By Cheryl Jahn

Draft Mountain Caribou agreement released

Mar 21, 2019 | 4:05 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The province has released some details of two draft Section 11 agreements reached with the federal government over the Mountain Caribou. The Mountain Caribou were placed under Species at Risk petitions in 2017, with the federal government urging the Province to identifiy areas that will be encompassed under the agreement.

“We believe that these agreements will provide a better outcome for BC than no agreements at all,” says Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests. “And, once signed, these agreements will provide greater long-term certainty for industry and communities in the region.”

There has been tremendous anxiety around what would transpire under the designation, with concerns that mines and mills would close and that backcountry users would be prohibited. 

Municipal leaders and MLA’s in the affected areas were informed of the draft agreements only two hours before they were released publicly. And the MLA for Prince George -Mackenzie says the whole things was done under the radar.

“To exclude the public consultation for as long as they have, to sign the agreements that they have in place between the federal government and the First Nations groups and the provincial government without any consideration for public input up to this particular point in time is absolutely negligent on the part of government,” says Mike Morris.

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The government says it will open for consultations with affected communities between now and April 26th, a timeline Morris says is far too tight to address all the concerns raised in recent months.