What is the Fraser Basin Council?
The Fraser Basin Council is a not-for-profit, non-governmental, charitable organization, with a mandate to educate on the need for economic, environmental and social sustainability of the Fraser Basin. Though its projects, the Council encourages a good quality of life by helping decision-makers and residents make responsible decisions about how we live, work, and play in the Basin. The Council does not take a position on any issue; rather, it remains an advocate only for the sustainability of the Basin. It accomplishes its work by acting as an impartial facilitator and bringing together interests to solve sustainability challenges, drawing forth common threads of agreement upon which action can take place.
The Fraser Basin Council carries out its mandate by working with the vision, principles, and goals outlined in the Charter for Sustainability. The Charter is a good faith agreement by residents and organizations of the Fraser Basin to work towards the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the Basin. The Charter is organized into four directions - Understanding Sustainability; Caring for Ecosystems; Strengthening Communities; and Improving Decision Making - which guide the goals and suggested actions outlined in the document.
What is the history of the Fraser Basin Council?
The Fraser Basin Council was established as a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization in 1997. The Council's predecessor, the Fraser Basin Management Board, was created by the federal, provincial and local governments to address sustainability issues and develop a strategic plan for the sustainability of the Fraser Basin. The Board created a draft Basin Plan, and circulated it for input. Using the input they received, the Board developed the Charter for Sustainability, the strategic plan for the Fraser Basin. It is this strategic plan that guides the actions of the Fraser Basin Council.
Is the FBC an environmental group?
The Fraser Basin Council works with the intent to promote sustainability by considering the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of the issues being addressed. The Council does not focus solely on environmental issues, but sustaining the health of our environment is a critical component of all Council projects.
Is the Fraser Basin Council a government program?
The Fraser Basin Council is not a government program; it is a not-for-profit, charitable organization consisting of a public/private sector partnership that includes four orders of government in its management structure. Like many other not-for-profit organizations, funding for the Council primarily comes from the federal, provincial, and local governments. The Council's Board of Directors includes 14 representatives from federal, provincial, and local governments, and 8 from First Nations (considered by the Council to be another order of government). As a non-partisan, non-governmental organization, the Council works towards solutions that incorporate and balance both governmental and non-governmental interests.
What does Fraser Basin Council do?
The Council and its partners facilitate problem solving by bringing together the people necessary to make decisions and create solutions that balance social, economic, and environmental considerations. The solutions they help engineer are based on the needs of the whole Basin, rather than those of any single area, organization, or person. The Fraser Basin Council acts as a catalyst for solving inter-jurisdictional issues, as a conflict resolution agent, and as a sustainability educator. By bringing decision-makers together, the Council helps Basin residents use the Fraser River system and the lands it drains in socially, economically, and environmentally responsible ways.
What has the Fraser Basin Council accomplished?
The accomplishments of the Fraser Basin Council are extensive. In some cases, the Council has been able to facilitate significant progress in finding solutions to conflicts that reach back 30 or 50 years. The activities of the Council that have contributed to a more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable Fraser Basin are detailed in the newsletters, Annual Reports and other reports released by the Council. These documents can be found on the Publications page or obtained from any of the Council's five offices. Additionally, visits to project sites to see the work of the Council firsthand can be arranged through the Council's Regional Coordinators.
What are the Council's projects?
The Fraser Basin Council is involved in both regional and basin-wide projects that impact the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the Fraser Basin. The Council initiates and takes the lead on some projects and works in partnership with other organizations on others. Click here to read more about the current Fraser Basin Council programs.
Who's on the Board of Directors and how are they chosen?
The Fraser Basin Council Board of Directors is comprised of 36 individuals. The Directors of the Council are like you - they work in the forest industry, on ranches, in government, in community organizations, and in small businesses. They work in corporate offices, on fishing boats, and on farms. They work and live in the five geographic regions of the Basin, and they represent the economic, social, and environmental sectors. Directors representing the four orders of government (Provincial, Federal, Local & First Nations) are appointed to the Council by their governments. Non-governmental Directors are invited by the Council to participate and are appointed for a term of three years (with possible re-appointment for one additional term).
Where does the Fraser Basin Council get its funding?
The Fraser Basin Council's funding initially came from federal, provincial, and local governments. Presently, the Council is working to become financially self-sustaining, aiming to have equal private and public support. The Council has recently acquired charitable status which has allowed the Council to put in place a fund-raising strategy to acquire funds from sources other than governments. Specific strategies and actions, such as the establishment of a "Sustainability Fund" (endowment fund), have been undertaken to capitalize on this opportunity over the next few years.
How is the Fraser Basin Council managed?
