Gathering on the eve of the GLOBE Conference on Business and the Environment, leaders from British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington endorsed a bold new action agenda to grow the clean economy along the West Coast.

The Province today introduced Bill 30, the Energy and Mines Statutes Amendment Act, 2012, to streamline and clarify regulations in four existing acts - the Oil and Gas Activities Act, the Utilities Commission Act, the Clean Energy Act and the Strata Property Act.

Amendments updating a number of resource-related acts were introduced today, including changes to the Occupiers Liability Act that will reduce liability concerns arising from the public use of resource roads.

Bill 25, the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2012, was introduced in the legislature today by Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond.

The Ministry of Environment and the Stó:lo Tribal Council signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) earlier this week that addresses human-wildlife conflicts, public health and safety, and fish and wildlife resources.

Wildfire management initial attack crews based in the Robson Valley will soon be stationed in a new operations centre, thanks to capital funding announced in the 2012-13 provincial budget.

Effective immediately, the allowable annual cut for Tree Farm Licence 35 will be 125,000 cubic metres, chief forester Jim Snetsinger announced today.

Effective immediately, the new allowable annual cut for the Okanagan timber supply area will decrease from 3.375 million cubic metres to 3.1 million cubic metres, chief forester Jim Snetsinger announced.

New capital funding announced as part of Budget 2012-13 will allow an expanded zone office and new provincial wildfire training centre to be built in Merritt.