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First Nations - BC Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum

Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum

About the Forum

The Together for Wildlife strategy sets a direction for wildlife and habitat conservation in British Columbia from 2020 to 2030.

The First Nations–BC Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum is a technical, advisory body supporting the advancement of Goal 5 of the BC Together for Wildlife strategy which states the intention that “Collaborative wildlife stewardship advances reconciliation with Indigenous governments.” 

The Fraser Basin Council is honoured to serve as a facilitator for the Forum and its three working groups.

A priority goal for First Nations participants of the Forum is to support movement towards long-term co-management and stewardship of wildlife and habitat in BC that is acknowledged and accepted as such by Indigenous governments and the Province of BC.

The First Nations–BC Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum follows the process of Ethical Space where Indigenous and non-Indigenous technical experts collaboratively develop protocols enabling multiple knowledge systems to interact and co-produce solutions related to provincial initiatives, strategies and provincial policy and legislation.  This approach changes the narrative to include the perspectives and aspirations of First Nations technical experts with trust and mutual respect.It is important to note that the Forum’s work is purely advisory in nature and is not a substitute for the Province’s constitutional duties of consultation with all First Nations governments.

The work of the Forum so far includes:

  • Development of the Cultivating Abundance document (2019) which summarizing the Forum’s perspectives and aspirations
  • Co-development of sections of the Together for Wildlife Strategy including Goal 5 “Advancing Reconciliation: A Shared Path with Indigenous Governments” (2020)
  • Co-development of Policy Intentions Paper outlining four proposed amendments to the Wildlife Act (2020). The Wildlife Amendment Act received Royal Assent June 2, 2022 and came into force September 1, 2022. Key changes include a requirement to consider Indigenous Knowledge, establish a process by which the Province can align its laws with protocol hunting agreements and a non-derogation provision added to the Interpretation Act ensuring that the Wildlife Act does not negatively impact Aboriginal constitutional and treaty rights.
  • Co-drafted an Indigenous Knowledge in Wildlife Decisions Policy (2022)

Learn about the Forum and its work at firstnationsbcwildlifeforum.ca.

Regional Wildlife Advisory Committees

The Fraser Basin Council is also providing planning and engagement support to the Province of BC in the advancement of Action 2 in the Together for Wildlife Strategy, the development of Regional Wildlife Advisory Committees (RWACs), beginning in the Thompson-Okanagan and Kootenay-Boundary regions.

The RWACs aim to bring forward regional perspectives and provide opportunities for collaboration to improve wildlife stewardship among provincial government programs, industry, stakeholders, local governments and the public which will complement the government – to-government relationships BC is committing to pursuing with Indigenous governments.

Learn More

For more information, please contact:

First Nations – BC Wildlife & Habitat Conservation Forum

Theresa Fresco, Senior Manager, Indigenous Partnerships and Programs
E:

Regional Wildlife Advisory Committees

Alex de Chantal, Regional Manager, Thompson-Okanagan
E:

Our Vision

Social well-being supported by a vibrant economy and sustained by a healthy environment.

About the Fraser Basin Council

The Fraser Basin Council (FBC) is a charitable non-profit organization that brings people together to advance sustainability in the Fraser River Basin and throughout BC. Established in 1997, FBC is a collaboration of four orders of government (federal, provincial, local and First Nations) along with those from the private sector and civil society. We work with people in multiple sectors, helping them find collaborative solutions to today’s issues through a commitment to the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Our focus is on healthy water and watersheds, action on climate change and air quality and strong, resilient communities and regions.

FBC Project and
Partner Sites

Plug in BC:
www.pluginbc.ca

Emotive:
www.emotivebc.ca

ReTooling for Climate Change:
www.retooling.ca

FBC Youth:
fbcyouthprogram.ca

Climate Action Toolkit:
www.toolkit.bc.ca 

Salmon-Safe BC
www.salmonsafe.ca

Contact Us

FBC has offices in Vancouver, Kamloops, Williams Lake and Prince George. We also have staff located in Abbotsford and Vernon.

To reach us, see FBC Offices and FBC Staff.

Our main office is:

Fraser Basin Council
1st Floor, 470 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 1V5

T: 604 488-5350
F: 604 488-5351
E: 

We are grateful at the Fraser Basin Council Society to live and work on the unceded ancestral
territories of the Indigenous Nations of British Columbia.