The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is inviting local governments to review a suite of new wetland and stream management standards, guidance documents, assessment tools, and data resources currently under development.
The proposed materials are intended to support more consistent permitting processes, improve environmental outcomes, and provide greater clarity for practitioners, proponents, and decision-makers. Given local governments' important role in land use planning, infrastructure development, and environmental protection, the Ministry is seeking feedback on these resources to ensure that they are practical, implementable, and aligned with local government needs.
Topics under review include updated Best Management Practices for Changes In and About a Stream (CIAS), new wetland mitigation procedures and guidance, wetland mapping and data tools, the Wetland Ecosystem Services Protocol (WESP-BC), and a new provincial Wetland Identification and Delineation Manual.
The proposed materials and resources cover a range of topics, including:
- Standard Procedure for Applying the Environmental Mitigation Policy to Wetlands
- CIAS Best Management Practices
- Wetland Environmental Mitigation Guidance
- Wetland Data Tools and Resources
- Wetland Ecosystem Services Protocol; and the
- BC Wetland Identification and Delineation Manual (ongoing).
Feedback and comments on these materials can be submitted through the associated surveys and feedback forms online. For additional information or to share comments by email, contact the Ministry.