Sustainable Land Use. Public Opinion Highlights on Land Use, Sustainability, and Rural Planning in British Columbia. January 2019 HIGHLIGHTS REPORT

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1 HIGHLIGHTS REPORT Sustainable Land Use Public Opinion Highlights on Land Use, Sustainability, and Rural Planning in British Columbia January 2019 Sustainable Land Use in BC 1

2 Land use is the human use of land the management, conservation, and change of natural environments, built environments, and semi-natural areas to support human settlement and communities. Sustainable land use enables people and ecosystems to thrive within nature s limits, while minimizing harmful impacts on the land, air, and watershed caused by human activities. January 22, The survey described in this report was conducted by McAllister Opinion Research, on behalf of the Real Estate Foundation of BC. The full version of this report is available at bit.ly/slupoll. The Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) is a philanthropic organization that helps advance sustainable land use in British Columbia. We give grants to non-profit organizations working to improve BC communities and natural environments through responsible land use, conservation, and real estate practices. Our grants can support research, education, and policy analysis. Since 1988, REFBC has approved more than $85 million in grants. McAllister Opinion Research uses leading edge qualitative and quantitative research techniques to help clients understand constituencies that matter. Since 2001, McAllister has worked with a wide range of clients in Canada and the United States, including universities and colleges, government agencies, environmental organizations, and private companies. McAllister is a qualified member of ESOMAR, the international professional body for opinion research.

3 What We Learned British Columbians value nature, the environment, and climate and see these as key to quality of life (and to the BC identity). BC residents see sustainability as central to their economic future. The majority will choose environmental protection over economic growth. Sustainable land use is easy to understand. Specialized terms like natural capital and cumulative impacts can confuse people Residents support strong penalties (including jail time!) for companies and people who pollute or degrade the land and water. First Nations are important partners in land use planning. BC residents understand that working together is a core Canadian value. While housing affordability and cost of living are top concerns, residents don t want to see development on farmland or floodplains. 7 8 British Columbians want to see local needs prioritized over other interests. Residents support funding for local decision-making. Priorities and values vary by region. Climate change is a top concern in most parts of the province. Research Methodology In the summer of 2018, McAllister Public Opinion Research conducted an online survey of 1,658 British Columbia residents. Participants were recruited from a panel designed to replicate a cross-section of the BC population. Survey data has been weighted according to Statistics Canada figures on province, region, age, and gender. The margin of error is +/- 2.41%, 19 times out of 20. For more details on survey methodology, please see the full report at bit.ly/slupoll. Sustainable Land Use in BC 3

4 1. Environment, nature, and quality of life. From dense rainforests to snow-topped mountains to rolling hills and grasslands, British Columbia offers a gorgeous mix of landscapes and ecosystems. Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland boast Canada s mildest winters. It s no surprise, then, that BC residents place a high value on the province s natural beauty and moderate climate. When asked about top contributors to quality of life in their region, the top two responses were environment (41%) and climate (22%). In contrast, affordability continues to be a top concern for British Columbians. When asked about threats to quality of life, participants cited cost of living (18%), cost of housing (11%), and population increase (11%). BC the beautiful. Nature, the environment, and climate are top contributors to quality of life, and key to the BC identity. Unsurprisingly, costs of living and housing are the most-cited threats to quality of life. 41% 22% Contributors to quality of life 6% 6% 4% 3% 3% 3% Threats to quality of life 6% 1% 2% 3% 9% 11% 11% 18% Natural beauty, the environment Climate Friendly people, tolerance Safety and peace Lifestyle Cleanliness Freedom Economy Depleted natural resources More traffic Overdevelopment Pollution Global warming Population increase Cost of housing Cost of living Just one in two (54%) participants rate quality of life in their region as excellent or good. Interestingly, BC residents tend to have a rosier view of the past and a less optimistic view of the future: participants were almost twice as likely to describe past quality of life (75%) as good or excellent than future quality of life (42%). Who is most optimistic about quality of life? Residents of Vancouver Island and the Southern Interior Homeowners Retirees aged 65+ University graduates, tradespeople Who is least optimistic about quality of life? Residents of Metro Vancouver and Northern BC Renters Younger adults aged 18 to 49 People with high school or non-trades college education 4 Real Estate Foundation of BC

