Target Working Groups

From approximately 2012-2022, the primary way that the CWB pursued its Targets was though a Technical Advisory Committee, and Working Groups, all comprised of knowledgeable representatives from local stewardship groups, government agencies, industry and the Cowichan Tribes First Nation to guide and implement the targets.  The Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable was, and is, where the stewardship community met as a whole, but targeted project collaborations happened through the Working Groups. (See the list below for examples of respected Working Group members. )   In recent years, however, mostly due to increased funding and capacity by many of our partners to undertake the work envisioned, coupled with increased urgency to act due to climate impacts, and perhaps the CoVid19 pandemic when meetings were paused, the CWB has not been able to sustain Working Groups or the TAC.  We actually see this as good news - an evolution- reflecting progress from visioning, to planning, to action! Well over $1million in watershed research and restoration projects is underway at any given time now, keeping everyone out on the riverbanks and boats, or advancing project work in other ways, which is exactly what we want to be doing.    The Watershed Board is very aware that all this progress wouldn't have happened without the strong collaborations that came from our Working Groups, and we so we don't want to lose those target-focused connections. Finding new ways to organize, or to track the ways we naturally organize now, is a priority for the CWB.  So stay tuned, and plan to drink some coffee with us! 

TARGET WORKING GROUP MEMBER ORGANISATIONS, DELEGATES [Last updated December 2022]
Fish & Flows	CWB (Tim Kulchyski, Tom Rutherford), Cowichan Tribes (Tim), CVRD (Kate Miller), BC Min. Forests (Mike McCulloch), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Kevin Pellett), Friends of Cowichan River (Joe Saysell), Catalyst Mill (Brian Houle), Mosaic (Dave Belleznay), BC Conservation Foundation (Jeramy Damborg), Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society (Parker Jefferson), Koksilah Working Group (Sarah Davies-Long), Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society (Paul Gowland), Other (Cheri Ayers).
Water Quality and Estuarine Health	CWB (Tim Kulchyski), Cowichan Tribes (Tim), CVRD (Kate Miller, Vanessa Thomson), BC Min. Environment (Rosie Barlak), Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre (Pamela Williams), BC Conservation Fdn (Thea Rodgers), Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Assoc. (Bill Heath), Koksilah Working Group (Rodger Hunter), Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society (Gina Hoar), Municipality of North Cowichan (Dave Preikshot), Nature Trust of BC (Tom Reid), Other (Cheri Ayers).
Riparian Habitats	CWB (Alison Nicholson), Cowichan Tribes (Tracy Fleming) CVRD (Tanya Soroka), BC Parks (Katy Fulton), Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable (Genevieve Singleton), Mosaic (David Vey), Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre (Jane Kilthei), BC Conservation Foundation (Jeramy Damborg), Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society (Jean Atkinson), Koksilah Working Group (Alison Nicholson), Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society (Paul Gowland), Municipality of North Cowichan (Dave Preikshot), Stewardship Center BC – Green Shores (Kelly Loch), Coastal Invasive Species Committee (Jessica Bayley).
Watershed Connections	CWB (Stuart Pagaduan, Jill Thompson), Cowichan Tribes (Hilda Paige, Cheyenne Williams), CVRD (Tanya Soroka), BC Parks (Katy Fulton), Cowichan Valley Naturalists (Bruce Coates), Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre (Jane Kilthei), Cowichan Community Land Trust (Stephanie Cottell), VI Recreational Paddling Assoc. (Rick Bryan),  Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society (Judy Brayden),  Koksilah Working Group (Scott Noble),  Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society (Barry Hetschko), Xwulqw’selu Connections (Jennifer Shepherd), Wildsafe BC (Todd Carnahan)