Shared Decision-Making
Summary of Natural Resources Shared Decision-Making Vision
Shared decision-making in natural resource management becomes a key way to implement Lake Babine’s Aboriginal title and rights, including its inherent right to self-government.
LBN will make lands natural resource decisions on its Aboriginal Title Lands, and BC will continue to make decisions on Crown lands, but the two governments will also make decisions jointly for key matters to achieve more effective management of resources like wildlife and water.
LBN and the Province will share western science and Indigenous Knowledge with each other to establish common values and common understanding of the state of the environment that will inform their shared natural resource decisions. This will help create a healthy natural environment on the Territory for Lake Babine and all citizens of the Province to enjoy.
Natural Resources Shared Decision-Making Milestones and Key Steps
LBN and BC will develop a compliance and monitoring program for legacy mine sites in LBN Territory and to monitor water quality in other key parts of LBN Territory, including Morrison Lake.
LBN and BC will work closely together on key natural resource decisions. Priority types of decisions include strategic forestry decisions (e.g. timber supply reviews), environmental assessments (which are for big projects like pipelines and mines), permits for mining projects, sales or leases of Crown land, and major water allocations.
After strengthening their working relationship through collaboration, LBN and BC will move from collaboration to “joint decision-making” on certain types of major natural resource decisions. Joint decision-making will mean LBN and BC making decisions together, instead of BC making decisions. This will require formal agreements and, in some cases, changes to BC laws to make room for LBN to share decision-making authority.
Priorities for setting up joint decision-making will include environmental assessments, strategic forestry decisions like timber supply reviews, moose management, and governance and management of water.