5 2. A sustainable. Service-producing industries (e.g. real estate, tourism, technology) make up about 75% of BC s gross domestic product (GDP). 1 However, resource industries (e.g. oil and gas, forestry, mining) play a large role, especially in rural and northern communities. Looking forward, the majority of BC see sustainability as central to their economic future. When asked to choose a future that appealed to them, poll participants were most likely to select scenarios with environmental themes. The top three choices were sustainable (53%), clean energy (34%), and green (25%). More traditional economic descriptors like resource (16%), value-added (16%), and export (11%) were reasonably popular. In contrast, labels like industrial (9%) and extraction (3%), which could be seen as threatening to BC s natural environments, were the least popular with poll participants. Environment or? When forced to make a choice, BC residents favour environmental protection over economic growth by a margin of 3:1. In public debate, many commenters position the environment and the as opposing interests. (Whether or not this is true is a subject for another report.) To understand the public s priorities, we asked poll participants to choose between two statements: BC residents want a sustainable future. Poll participants desire sustainable, clean energy, and green economies above industrial and resource economies. Sustainable Clean energy Green Locally-based Smart Resource Value-added Information Export Low-carbon 16% 16% 13% 11% 11% 25% 21% 21% 34% 53% Protecting the health of BC s land, water, and natural ecosystems should be a priority, even at the risk of slowing down economic growth. (69%) Economic growth should be a priority in BC, even if the health of our land, water, and natural ecosystems suffers to some extent. (24%) Nearly three-quarters (69%) of respondents chose environmental protection over economic growth. A minority (8%) of participants selected other, which could indicate unsureness or a desire to balance both priorities. Sharing Service Industrial Extraction Other None of the above 9% 9% 9% 3% 1% 6% 1. Source: 2018 British Columbia Financial and Economic Review. Ministry of Finance. August Sustainable Land Use in BC 5

6 3. Sustainability works. Jargon doesn t. The word sustainability resonates with British Columbians. Poll participants are familiar with terms like sustainable land use and sustainable land use management and can (correctly) link these terms to agriculture and food security, nature and the environment, responsibility to future generations, and renewable resources. Unsurprisingly, the public is less familiar with industryspecific terms like natural capital, land stewardship, ecosystem-based management, and cumulative impacts. Organizations using these terms in public communication run the risk of confusing or alienating their audiences. When poll participants were asked to define these concepts using word associations: Sustainable land use produced a rich set of keywords, including: resources, farming, future, good, agriculture, and environment. Sustainable land management triggered more bureaucratic associations with words like: use, resources, development, and agriculture. Natural capital was associated with resources and not much else, which suggests that the term does not resonate with the public. 65% of BC residents agree that sustainable land use matters a lot. Specialized terms can confuse audiences. General terms, like sustainable land use (management) are more familiar. Sustainable land use management Sustainable land use Cumulative impacts Ecosystem-based management Land stewardship Natural capital 39% 36% 36% 34% 53% familiar 49% Sustainable land use matters Two-thirds (65%) of participants agree that sustainable land use matters a lot, when defined as taking care of and using the land in a way that does not harm the ability of the next generation of people living in your community to meet their needs. Finally, when describing criteria for land use decisionmaking, residents cite sustainability in their top three values: protecting nature and the environment (25%), long-term sustainability (15%), and local citizens/public interest (11%). 6 Real Estate Foundation of BC