The Council is managed by a 36 member Board of Directors, including members from government, First Nations, and the private and non-profit sectors. The Board is supported by an Executive Director and staff located within the Basin's Vancouver and regional offices.
Why are some of the FBC projects not connected to the Fraser?
Occasionally, the Fraser Basin Council engages in projects outside of the boundaries of the Fraser Basin. There are two reasons that this might occur. First, because the plume of the Fraser River extends into Howe Sound, the activities in the Basin are closely linked to sustainability issues in the Squamish/Pemberton area, just outside of the Basin boundaries. For this reason, the Council may occasionally be requested to be engaged in projects in this area.
The second case is the Council's international outreach projects. Because the Council's model is highly adaptive and flexible, it can be applied to almost any watershed in the world. Occasionally, the Council is invited to present its model at different sites around the world where new models for watershed management are being explored. To date, the Council has presented its model in Russia, the Philippines and Brazil. The Council's international work is conducted strictly on an invitation, fee-for-service basis; no core funds of the Council are spent on these external projects.
Does the Council have outside partnerships?
The role of partnerships is an essential component of all of the Fraser Basin Council's projects and actions. The Council engages in two types of partnerships: funding partnerships and partnerships formed for the implementation of specific actions. The Council's funding partners are agencies from all orders of government (listed in the financial section of the Annual Report). The partners involved in the implementation of actions are a large and diverse group of governmental and non-governmental organizations, Crown corporations, First Nations, and community groups. These partnerships range from co-hosting workshops and co-sponsoring publications to working jointly toward the development of integrated management plans.
Are there other Canadian organizations like the FBC?
The Fraser Basin Council is an organization with a unique structure and mandate. While there are no other organizations exactly like the Council, there are many people throughout the province and the country who are committed to addressing important issues of sustainability at a watershed level. Organizations that are focused on similar issues include the Columbia Basin Trust and the Grand River Conservation Authority in Ontario.
Where are your offices?
In addition to the central office located in Vancouver, we have an office located in each region. The Fraser Basin Council divides the Basin into five regions, namely Upper Fraser, Cariboo-Chilcotin, Thompson, Fraser Valley, and Greater Vancouver Sea to Sky. See our Contact Us page for information on getting in touch with any of the Council's offices.
What is the Fraser Basin?
The Fraser Basin is the geographical area drained by the Fraser River and its tributaries. It stretches from Mount Robson in the east to the Nechako River in the west, and from Bulkley House in the north to the Fraser Valley in the south, covering about 238,000 square km (the size of Great Britain). The Fraser River, flows for 1,370km from its headwaters near Mount Robson to the Fraser River delta.
The Fraser Basin accounts for more than 1/4 of all the land in BC, 2/3 of the province's population, and 4/5 of the gross provincial product. The Fraser Basin's natural and human resources are vast and diverse. For thousands of years the Basin has been home for many aboriginal people including the Sto:lo, Nlaka'pamux, Secwepmec, Stl'atl'imx, Tsilhqot'in, Carrier, and Okanagan Nations. Today, the Basin is home to 2.7 million people, though the population is expected to reach 3.6 million people in the next 20 years.
The Fraser Basin boasts the world's most productive salmon river system, supporting five salmon species and 57 other species of fish, including steelhead and giant sturgeon. It is also BC's most productive waterfowl breeding area. More than 300 species of birds and many species of mammals make use of the area. The Basin contains: 21 million hectares of forest (more than three times the area of New Brunswick); farms, ranches and orchards which compromise half of all BC's agricultural lands; and eight major producing mines. In addition, some of the province's - and the world's - most spectacular natural beauty and recreational opportunities abound in this area.
Learn more about the Fraser Basin.
Where are the headwaters of the Fraser River?
The headwaters of the Fraser River, where the river begins, is in Mount Robson Provincial Park in the Rocky Mountains near the Alberta border.
Are there any dams on the Fraser River?
While there are no dams on the main stem of the Fraser River, some of the River's tributaries have been dammed. In particular, the Stave River, the Nechako River, and the Bridge River have been dammed primarily for the generation of hydroelectricity. In addition, much smaller dams can be found on smaller waterways throughout the Basin which serve various purposes such as irrigation for farmers.
Can I attend the Board meetings?
Meetings of the Fraser Basin Council's Board of Directors are open to the public and occur three times a year in February, June, and October. Specific dates and locations can be obtained by contacting the Vancouver or regional offices.
How can I receive news of FBC activities?
Checking the Fraser Basin Council website will allow you to receive news of current Council activities. The website will be updated as new publications by the Council become available and as new initiatives are embarked upon. In addition, hardcopies of the Council's documents are available through all of the Council's five offices. Please feel free to contact your local office or the central office in Vancouver for further information. You can also subscribe to receive the Basin News Newsletter.
