Good morning. My name is Coree Tull, and I am the co-chair of the BC Watershed Security Coalition. We are a non-partisan coalition that represents 48 organizations and 255,000 British Columbians. I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak today and to discuss this important topic.

I'm joining you today from the China Creek urban watershed, which is situated on the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Coast Salish people.

In every corner of our country, healthy watersheds are vital to human health, security, prosperity and reconciliation.

Accompanying me today are two esteemed members of our coalition's steering committee. We have Neil Fletcher, director of conservation stewardship at B.C. Wildlife Federation, who has led teams of over 100 in working towards restoring and protecting thousands of hectares of wetlands across B.C. We also have Zita Botelho, co-director of the healthy watersheds initiative and director of the indigenous watersheds initiative. Zita has been part of leading $42 million in investments supporting almost 100 projects in communities and first nations, addressing watershed security and capacity development. During the question and answer time, each of them can provide valuable insights on impacts and outcomes based on their work on natural infrastructure restoration and projects in B.C.

The topic of this study holds really great significance for our coalition. Healthy watersheds serve as natural defences against the climate crisis. Wetlands act as our natural sponges that purify water. Our stream banks filter polluted runoff and provide shelter for salmon. Mature forests retain water and then release it when we need it the most.

The rivers and lakes of British Columbia are essential to our local economies, forests, wildlife, food crops, cultural heritage and survival itself. Our watersheds are nature's infrastructure. However, due to the cumulative impacts of human activities and climate change, B.C.'s watersheds—and quite frankly, our watersheds across Canada—are increasingly degraded. This degradation has manifested as floods, droughts and fires in precedent-setting ways over the past several years, including just this month in British Columbia as the northern part of the province was on fire while the southern part was under water.

Healthy watersheds protect our environment and mitigate risks imposed by climate change on various economic sectors. Industries such as agriculture, tourism, breweries, pulp and paper, and even oil and gas depend on clean water. Investing in our watersheds and natural infrastructure reduces these risks. The costs associated with the climate crisis will continue to rise unless we take a different approach.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development highlights that natural infrastructure, such as forests and wetlands, can provide the same services at a lower cost compared to built infrastructure. These natural defences are not only cheaper to build but also more cost-effective to maintain. They ultimately appreciate with time. We've seen this first-hand in British Columbia through the wetlands workforce project and through the Healthy Watersheds Initiative.

The response and recovery efforts after the devastating atmospheric river flooding of 2021 cost both the federal and the provincial government billions of dollars. The Canadian Climate Institute reports that every dollar spent on adaptation measures can save $13 to $15, considering both direct and indirect economy-wide benefits. We witnessed the importance of natural infrastructure during those floods in 2021.

Through the Healthy Watersheds Initiative, a government-funded initiative during COVID, the B.C. Wildlife Federation, in collaboration with first nations and the Wildcoast Ecological Society, has been working to restore, stabilize and monitor the McKay Creek wetland in North Vancouver. Since at least 2015, following any big rain event that happened, the creek would overflow. Water would rise rapidly, and it would spill into neighbouring streets and businesses. Within one year of removing invasive grasses and recreating natural inflows and outflows from the creek that went back into the wetlands, we saw birds return, salmon return and water quality improve. During the atmospheric rivers in 2021, that restored wetland served as a critical outlet that absorbed much of the excess water that historically would have been spilling over into the streets. It then released it slowly into the nearby creeks once the weather had passed.

We need bold federal leadership and investments in natural infrastructure to address the climate crisis in B.C. and across Canada. The watershed sector in British Columbia is a major employer and economic driver, generating over 47,000 indirect and direct jobs and contributing $5 billion to GDP through activities like restoration, monitoring, technology, and urban and industrial management.

The recent report released by several freshwater and indigenous leaders across B.C. has identified the need for $3 billion over the next decade, with an annual requirement of $300 million, to reverse watershed degradation, strengthen natural infrastructure and enhance watershed security in B.C.

The recent investment by the B.C. government of $100 million in the B.C. watershed security fund, co-developed with the first nations water table, is an important start. The federal government needs to be at the table investing in order to meet the scale of the need and to have long-term impacts on the ground that support collaborative partnership for better decision-making, creating healthy, secure, resilient communities, while being ultimately a proven model that could be applied across the country.

Investing in natural infrastructure and watershed security will advance climate mitigation, adaptation, reconciliation, and sustainable economic development. Moreover, it will create vital employment opportunities and economic benefits.

I commend this committee for studying such a critical matter at this time. By prioritizing and making these investments, we can build resilience in our communities and proactively respond to disasters before they happen.

We look forward to continuing this conversation with you and answering any questions you may have.

Thank you very much.

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