7 4. Punish polluters, protect land and water. Land, water, and wildlife are central to the BC identity and residents are protective of these natural assets. Resource extraction carries some risk of environmental damage, whether that s water contamination from a tailings pond, shoreline erosion from cutting trees, or salmon decline due to human activity. In response to these threats, the majority (81%) of poll participants support strong penalties, including jail time, for companies and people who pollute or severely damage natural habitat. 81% of BC residents support strong penalties, including jail time, for companies and people who pollute or severely damage natural habitat. Paying for restoration Ecosystem restoration to repair habitat and reintroduce native species can be costly. When asked about ways to finance this work, 81% favour approaches that require large resource users to pay into a fund for full restoration after logging, mining, or oil and gas extraction. In comparison, just 65% support offering tax breaks to incentivize resource users to restore degraded habitat. This difference in support could suggest that residents want resource companies to pay up, that they don t trust resource companies to care for the land and water, or both. Residents also support preventative measures: 79% of poll participants agree with hiring and training more frontline staff in all regions of the province to monitor and enforce laws related to land use and conservation. 5. First Nations are important partners. First Nations have been caring for the land and water since time immemorial. Their territorial rights, traditional knowledge, and cultural values make First Nations important partners in land use planning and decision-making. BC residents understand that working together with mutual respect is a core Canadian value. When asked about reasons to ensure First Nations participation in land use decisions: 86% of participants agreed that we are neighbours and friends and we need to live together. 81% of participants agreed that working together is the Canadian way. Sustainable Land Use in BC 7

8 6. Land protection is a high priority. While housing affordability and cost of living are top concerns, especially in Metro Vancouver, residents do not want to see development on farmland, floodplains, or sensitive environments. When asked about specific priorities, a majority (52%) of participants support new housing, yet support for the expansion of cities (26%) and towns (22%) was much lower. This difference could suggest growing public support for density, perhaps through infill or missing middle housing. 2 When asked, without prompting, to list land use priorities for their region, poll participants came up with synonyms for nature and conservation (27%), farming and food production (20%), and housing (17%). When asked about priorities for the province, British Columbians name habitat for bird, fish, and animals (66%), local food security (62%), and large-scale wind, solar, and geothermal power (61%) as their top three land uses. Other priorities related to conservation, such as parks and protected areas (60%) and natural watersheds (54%) also rank highly. Moreover, the majority (59%) of British Columbians say at least half of public land should be off-limits to resource extraction and industrial development activities like logging, mining, and oil and gas extraction. Top 10 land use priorities for the province. BC residents place high value on sustainable land uses like habitat, local food, and green energy. 1. Habitat for birds, fish, and wildlife (66% say top or high priority) 2. Local food security (62%) 3. Large-scale wind, solar, and geothermal power (61%) 4. Parks and protected areas (60%) 5. Natural watersheds (54%) 6. New housing (52%) 7. Local ecoomic development (50%) 8. Hiking, camping, and outdoor recreation (48%) 9. Ecotourism (42%) 10. Beauty and spiritual values (35%) 2. In 2016, the Real Estate Foundation of BC commissioned an opinion survey on the built environment. In that survey, 81% of participants said they would support at least some high-density development, if it is low rise. (Source: Public Views on Sustainability and the Built Environment. REFBC. McAllister Opinion Research. February 2016.) 8 Real Estate Foundation of BC

9 7. Local needs first. When making choices about land use, resources, and development, BC residents want to see local needs prioritized over federal, international, and corporate interests. When making these decisions, the five factors as rated most important by poll participants are: 1. Local needs for food, energy, and water (84% say extremely or quite important) 2. Needs of future generations (83%) 3. Protecting land and water from pollution/degradation (81%) 4. Combined, long-term impacts (78%) 5. Fair, transparent, and democratic process (78%) In another question, we asked participants whether local or provincial needs should come first. Nearly half (48%) of participants agreed that land use management decisions should place the most emphasis on providing for the wants and needs of local communities. One-quarter (26%) of participants took the opposite view: the interests of all BC residents should come before the wants and needs of local communities. One-quarter of participants said they were unsure. Given the strong interest in local decision-making, it s not surprising that a strong majority (80%) of participants agree with establishing local decisionmaking bodies to ensure that all local citizens have meaningful input into land use decisions. When restated to include mention of funding to pay for land use decision-making, agreement fell slightly to 69%. Keep it local. BC residents are twice as likely to prioritize local needs over provincial interests. Land use decisions should place the most emphasis on providing for the wants and needs of local communities. (48%) Unsure / no opinion. (26%) The interests of all BC residents should come before the wants and needs of local communities. (26%) Sustainable Land Use in BC 9

