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Where is the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve?
When was Clayoquot Sound designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve?
What does it mean to our communities to have Biosphere Reserve status?
What is the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and what does it do?
The Canada Fund endowment was initially allocated at $12 million, where does it stand now?
Biosphere Reserves are areas of land and marine environments, which are internationally recognized by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation) Man and the Biosphere Program. They are nominated by national governments and must meet a set of criteria before being designated.
Biosphere Reserves have legally-protected core areas (which give long-term protection to landscapes and ecosystems),buffer zones (where activities are organized so they help support the conservation objects of the core areas), and zones of co-operation (where people work together to use the area's resources in a sustainable manner).
Biosphere Reserves promote and demonstrate a balance between people and nature. While Biosphere Reserves are not parks and the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve has no jurisdiction over land-management issues, they do serve to combine the four functions of conservation, sustainable economic development, community health, and support for research, education, and training.
Biosphere Reserves form a World Network. Within this Network, exchanges of information, experience and personnel are promoted, in particular among Biosphere Reserves with similar ecosystem types and/or with experience in solving similar conservation and development problems.
The Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is situated in the central western region of Vancouver Island in British Columbia and covers an area of about 3,500 square kilometers — approximately the size of Prince Edward Island.
It extends from Esowista Peninsula in the south to just north of Estevan Point. It includes both land and marine areas. The Reserve area totals 350,000 hectares, of which 110,000 are parks and Ecological Reserves.
The Reserve falls within, and is adjacent to, the traditional territory of the Nuu-chah-nulth Central Region First Nations: Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Ucluelet and Toquaht.
The Reserve encompasses a vast range of ecosystems, including large tracts of temperate rainforest, many lakes, rivers and streams, alpine slopes, inshore marine areas, mudflats and estuaries, and wild coastal beaches.
Core areas of the Reserve include the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park reserve and over 95,000 hectares of provincial parks.
In January 1999, the communities of Clayoquot Sound, in partnership with federal and provincial governments, officially applied through the Canadian Commission for UNESCO to nominate Clayoquot Sound as British Columbia's first international Biosphere Reserve.
On January 21, 2000, after many years of effort by local First Nations and Communities, UNESCO designated the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve.
On May 5, 2000, representatives of First Nations, local governments, the province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada and UNESCO were joined by local residents to officially commemorate the designation of Clayoquot Sound. Then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was in attendance to announce a $12 million endowment fund for the Biosphere Reserve, known as the Canada Fund.
In a region once fragmented by controversy over land use management, the UNESCO Biosphere designation united people and communities in a shared vision and common interest — an understanding of Hishuk-ish ts'awalk (Everything is one and interconnected) — and an abiding sense of caring for their surroundings and the future of their communities.
Clayoquot Sound was British Columbia's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Reserve encompasses a vast range of ecosystems with core areas including the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and 16 provincial parks.
Biosphere Reserves are internationally recognized for promoting and demonstrating a balance between people and nature through equal support and promotion of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
The UNESCO designation of Clayoquot Sound brings with it recognition, respect and acknowledgement of:
The Reserve designation acknowledges aboriginal title and rights, and does not prejudice ongoing treaty negotiations.
The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) was established in 2000 as the organization responsible for upholding the spirit and intent of the Biopshere Reserve designation.
The CBT is a legally-established non-profit society responsible for both the management of the Canada Trust Fund and the development of guidelines for program funding from the income earned from the Fund.
The CBT has a 10-person Board of Directors (one Director appointed by each of the five Central Region First Nations, one by Tofino, Ucluelet, and Area C of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, and two directors-at-large). The CBT also has a small staff that currently includes an Executive Director, a Community Coordinator and an Office Manager.
The CBT is not a resource management, planning or governance body — its mandate is to advance the spirit and intent of the UNESCO Biosphere designation by initiating and sustaining partnerships, programs and projects in support of research, education and training opportunities towards healthy and sustainable communities in the Biosphere Region.
After engaging the residents of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Region in a public consultation process the CBT Board adopted a Community Vision for the Biosphere Reserve Region, a Mission Statement and a set of Strategic Goals & Objectives.
The Community Vision for the Biosphere Reserve Region is:
The Community of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Region will live sustainably in a healthy ecosystem, with a diversified economy and strong, vibrant and united cultures while embracing the Nuu-chah–nulth First Nations "living" philosophies of Iisaak (Living respectfully), Qwa' aak qin teechmis (Life in the balance), and Hishuk ish ts'awalk (Everything is one and interconnected).
In the spring of 2000 the Clayoquot Biosphere UNESCO Biosphere Region received a $12 million endowment from the Federal Government. The CBT Constitution provides that the capital of this endowment, known as the Canada Fund, is invested to earn income for two purposes:
Not long after the formal launch of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust in the summer of 2000, a significant downturn in the stock market caused the principal of the Canada Fund to fall below $11 million. As stock markets recovered through late 2001 and into 2002, the Canada Fund once again rose above the level of the initial endowment. As of September 2007, the principal of the Canada Fund stood at $14.6 million.
The CBT is committed to developing fund raising strategies to enhance the value of the original endowment Fund.
In spring 2005, the CBT Board agreed to a new approach to community consultation and engagement through the formation of five volunteer-based advisory Committees in the areas of marine/aquatic, terrestrial, education, culture and community development.
In the establishment of these Committees the Board hopes to achieve broader community awareness of the CBT's Vision and Mission, more inclusive and active participation of community members, informed input and advice on project proposals and spending priorities, and strategic feedback into annual CBT business planning processes.
The Committees provide support and make recommendations to the Board of Directors for the approval of community based research, education, training, capacity building and building healthy communities. Committees consider and advise upon conservation, sustainable economic development and healthy community goals, priorities and projects from both a region-wide and long-term perspectives.
Residents are encouraged to speak to CBT Board members and CBT staff to learn more about the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation and the activities of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust.
Individuals interested in becoming actively involved in CBT activities through an Advisory Committee should contact the CBT Community Coordinator.
All CBT Board and Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public and are held throughout the region — residents are encouraged to watch for meeting announcements in the local newspapers and attend these meetings.
Residents are also encouraged to attend CBT sponsored community events held throughout the year in the Clayoquot Sound region.
Clayoquot Biosphere Trust
PO Box 67
Tofino, British Columbia
Canada V0R 2Z0
Phone 250-725-2219 (Tofino) 250-726-2086 (Ucluelet)
Fax 250-725-2384 (Tofino) 250-726-2087 (Ucluelet)
www.clayoquotbiosphere.org