BC and Four Treaty 8 First Nations Come to Consensus Agreement on Land and Resource Planning, and Restoration Initiatives

Four Treaty 8 First Nations have reached a consensus agreement with the province on a new collaborative approach to land and resource planning.

That agreement ultimately stems from a BC Supreme Court Decision from 2021, resulting from a case filed by the Blueberry River First Nation.

It found that the Province had infringed on the Nation’s Treaty 8 rights through the cumulative impacts of decades of industrial development.

On Wednesday, the Blueberry River First Nation reached a historic $200 million agreement to help heal the land, and establish a collaborative approach to land-use planning.

Now, the Fort Nelson, Saulteau, Halfway River and Doig River First Nations have signed their own Consensus Document.

That Document lays out over $600 million worth of initiatives over the next 10 years to restore the land and environment, and support responsible development.

Those include: a multi-year shared restoration fund, an improved approach to wildlife co-management, new land-use plans and protections, a cumulative effects management system, and pilot projects which advance shared decision-making.