In Spring of 2015 the City was investigating funding options for the replacement of the Idlewild Dam. This investigation lead to a larger discussion regarding the health of the entire Joseph Creek system and the pressures facing it. The discussions centered around the following: That Joseph Creek and the surrounding landscape should be a healthy, functioning system capable of supporting the ecological and community infrastructure requirements; the enhancement of recreation, historic and cultural assets; and inspire the community to connect to the Creek.

These discussions lead to the creation of an initiative to develop the Joseph Creek Management Framework, a way to support the Creek to becoming a healthy functioning system. In November of 2016 the City engaged Columbia Outdoor School (formally Blue Lake Forest Education Society) to be the administrator/coordinator of this initiative

The Joseph Creek Management Framework is a living document that will guide decision makers into making the most “sustainable decisions”, in and around the Creek, taking into consideration their multi-dimensional nature. For the purposes of this initiative “sustainable decisions” means to take a greener approach to development, enhancing natural spaces and services, while mitigating the potential environmental impacts of development and fostering sound economic principles. Sustainable decisions look to “green” the community and its infrastructure by preserving as much as possible of the natural environment and by promoting designs that soften the footprint of human interactions - using “green infrastructure” that mimics nature in function, or strives to reduce impacts on ecological systems. (Rutherford, 2007)

This Framework looks to:

·      Capitalize on community nostalgia – (How the Creek was),  

·      Foster partnerships and collaborative efforts towards a common vision,

·      Enhance and develop a sense of place / pride – new interactions and community connections with the surrounding environment,

·      Augment current curriculum changes with local place based learning opportunities,

·      Link and manage community priorities already identified by community processes, and

·      Strategically tackle current infrastructure requirements of the community with the inclusion of science and sustainability into community decision making.

·      Engage with the Ktunaxa Nation and specifically Aq’am Community by incorporating their knowledge, culture, history, and philosophies into the multi-dimensional collaboration with the communities surrounding Joseph Creek.