Natural Resource Tribunals
Overview
Dates: July 20 to August 14
Who:
- The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
- The Ministry of Environment and Parks
- The Ministry of Forests
What: Proposed improvements to two natural resource tribunals
Where: Province-wide
Why: To strengthen B.C.’s economy while maintaining high environmental standards and outcomes
How: Online
What are natural resource tribunals?
Tribunals are legal independent bodies that can review decisions made by the Province. Sometimes a tribunal is also called a board or commission. Natural resource tribunals in B.C. are designed to provide a process for the public to appeal government decisions on environmental issues like:
- Water licences
- Pesticide permits
- Contaminated site remediation
These tribunals serve as an alternative to taking disputes directly to court.
What is the challenge?
In B.C., the Environmental Appeal Board (EAB) and the Forest Appeals Commission (FAC) are two major natural resource tribunals. The EAB and FAC resolve disputes about decisions made by government on forests and environmental issues under specific laws and regulations.
Appeal processes to the EAB and FAC were designed to provide a fair, accessible, and timely process for reviewing natural resource decisions. Over time, appeal processes have become more complex and lengthy, which has contributed to delays in the permitting and enforcement system.
What is being proposed?
The Province is looking at possible changes to laws and processes to make sure appeals work the way they were originally intended. This could include:
- Deciding certain appeals based on existing record instead of requiring a new hearing
- No longer pausing monetary penalties when an appeal is filed, and instead refunding the penalty if the appeal is successful
This work supports efforts to strengthen B.C.’s economy while maintaining high environmental standards and outcomes, and obligations to First Nations.
Related engagements
