B.C. cuts deal with natives to share mining revenues
For the first time in more than a century of mining in British Columbia, the provincial government has agreed to share the taxes it collects from a new mine with the aboriginal people on whose traditional territory the mine will operate.

The revenue-sharing agreement means two Indian bands in the Kamloops area will get a cut of provincial taxes from the New Afton mine, a copper-gold project under construction about 10 kilometres west of Kamloops.

The deal puts B.C. at the forefront of Canadian provinces in terms of addressing aboriginal involvement in the mining sector, one B.C. lawyer who specializes in aboriginal law said. See the full story as reported by the Globe and Mail.

The Low Down and Dirty:
Statutory Liability for Contaminated Site
Cleanup in British Columbia
A new article explores how existing legislation is used to promote the Ministry of Environment's goal of clean and safe water and land. The article also explores the impact of this legislation on business, government and individuals. See the full article written by Krista Prockiw and Allyson Baker from Clark Wilson.

Cariboo local governments unite on prosperity mine project
The Cariboo Regional District Board and its member municipalities of Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House and Wells expressed united support for the Prosperity Gold Copper Mine project proposed by Taseko Mines. A joint letter conveying the region's strong support for the Prosperity Mine was sent to the Right Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Cabinet. The letter was presented by Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris to the National Caucus on Thursday, August 5. See the news release.

Proposed regulations to establish timelines
for environmental assessments
The Government of Canada is proposing new regulations that would establish mandatory timelines for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) when it is responsible for conducting comprehensive studies. The proposed Regulations would ensure that the Agency is accountable for conducting these environmental assessments within a prescribed timeline and in a predictable manner. See the public notice.

$98 million for August natural gas and petroleum sale
The August 2010 natural gas and petroleum sale resulted in over $98 million in bonus bids, bringing the calendar year total to over $760 million.

The Aug. 25 sale offered 81 parcels in northeast B.C., covering 34,349 hectares, and sold 68 parcels covering 31,052 hectares. The average price per hectare for this sale is approximately $3,160.

Key parcels in the sale included two drilling licences in the Kiwigana River area and twenty-two leases in the Blueberry area. See the news release.

Cruise ships turn B.C. into 'toilet bowl of North America'
Waters off British Columbia are the "toilet bowl of North America" as dozens of cruise ships heading to and from Alaska dump sewage in Canadian waters, environmentalists say.

U.S. regulations force cruise ships to follow stringent sewage treatment rules before disposing of waste in Alaska or Washington State. But the vessels can unload sewage into B.C. waters where rules are "lax." See the full story as reported by the Vancouver Sun.

B.C. forest fires worst in 12 years
The 2010 wildfire season has already charred more than 300,000 hectares of B.C. forest, an area larger than Metro Vancouver.

That's more forest burned than any year since 1998, including the 2003 season that saw 33,000 people evacuated in the Okanagan and Thompson regions and 238 homes damaged or destroyed. Some of the fires currently burning are twice as large as the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire, and parts of the B.C. Interior have been so obscured by smoke that the size and number of fires can only be estimated. See the full story as reported by the 100 Mile House Free Press.

Rapidly expanding B.C. parks system is underfunded: auditor-general
As BC Parks prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011, a report by the auditor-general's office painted a damning portrait of a fast-expanding yet underfunded system unable to meet its stated commitment to protect ecological integrity. Parks without management plans. Parks too small or disconnected to be viable, especially for wide-ranging species such as grizzly bears. And parks that do not equitably represent the breadth of biodiversity across the province, including bunchgrass and coastal Douglas fir ecosystems. See the full story as reported by the Vancouver Sun.

The Low Down and Dirty:
Statutory Liability for Contaminated Site
Cleanup in British Columbia
A new article explores how existing legislation is used to promote the Ministry of Environment's goal of clean and safe water and land. The article also explores the impact of this legislation on business, government and individuals. See the full article written by Krista Prockiw and Allyson Baker from Clark Wilson.

Environment minister releases compliance summary
Environment Minister Barry Penner released the first Quarterly Compliance and Enforcement Summary for 2010.

This summary reports on compliance and enforcement actions including orders, administrative sanctions, tickets and court convictions taken across the entire ministry between Jan. 1, 2010 and March 31, 2010.

This is the first quarterly compliance summary to name individuals ticketed under Ministry of Environment legislation, following amendments introduced by Penner in October 2009. See the news release.

Webinar Coming Soon — Final Reminder!
Ministry of Forests and Range staff are encouraged to take advantage of an upcoming webinar training session on using EnviroFor this September. If you know of any ministry colleagues who could benefit from this 25-minute session please direct them here.