As 2026 gets underway and we begin to settle into the work ahead, it becomes clear that this is not a year to sit back or rush in, but a year to pay close attention and engage meaningfully when the moments arise.
Across the Sunshine Coast, several major conservation and land-use initiatives are moving into decisive phases. The choices made now—by governments, communities, and institutions—will shape how watersheds, forests, and marine ecosystems are stewarded for decades to come.
As the year gets going, we want to highlight what to watch for in major conservation initiatives, and why community awareness and engagement will matter more than ever.
Land Use Planning: Decisions That Will Last Generations
One of the most important areas to watch in 2026 is land use planning. The shíshálh–BC Land Use Planning (swiya) process, Forest Landscape Planning (FLP), and local government Official Community Plan updates are all entering stages where high-level values are translated into on-the-ground direction.
SCCA has been deeply engaged in these processes, bringing forward science-based analysis, cumulative impacts considerations, and a strong watershed-first lens. You can find background on this work and why it matters here:
Once land-use plans are finalized, they guide decisions for decades. This is where protections are either embedded early or become much harder to secure later.
Watersheds First: Where Much of the Work Is Focused
At the core of SCCA’s conservation work is a simple principle: watersheds are the organizing unit for life on the Sunshine Coast. Clean drinking water, salmon recovery, forest health, climate resilience, and coastal ecosystems are all connected—from headwaters to estuaries.
In 2026, we are continuing to advance this approach through our Fisheries Sensitive Watersheds (FSW) program and the West Howe Sound Watershed Protection initiative.
The FSW program focuses on securing formal recognition and regulatory protection for priority salmon-bearing watersheds, providing one of the strongest available tools to require watershed-scale management and cumulative effects oversight.
In West Howe Sound, SCCA is advocating for long-term watershed protection, aquifer recharge safeguards, and the development of a Water Sustainability Plan to guide land-use decisions in a rapidly changing climate:
Watershed protection is long-term work, and progress is rarely linear. Partial-cut logging carried out by BC Timber Sales in cutblock TA0519 highlights why watershed protections must be embedded early and clearly in land-use plans. These moments are challenging, but they reinforce the need for durable, system-level change rather than project-by-project fixes—and the importance of sustained engagement.
We are also clear that watershed health and coastal health are inseparable. Our work in streams and rivers directly supports estuaries, forage fish habitat, and nearshore ecosystems. You can see this connection in projects such as Ch’ḵw’elhp–Gibson Creek, where monitoring, restoration, and partnership-based stewardship are helping rebuild fish habitat.
Local Government OCPs and Green Bylaws
Another key area to watch in 2026 is how Sunshine Coast local governments update and implement their Official Community Plans (OCPs). OCPs are bylaws and among the most powerful tools communities have to guide land use, environmental protection, and long-term growth. Decisions made through OCP processes can shape how watersheds, ecosystems, and neighbourhoods are managed for decades.
A core part of SCCA’s role is helping people understand this—and supporting meaningful participation early in these processes. Through our Sunshine Coast Green Bylaws work, we provide accessible information, credible data, and practical tools so community members can engage effectively and help ensure strong outcomes. This includes advocating for OCP bylaws that protect watersheds, aquifers, and riparian areas at the source; prevent cumulative impacts before ecological thresholds are crossed; strengthen environmental standards on private land; and embed climate resilience and ecosystem connectivity into local planning.
When communities are informed and engaged early, green bylaws stop being aspirational language and become enforceable direction that shapes real decisions—where development happens, how impacts are managed, and what is protected for future generations.
A Strong Team for a Complex Year Ahead
What gives us confidence heading into 2026 is not only decades of advocacy and groundwork with local governments and community partners, but the strength and diversity of the people behind this work. SCCA’s staff, contractors, board members, advisors, volunteers, and partners bring expertise across science, policy, education, communications, and on-the-ground stewardship—working together across disciplines and scales. This breadth allows us to connect research, advocacy, and community engagement in a way that is responsive, credible, and deeply grounded in place.
Watch. Engage. Participate.
If there is one message to carry into 2026, it is this: stay attentive and involved.
Watch for upcoming land-use decisions. Engage early when public input is invited. Participate in events, talks, and community conversations that help build shared understanding and better outcomes.
You can stay connected by adding SCCA events to your calendar and following our ongoing work by joining our mailing list.
Together, we can help shape decisions that protect the Sunshine Coast—not just for today, but for generations to come.