THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF PORT COQUITLAM

shed Authorities through education and research to steward localized use. and protection of
natural resources, and 5) forcefully lobby for Federal actions such as contribuiton te Intensive
siivicuture agreements and repeal of unfair international trade sanctions.

The comparitmentalization of resource management into competing centralized Ministries with
vastly differing budgets has made a farce of integrated resource management in British
Columbia, A new Ministry of Natural Resources would bring these isolated ‘carnps’ together In
an administrative environment which, in conjunction with regional devolution of: resource
management authority, would be more conducive to implementing goals: of sustainable
developmen. It ls intended that a first Provincial Land Use Strategy would emerge as the result
of Ministry activities.

1.2 Regional Devolution/Watershed Authorities (WA) .

Stewardship of provincial commen properly natural resources shall be devolved to ‘control of
Watershed Authorities. These resources are: foresis, fish, wildlife, flora, minerals, water, air, and
solis. Each WA jurisdiction shall conform either to the area of smaller watersheds, orto portions
of larger river basins. Water Authority bounciaries shall conform as much as possible to existing
communily/sub-regien spheres of influence. To insure a falr range of sex/age/inierest group
representation, Board members shail be chosen by a combination of eleciion, andappein.ment
by Judges sitting In the local region. Devolution contracts shail be signed between the Province
and each WA which set a spectrum of sustainable management practice within which a WA-will
be free to guide regional development, conservailon, and preservation. Ministry of Natural
Resources staff shail act as professional advisors fo WA staff, and will assume the role of auditors
fo insure that sustainable practice is maintained. : 7

itis being accepted by increasing numbers of British Columbia residents that community control
of natural resource stewardship is the only way in which responsible resource management
regirnes will ever be instituted. There issimply not enough time left to wait for the reform of existing
centralized agencies. Watershed Authorities would be established on a scale that would cover
regions such as the Upper Skeena basin, Buikley River basin, Lower Skeena basin, Queen
Charlotte Islands, Nechako basin, East Vancouver Isiand, West Vancouver Island, etc.

1.3 First Netions Cooperation

Watershed Authcritles shall cooperate with First Nations owners of land and water areas that are
within and adjacent fo areas under Watershed Authority jurisdiction. The basis of this coopara-
tion will be a shared understanding that ecologically based principles of resource management
must form the foundation of cultural and economic susiainability.

The next decade will see resolution of long-standing disputes regarding aboriginal jurisdiction
of traditional tribal territories, if is anticipated that much of the land and water area of British
Columbia will revert to varying degrees of tribal control. This devolution of jurisdiction must be
viewed as a further opportunity to implement a range of resource stewardship options that
better reflect community and ecosystem need 1d diversity.