

• Promoting plant and wildlife diversity