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Commitments
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Key Projects
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| Prohibit logging or mining in provincial parks. |
• The government has publicly re-confirmed this legislation
and policy.
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| Lift grizzly bear moratorium. |
• The Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection lifted
the blanket moratorium on July 16, 2001, and replaced it with
regional moratoriums where specific conservation concerns
were identified.
• An independent Grizzly Bear Scientific Panel (charged
with reviewing methods and issues considered significant
to grizzly bear conservation in British Columbia) submitted
its report in March 2003. The report confirmed that the
ministry's management of grizzly bears is effective and
that sound population estimates are being used.
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| Ensure decisions on new parks are made in public. |
• Approval for parks (such as a new Gulf Islands national
park and new provincial park at Wakes Cove on Valdes Island)
was granted by open cabinet. |
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| Acquire and protect Burns Bog. |
• The province recognizes that Burns Bog is a globally
unique ecological system and remains committed to its purchase
and preservation. In December 2003, the provincial and federal
governments, the Greater Vancouver Regional District, and
the Corporation of Delta submitted an offer to acquire 5,426
acres within Burns Bog. The B.C. Supreme Court has been asked
to approve the sale of the land. |
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| Implement an improvement plan for threatened airsheds. |
• The ministry is developing the science and a framework
for working with communities to improve air quality.
• In partnership with other levels of government,
support the development of a climate change strategy and
ensure the province's interests are addressed in a national
strategy.
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| Oppose Sumas II power project. |
• The ministry is supporting the government's actions
to represent British Columbia's interests at National Energy
Board (NEB) hearings and file an appeal with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. |
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| Maintain ban on bulk water exports. |
• The government maintains its commitment to the legislation
establishing the ban. |
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| Introduce comprehensive groundwater legislation to improve
the quality of drinking water. |
• The government passed amendments to the Drinking
Water Protection Act to strengthen accountability for
the management and delivery of drinking water, and established
an advisory board to assist with development of groundwater
regulations. |
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| Review the contaminated sites legislation. |
• The ministry received and has acted on the report
of the Advisory Panel on Contaminated Sites.
• The recommendations of the panel were used to develop
a new legislative, regulatory and policy framework for contaminated
sites in the province, culminating in the enactment of the
Environmental Management Act (Phase I, 2003/04).
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| Use science-based standards to protect the environment. |
• The Environmental Trends in British Columbia
2002 report was released, which summarizes scientific
research on a set of environmental indicators. |
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| Consider the appointment of a Chief Scientist who will
advise government from time to time. |
• The ministry has established an internal committee
to provide advice on the acquisition and use of science to
inform decisions.
• The ministry has established panels of scientific
experts to provide advice on specific issues (e.g., the
Grizzly Bear Scientific Panel and the AOX Panel).
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| Enact new or revise legislation to deliver on New Era
directions. |
• The ministry is working with partners to update
provincial regulations protecting urban streams and strengthen
the role of science professionals. The assessment should
be complete in 2004.
• The government has harmonized its vehicle and diesel
regulations with those regulations under the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act that meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency standards.
• The government has passed the Aquaculture Waste
Control Regulation to limit waste accumulation on the ocean
floor.
• The ministry is reviewing the Wildlife Act and
Park Act in order to update legislation in 2006.
• The government introduced the Organic Matter Recycling
Regulation, which made British Columbia the first jurisdiction
in North America to limit the use of recycled organic material
in drinking-water watersheds.
• In May 2002, amendments to the Environment Management
Act were introduced to streamline the ministry's process
for entering into partnership agreements with government
and non-government organizations. The amendments contributed
to a mutual assistance agreement between the ministry's
Conservation Officer Service and the Department of Fisheries
and Oceans, Conservation and Protection service, and the
Intergovernmental Mutual Aid Agreement for Problem Wildlife
Incidents signed between the ministry and Parks Canada in
July 2002.
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| Promote shared stewardship for the delivery of recreational
services. |
• The Recreation Stewardship Panel has delivered its
recommendations for a new model to support fish, wildlife
and park recreation. Implementation of the panel's recommendations
began in spring 2003 and will be completed by 2005/06.
• Preparation to transfer provincial freshwater fish
hatcheries to a new non-profit society was completed in
March 2003.
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| Develop a Biodiversity Strategy. |
• The ministry will develop an overarching strategy
to protect biological diversity to provide a long-term vision
and action plan for managing and conserving species and habitats.
The strategy integrates ecological, social and economic objectives.
Strategy development is targeted for 2005/06. |
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| Develop a Living Rivers Strategy. |
• The government has set up a $2-million trust fund
to assist in protecting and restoring British Columbia's rivers. |
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| Deliver a results-based Forest Practices Code. |
• The ministry has worked with the Ministry of Forests
and the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management on the
Forest and Range Practices Act and regulations. The
ministry will continue to work with its private- and public-sector
partners to develop environmental standards and best practices. |
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| Create a trust for private land donations. |
• The ministry is working with the Ministry of Sustainable
Resource Management on developing an approach for establishing
this trust. |
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| Encourage a strong private-sector economy that maintains
high environmental standards. |
• The ministry is exploring ways to expand investment
in species protection and recovery by 2006/07.
• A new AOX Regulation was enacted in July 2002 to
appropriately limit discharges of adsorbable organic halides
(AOX). A new comprehensive pulp mill standard will be part
of revisions to the Environmental Management Act
(Phase III, 2005/06).
• The ministry's review of waste management legislation
is expected to result in additional changes to the Environmental
Management Act (Phase II, 2004/05; Phase III, 2005/06).
• The Integrated Pest Management Act was passed
in the fall 2003 legislative session to replace previous
legislation. Once fully implemented, the regulations are
expected to eliminate the need for authorizing routine pesticide
applications and enable a two-week turnaround on pesticide
application certification, thus lowering costs for government
and small business.
• New guidelines were introduced for coal-fired power
boiler emissions, setting target limits that are comparable
to those in neighbouring jurisdictions and are consistent
with the province's energy policy.
• The ministry completed a review of the product
stewardship program to extend industry-led product stewardship
(e.g., used oil recycling).
• The ministry is exploring options to encourage
First Nations partnerships to realize the economic benefits
of tourism related to park, fish and wildlife recreation
(e.g., the new collaborative management agreement with the
Hakai Luxvbalis Conservancy Area on the Central Coast and
with the Heiltsuk First Nation).
• The ministry will support the 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games by identifying opportunities for
appropriate economic development in recreational areas (e.g.,
enhanced parks) and participating in the resolution of land-use
issues.
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