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Scope of ESP

    Scope of ESP

    With the advent of the New Relationship, all aspects of land use planning and resource management in BC must change. Ecosystem Stewardship Planning addresses the following areas:

    • Information analysis and gathering
    • Analysis approaches
    • Plan Development
    • Negotiation/reconciliation of management direction between FN and Crown
    • Management structures for implementation
    • Monitoring and review

    Purpose

    The purpose of this work is to support First Nations in the assembly of land use planning information; the development of analytical tools, technical and process expertise; and the development of their own inventories of community land and resource use information and land use vision and goals.

    Land use planning discussions will be more efficient and productive if both First Nations and the Province are well informed and knowledgeable, and have access to similar levels of information and analysis.

    Goals and Objectives

    The goal is for First Nations to be active and informed participants in Government-to-Government land use planning processes between the Province and First Nations.

    Specific objectives are to:

    • Build capacity in First Nations by:
      • Ensuring that First Nations have access to available information and analysis in land use planning;
      • Ensuring that First Nations have knowledge and expertise in land use planning, analysis, interest based negotiation, consensus building and dispute resolution;
      • Providing supports and tools for First Nations to develop land and resource inventory information and high level land use plans that will be protected by appropriate mechanisms to ensure confidentiality in relation to sensitive cultural information.
    • Establish efficient and effective processes and approaches by:
      • Ensuring compatibility of land use planning information technology and management (ITM) with the Province and among First Nations;
      • Ensuring sharing of information and planning resources with the Province and among First Nations.
    • Document First Nations vision and goals for community land and resource use.

    General ESP Components

    • Increased compatibility of land use planning information technology and management with the Province and among First Nations. Information technology platform to be compatible with provincial standards. Involves consultation with the Province Integrated Land Management Bureau and development of a policy outlining standards for ITM.
    • Development of efficient and effective processes and methods for using information and planning resources, including establishing a set of standards for information collection, analysis and management; building incentives into land use planning program to encourage approaches to increase efficiency and effectiveness, and establishing an information sharing protocol between the Province and First Nations.
    • Address First Nations high priority land and resource information inventory gaps.
    • Establish First Nations vision and goals for community land and resource use in highest priority areas by building capacity in First Nations and providing the supports and tools to assist First Nations in developing and documenting land and resource use plans.

    ESP

    Conventional

    Pre-Planning Inventories
    • Comprehensive, rigorous cultural inventories (including Traditional Land Use and Occupancy)
    • Full range of values
    • Emphasis on economic resources (forestry, minerals, oil and gas, commercial recreation, commercial fishing
    • Incomplete or no inventories of First Nation cultural values (TEK)
    • Limited inventories of non – commercial resource values

    Pre-Planning Scope
    • Long term cultural, economic, ecological sustainability Holistic respectful relationships with land and wildlife
    • Recognition and protection of First Nations right, interests, and values across whole territories
    • Resource extraction/revenue emphasis
    • Mitigation of impacts on existing tenures and interests
    • ‘Short term business model’ (SRMP)
    • Site-specific protection of FN values only
    • No mechanism to address aboriginal rights and title

    Assessment and Analysis
    • New tools that address cultural and ecological sustainability – e.g. EBM cumulative effects assessment
    • Full recognition of TK and use of planning
    • Full recognition of FN traditional way of life & economy
    • Emphasis on wage and cash economy
    • Presumption of maximum access for development
    • Limited constraints for cultural, social, environmental values
    • Site-specific protection for First Nations values (at most)
       

    Plan Development
    • Community-based, including capacity building opportunities
    • First Nation-driven or jointly with BC under government to government agreements

     
    • Multi-stakeholder (LRMP) or normally led by agencies (SRMP)
    • Until recently, little or no First Nations involvement

     

    Plan Negotiation
    • Government-to-Government reconciliation of BC and FIRST NATIONS land use plans, or joint planning
    • Emphasis on fitting Provincial plans into First Nations Ecosystem Stewardship Plans (ESPs)
    • Emphasis on Integrating First Nations land use plans (LUPs) into Provincial Plans
    • Minimizing impact of First Nations interests on existing BC LUPs
      and Crown or third party interests

    Implementation
    Legislation, Regulation, Policy
    • New legal, regulatory and policy frameworks that give effect to ESP plans
    • Revenue sharing agreements

    (BC Gov. View)

    • Implementation through existing legal and policy frameworks
    • Few legally enforceable objectives
    • Limited tools to protect First Nations values and interests

    Implementation
    Management Structures
    • New shared-decision making institutions and arrangements to implement ESPs
    • Capacity building initiatives
    • Implementation through existing hierarchy of statutory decision makers
    • Reactive, referral-based consultation with First Nations

    Implementation
    Monitoring and Adaptive Management
    • Active monitoring of plan implementation and effectiveness
    • Purposeful adaptive management

     
    • Limited monitoring of plan implementation
    • Very limited monitoring of plan effectiveness
    • Very limited adaptive management