The Islands Trust is a special form of government serving gulf islands in the Salish Sea. It was created by provincial legislation in 1974, with a mandate to preserve and protect the environment and unique amenities of the gulf islands. Multiple groups have raised concern after the trust released a document following an in-camera meeting in September. The document said that Trust Council’s view is that the phrase “unique amenities” referred to in its mandate is broad-ranging and that such amenities may include issues such as, but not limited to, housing, livelihoods, infrastructure and tourism.  Ahead of a recent Islands Trust meeting in Nanaimo, the groups Friends of The Gulf Islands and Gulf Islands Alliance raised concerns that such an interpretation could undermine the trust’s mandated focus on environmental protection.