List of Government Agencies and
Organisations
Aquatic resources are protected by a myriad of agencies,
organizations, governments, commissions, etc. in British Columbia. Below is a
comprehensive, alphabetical list of those organizations, etc. To go directly to
the group’s website, click on their name indicated in green.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
(AAFC) is responsible for all matters relating to agriculture. This includes
supporting agricultural productivity and trade, stabilizing farm incomes,
encouraging research and development, and being responsible for the inspection
and regulation of animals and plant-life forms. The Minister has been assigned
responsibility for coordinating rural development and enhancing the quality of
rural life. AAFC administers very little
legislation that has direct control over agricultural operations (AAFC is
involved with the "larger" issues of research, national strategic
planning, international trade, supply management, etc). Any agricultural
legislation "with teeth" related to the agriculture industry (land
use, nutrient management, etc) is handled through the provinces. AAFC programs
are incentive-based (i.e. through cost-shared funding), rather than enforcement
of regulations. Acts that AAF administers that could be used to protect
watersheds include Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Canadian Environment
Protection Act, Fertilizers Act, and Proposed Species-At-Risk Act.
Provincial Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), formerly the
Land Reserve Commission, is an independent Crown agency dedicated to protecting
the scarce supply of agricultural land that is important to the current and
future needs of British Columbia.
The purpose of the Commission is to:
·
preserve agricultural land;
·
encourage farming in collaboration with other
communities of interest; and
·
encourage local governments, First Nations, the
government and its agents to enable and accommodate farm use of agricultural
land and uses compatible with agriculture in their plans, bylaws and policies.
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British Columbia
Agriculture Council (BCAC) addresses cross-commodity issues in agriculture. The
Council's purpose is to enhance, promote and assure the long-term economic
viability of BC's agriculture industry.
BC Hydro generates, transmits,
and distributes electricity for British Columbia. Between 43,000 and 54,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity is generated annually from 32
hydroelectric facilities, 2 gas-fired thermal power plants and 2 combustion
turbine stations. Electricity is delivered through an interconnected system of
over 72,000 kilometers of transmission and distribution lines. Through its
wholly owned power marketing subsidiary, Powerex, BC
Hydro is extensively involved in energy trade outside the province.
The British Columbia Treaty Commission is responsible for
facilitating treaty negotiations in the province, not including the Nisga’a treaty negotiations. As the independent and
impartial keeper of the process, the Commission is responsible for accepting
First Nations into the treaty making process. The Commission assesses when
parties are ready to start negotiations, and allocates funding, primarily in
the form of loans, to First Nations.
The Commission monitors and reports on the progress of
negotiations, identifies problems and offers advice, and assists the parties in
resolving disputes. The Commission comprises five Commissioners and 13
full-time staff. Two Commissioners are appointed by the First Nations Summit
and Canada and British Columbia each appoint one Commissioner. The Chief
Commissioner is appointed by agreement of all three parties for a three-year
term.
The process for treaty-making and the principles that govern
negotiations are set out in the BC Claims Task Force Report of 1991 and are
incorporated in the tripartite Treaty Commission Agreement of 1992. The
Commission is the keeper of the process.
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Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) is
an intergovernmental council to promote cooperation and coordinated approaches
to inter-jurisdictional issues, such as air pollution. CCME members establish
nationally-consistent environmental standards, strategies and objectives. CCME
has no authority to implement or enforce legislation.
The Canadian Endangered Species Conservation
Council (CESCC) was formed in 1998 by federal, provincial and territorial
Wildlife Ministers under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in
Canada. Federally, this includes the Minister of Environment Canada,
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister responsible for the Parks
Canada Agency. The Council is co-chaired by the Minister of the Environment and
the Minister from the host province or territory. The Council is responsible
for national leadership and direction for preventing wild species from becoming
at risk. It has specific responsibilities for overseeing the listing and
recovery of species that are at risk nationally, and plays a role in resolving
issues under the Accord. The CESCC is responsible for monitoring and reporting
every five years on the status of all species in Canada, and for communicating
the progress on programs to the public.
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) is charged
with putting the Canadian Environmental
Assessment Act into practice. The Agency is a national organization
dedicated solely to administering and promoting environmental assessment
policies and practices of the federal government. It reports directly to the
Minister of the Environment and operates independently of any other federal
department or agency. It replaces the Federal Environmental Assessment Review
Office (FEARO).
The CEAA has four key roles:
- Administering the environmental assessment process;
- Providing advice to the Minister of the Environment
on the Minister's responsibilities under the Act;
- Providing opportunities for public participation in
the federal environmental assessment process; and
- Promoting sound environmental assessment practices.
The Canadian Marine Advisory Council is a consultative body
representative of parties that have a recognized interest in shipping, navigation
and marine pollution matters. CMAC advises the Commissioner of the Coast Guard
on matters that fall within the purview of CCG, such as, but not necessarily
restricted to: the development and acceptance of international conventions,
regulations, codes, standards and recommendations the development and
implementation of national statutes, regulations, codes, standards,
recommendations and procedures operations and services.
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
(COSEWIC) was created in 1977 as a result of a decision made at the Conference
of Federal-Provincial-Territorial Wildlife Directors held in 1976 in
Fredericton, New Brunswick. The committee made its first status designations in
April 1978, and has met annually since then. COSEWIC determines the national
status of wild Canadian species, subspecies and separate populations suspected
of being at risk. COSEWIC bases its decisions on the best up-to-date scientific
information available. All native mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish,
mollusks, lepidopteron (butterflies and moths), vascular plants, mosses and
lichens are included in its current mandate. Because of COSEWIC's solid
scientifically based evaluation of the national status of species, status
designations are well respected. However, they have no legal standing; this
means that no legal consequences flow from COSEWIC designations. Nevertheless,
COSEWIC-listed species are usually accorded special consideration by range
jurisdictions (the provinces and territories where they occur) and in
environmental impact assessments of projects. In addition, under the accord for
the Protection of Species at Risk, federal, provincial and territorial
governments have agreed to recognize COSEWIC as the source of independent
advice on the status of species at risk nationally, and to work together to
protect these species.
