Over the past 18 months, government has been working on a cumulative effects framework as part of its commitment to sustainable natural resource development, Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson said today.

He made the comment in response to today’s release of the auditor general’s report, Managing the Cumulative Effects of Natural Resource Development in B.C., given that the recommendations are consistent with the direction government is taking.

Cumulative effects are defined by the Province as changes to environmental, social and economic values caused by the combined effect of past, present and potential future activities and natural disturbance events.

If not managed, these changes to the environment can compound and eventually harm the environment. Considering the potential of cumulative effects is an effective and environmentally sustainable way to manage natural resource development.

British Columbia is one of the first provinces to develop a cumulative effects framework. The framework builds on B.C.’s existing environmental management framework. Land use plans covering over 90% of the province designate parks and protected areas as well as provide objectives on how resource development activity should be managed. Overall about 37% of the province’s land base is covered by some sort of conservation designation. In addition, multiple laws ensure B.C.’s environment is sustainably managed.

Given the increased amount and diversity of resource development activity in recent years, government has recognized and is acting on the need to look at resource development projects on a regional basis, as opposed to a sector-by-sector or project-by-project basis. 

The cumulative effects framework is being actively applied in the Northeast, Thompson-Okanagan and Cariboo regions, as well as expanding throughout the North and into specific areas like the Elk Valley and Howe Sound. The Oil and Gas Commission is also enhancing the way of looking at the cumulative effects of all industrial development across the landscape when making decisions on oil and gas applications through area-based analysis. Engagement with First Nations, stakeholders and communities is part of the implementation process.

Quote:

Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson ─

“We are confident that government’s cumulative effects framework supports our commitment to environmentally sound and sustainable natural resource development. The auditor general's recommendations support this commitment and are consistent with actions we are already taking.”

Quick Facts

• There are more than 60 laws that govern resource development activity in B.C. and protect the environment.

Learn More:

Cumulative Effects:  www.gov.bc.ca (Search “cumulative effects”)

Oil and Gas Commission Area-Based Analysis:
https://www.bcogc.ca/public-zone/area-based-analysis-aba

Two backgrounders follow

Media Contacts:

Greig Bethel
Media Relations
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261

BACKGROUNDER 1

Response to auditor general’s recommendations

Part 1: Recommendations for Government:

Recommendation 1: assign the province’s natural resource ministries and agencies clear roles and responsibilities for managing the cumulative effects of development activities on the land base.

Response:

• The creation of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Natural Resources Board (Deputy Ministers from each natural resource sector agency and the Commissioner from the Oil and Gas Commission), allows government to better address cumulative effects.
• Inter-agency committees support this work. Model terms of references on roles and responsibilities related to cumulative effects of development activities, will be completed in fall 2015.

Recommendation 2: introduce tools, such as legislation and policy that will enable all of the province’s natural resource sector ministries and agencies to coordinate cumulative effects management across all the sectors.

Response:

• Policy to support cumulative effects in natural resource decisions will be completed by fall 2015.
• By April 2016, a policy and procedures manual will be completed; as well as recommendations for any potential legislative changes.
• Government is also developing systems to ensure that cumulative effects information will be easily accessible to proponents and decision-makers early on in the permitting intake process.

Recommendation 5: establish and/or update, as the foundation for cumulative effects management, values that are important for the province to sustain, and the acceptable conditions for those values.

Response:

• As part of the Phase 1 Cumulative Effects Framework Implementation Plan, an initial set of values has been selected based on their relevance, their importance to First Nations’ interests and rights, the availability of data to support development of assessment methods and their establishment in existing legal or policy objectives. The first suite of provincial assessments are scheduled for completion by summer to mid-fall 2015.
• Acceptable conditions for these values are defined by existing objectives through legislation, land use plans and policy.

Recommendation 7: establish how assessments resulting from the Cumulative Effects Framework will be used to inform and support natural resource development decisions by ministries in all resource sectors.

Response:

As part of comprehensive policy and procedures being developed, a cross-sector government committee will review the cumulative effects assessment results and may develop recommendations that support:

• Operational-level decisions
• Strategic-level decisions
• Impact assessment of Aboriginal and Treaty Rights

Part 2: Recommendations for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations:

Recommendation 3: provide its decision-makers with instruction and training on how to assess and manage cumulative effects when authorizing natural resource use.

Response:

• A detailed training and extension plan is being completed and a full training package will be implemented throughout 2015 to support province-wide implementation of the Cumulative Effects Framework (April 2016).

Recommendation 4: consider cumulative effects when authorizing natural resource development, and document the rationale for its decisions. 

Response:

• Cumulative effects are considered in authorization decisions, both with and without formal cumulative effects assessments.
• Land use plans, other land objectives and best management practice standards already account for much of the management of cumulative effects in natural resource development authorizations.
• Policy to improve consistency of these considerations is being finalized and a policy and procedures manual will be completed by April 2016.

Recommendation 6: monitor the condition of values and make that information available to decision-makers.

Response:

• Monitoring and tracking the condition of a value is a key principle of the Cumulative Effects Framework.
• Assessments of condition will be regularly updated and reviewed by regional interagency management committees to consider emerging risks.

Recommendation 8: annually report to the Legislative Assembly on progress in implementing the Cumulative Effects Framework, and how risks are being managed to ensure its successful implementation.

Response:

• The ministry is already reporting to the Environment and Land Use Committee on a biannual basis.

Recommendation 9: Assess options for accelerating full implementation of the Cumulative Effects Framework, and submit a proposal to Cabinet for decision.

Response:

• The ministry will complete an options analysis to accelerate implementation and value assessments and submit proposal to Cabinet in fall 2015.

Media Contacts:

Greig Bethel
Media Relations
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261

BACKGROUNDER 2

Cumulative effects

What are cumulative effects?

The Province defines cumulative effects as changes to environmental, social and economic values caused by the combined effect of past, present and potential future activities and natural disturbance events.

What is the cumulative effects framework?

The cumulative effects framework is an initiative that includes policies, procedures and decision-support tools designed to improve the assessment and management of cumulative effects in natural resource decision making in B.C. 

How does it work?

The cumulative effects framework provides the structure to identify and define values, assess the potential impact and risk to those values from development activities and natural disturbances. That information is then used to inform natural resource decisions based on the direction from various laws and policies to ensure good decisions are made and negative impacts are appropriately mitigated. 

Media Contacts:

Greig Bethel
Media Relations
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261