B.C. gets a new ministry to oversee land, water and resource stewardship

The British Columbia government has unveiled a new ministry that it says was created to address changing and complex issues across the natural resource sector.

Premier John Horgan said the Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship was formed after restructuring several other ministries, and he calls it a natural evolution of land and resource management in B.C.

“In the absence of effective land use policy, social trade-off decisions today are being made on a permit-by-permit basis rather than at the landscape level by appropriate decision makers,” said Horgan. “With rising demands on the land base, increased resource and recreational activity and the impacts of climate change, there is a need to better understand and address cumulative impacts and strengthen integration across the sector to mitigate, plan, respond and adapt.”

(Image credit: Province of B.C.)

Horgan has appointed Vancouver Island MLA Josie Osborne as Minister of Land, Water, and Resource Stewardship and minister responsible for fisheries, and Nathan Cullen as Minister of Municipal Affairs, Osborne’s former portfolio. MLA Doug Routley is the new parliamentary secretary for forests to support Minister Katrine Conroy.

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The new ministry’s mandate will include working with First Nations to build a co-managed land and resource management system, and to modernize land use policy and planning to bring more certainty to investors, communities and First Nations.

The new portfolio will also hold the lead on water policy and strategies and oversee biodiversity and ecosystem health, including provincial species at risk policy and program management.

(Image credit: Province of B.C.)

As part of the changes, the Ministry of Forests will no longer include ‘lands and natural resources’ in its title, and will just be the Ministry of Forests, and it will have a renewed focus on modernizing forest policy and forest sector renewal.

The forests ministry will have an enhanced focus for a year-round BC Wildfire Service, flood and dike management, and the River Forecast Centre.

It will maintain responsibility for decision making related to Crown land; water, fish and wildlife; archaeology permits and authorizations; and natural resource compliance and enforcement.

Recreation sites and trails will move to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and mountain resorts and heritage will move to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.

“This change will enhance the focus on adventure tourism and advocate for economic, social, recreation and tourism benefits,” said a government news release.

(Image credit: Province of B.C.)

The current Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, will also see its title reduced to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food

It remains responsible for food security and safety, plant and animal health and the boards and commissions the ministry currently has, including the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC).

Strategic policy for fisheries, aquaculture and wild salmon will be moved to the new Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship.

It will continue to be responsible for the provincial food system and agriculture sector, including key business development strategies for agriculture, food and seafood processing, aquaculture and fishery business sectors.