10 8. Different regions, different priorities. What you care about depends on where you live. In the Lower Mainland, 79% of residents cite cost of living and affordability as a concern. They re also more likely to be concerned about climate change (+3%) and overdevelopment (+3%). On Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, affordability and climate change are top concerns. Residents are more likely than other British Columbians to report concerns about mismanagement of natural resources (+4%), degradation of land and wildlife habitat (+4%), and the influence and power of large corporations (+4%). In the Southern Interior, which includes the Okanagan and the Kootenays, residents are less concerned about affordability (-7%), yet are somewhat more likely to flag jobs and economic development (+4%) as an issue. In the North, residents are significantly more likely to say they are concerned about mismanagement of natural resources (+14%) and environmental pollution (+10%), and somewhat more likely to be concerned about corruption in government and politics (+6%) and conflict over land, water, or resources (+5%). Notably, climate change is a majority concern in most areas of the province. Top land use concerns, by region. Cost of living and climate change are top concerns in most parts of the province. Top concerns on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast 1. Cost of living and affordability (77% -1%) 2. Climate change (59% 0) 3. Mismanagement of natural resources (57% +4%) 4. Degradation of land and wildlife habitat (57% +4%) 5. Influence and power of large corporations (56% +4%) Taxes (56% -7%) Top concerns in Northern BC 1. Cost of living and affordability (71% -7%) 2. Mismanagement of natural resources (67% +14%) 3. Environmental pollution (61% +10%) 4. Taxes (61% -2%) 5. Corruption in government and politics (58% +6%) Top concerns in the Lower Mainland 1. Cost of living and affordability (79% +1%) 2. Taxes (65% +2%) 3. Climate change (62% +3%) 4. Overdevelopment (53% +3%) 5. Degradation of land and wildlife habitat (53% 0) Corruption in government and politics (53% +1%) Top concerns in the Southern Interior 1. Cost of living and affordability (71% -7%) 2. Taxes (61% -2%) 3. Degradation of land and wildlife habitat (54% +1%) 4. Climate change (53% -6%) 5. Jobs and economic development (53% +4%) What do the numbers mean? (% saying quite or extremely concerned difference from BC average) 10 Real Estate Foundation of BC

11 Start with community engagement. It s clear that British Columbians care about sustainable land use and are committed to protecting sensitive habitats and ecosystems. In many regions, climate change is a top threat to land, water, and wildlife. The majority (60%) of British Columbians living in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and Southern Interior say they are very or extremely concerned about climate change. Many poll participants said that locals don t have enough say in land use decisions. By increasing outreach and support for community decision-making, local and regional governments can engage community members in longterm planning and build greater support for sustainable land management and conservation practices. Download a copy of the full opinion poll report at bit.ly/slupoll. More Research on Land Use, Sustainability In the summer of 2018, REFBC staff members interviewed community planners, conservation officers, land managers, and local government staff to identify trends, issues and opportunities. Our findings are available in a companion report, Beyond the Horizon, which will be released in February In 2018, REFBC released a series of BC Snapshot reports which gauge progress towards sustainabiliy in BC s freshwater ecosystems, food and agricultural lands, and built environments. (bit.ly/bcsnapshots) REFBC Grants The Real Estate Foundation of BC supports land-use-related education, research, and policy analysis through its grants program and special projects. Since 1988, REFBC has granted over $85 million for projects across BC. Credits Project Lead: David Hendrickson, Real Estate Foundation of BC Research: Angus McAllister and Paul Noble, McAllister Opinion Research Communications: Stephanie Butler, Real Estate Foundation of BC Cover Photo: Noémi Pomerleau, Real Estate Foundation of BC (near Ashcroft, BC) Sustainable Land Use in BC 11

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