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The Department's legal mandate is set out in the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade Act, RSC 1985, c. E-22. Their mandate is to conduct all
diplomatic and consular relations on behalf of Canada; conduct all official
communication between the Government of Canada and the government of any other
country and between the Government of Canada and any international
organization; conduct and manage international negotiations as they relate to
Canada; coordinate Canada's economic relations; foster the expansion of
Canada's international trade; coordinate the direction given by the Government
of Canada to the heads of Canada's diplomatic and consular missions and to
manage these missions; administer the foreign service of Canada; and foster the
development of international law and its application in Canada's external
relations.
The Department of National Defence
(DND) operates military bases in British Columbia and is responsible for new
construction and maintenance. Fish
habitat mitigation measures are incorporated into these projects, particularly
in the case of marine facilities.
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The Environmental Assessment Office is a neutral agency that
reports to the Ministry of Sustainable
Resource Management and is responsible for the administration of the Environmental Assessment Act. It provides the province with a single,
comprehensive environment assessment process that balances the needs and
interests of business, the environment and the public. An integral part of most environmental
assessments is a consideration of potential impacts on fish habitat.
Environment Canada's mandate is to preserve and enhance the
quality of the natural environment, including water, air and soil quality;
conserve Canada's renewable resources, including migratory birds and other
non-domestic flora and fauna; conserve and protect Canada's water resources;
carry out meteorology; enforce the rules made by the Canada - United States
International Joint Commission relating to boundary waters; and coordinate
environmental policies and programs for the federal government
Environment Canada’s (EC) role in watershed governance
arises from its administration of the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act, Canadian Environmental Protection Act, Canada Water Act, Canada
Wildlife Act, International Rivers
Improvement Act, and Migratory Birds
Convention Act. The department’s staff is mostly located in
the lower mainland, with one area office in Prince George.
EC has three broad lines of business:
- controlling
and preventing pollution in order to secure for Canadians a
clean environment (especially clean air and clean water);
- conserving
Canada's rich legacy of nature; and
- providing weather
and environmental predictions that enable Canadians to adapt to
changing weather and related environmental influences and impacts.
Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) is the national wildlife
agency. CWS handles wildlife matters that are the responsibility of the federal
government. This includes the protection and management of migratory birds and
nationally important wildlife habitat, endangered species, research on
nationally important wildlife issues, control of international trade in
endangered species, and international treaties.
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Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) administers the federal
government’s responsibilities under the constitutional authority for fisheries
in Canada including habitat protection. Acts that can be used to protect
watersheds that are administered by DFO include: Fisheries, Navigable Waters
Protection, Oceans, Canada Shipping, and Coastal Fisheries Protection.
The Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (AFS) is a
seven-year program, applicable where DFO managed the fishery and where land claims
settlements have not already put a fisheries management regime in place. Under the AFS, the department enters into
agreements with First Nations and other Aboriginal organizations to
integrate Native people into the management of the fishery, provide economic
benefits, and establish and provide allocations of fish.
Agreements under the AFS range from three pilot projects in
British Columbia which permit sale of fish taken in the Aboriginal fishery and
voluntary retirement and re-issuance of commercial fishing licences
(under the Licence Transfer Program), to projects
such as habitat restoration and fisheries enhancement. Under the AFS, Aboriginal people are being
trained as Guardians to help in enforcing Aboriginal fisheries. DFO also participates in other processes,
such as the negotiation of land claims and self-government agreements.
Aboriginal land claims seek to replace undefined Aboriginal rights to lands and
resources with agreements that provide rights and benefits. Access to fisheries
and integration into the management of the fishery resource for Aboriginal
claimants is important components of most land claims settlements. DFO participates as part of the federal
negotiation team to achieve settlements that ensure conservation requirements
are met, satisfy Aboriginal aspirations regarding fisheries, and take into
account the needs of third party users of the fishery.
The Canadian Coast Guard ensures the safe and
environmentally responsible use of Canada’s waters; supports understanding and
management of oceans resources; facilitates the use of our waters for shipping,
recreation and fishing; and provides marine expertise in support of Canada’s
domestic and international interests. Canadian Coast Guard, Pacific Region carries out its responsibilities over 27,000 km of
coastline, throughout Yukon Territory and British Columbia in a wide variety of
work including maintaining aids to navigation, search and rescue, fisheries
patrol and research duties. Marine pollution monitoring and clean-up, channel
sounding, scientific studies and projects are also part of the Coast Guard's
role. Three organizational units handle these responsibilities: Marine
Programs, Operational Services, and Technical Services.
This directorate sets allowable harvest levels, establishes and
enforces rules and regulations, and makes policy and operational decisions for
licensing, catch regulation and harvest allocation. Recreational, First
Nations, and commercial sector interests, stakeholders, other government
agencies, and the general public work with the Department to develop and
implement these fisheries management measures.
In accordance with
provisions of the Fisheries Act, the Department national Policy for the
Management of Fish Habitat (1986), and the Canadian Environmental Assessment
Act, Habitat and Enhancement Branch (HEB) conducts monitoring, carries out enforcement
and provides regulatory positions to other agencies to establish habitat
protection requirements, including those related to toxic contaminants and
other pollutants, which can impact fish, fish habitat and use of fish. HEB is
responsible for the protection and restoration of fish habitat, salmonid
enhancement programs, community involvement programs and public education, and
participation in integrated resource management planning. Pursuant to the Oceans
