Whereas major projects cause compounding impacts that are obscured when assessed in isolation from existing and planned projects in a given region; And whereas current legislation creates significant demands on local governments by allowing for the isolated planning, assessment, and permitting considerations of wholly interdependent projects with interconnected timelines and demands on local services: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask that the Province of BC require the assessment and mitigation of cumulative effects, whether temporary or residual, as part of major project assessments and subsequent permitting processes where impacts arise within regions; And be it further resolved that interdependent projects are required to undergo combined assessment and permitting processes.
Ministry of Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship As per the 2016 Interim Cumulative Effects Framework CEF Policy, provincial statutory decision makers are directed to consider cumulative effects on values include the current condition, potential future conditions, impact of proposed activities in the area, and management responses. Review processes for major projects are subject to this direction. The Province of BC is committed to and is working on establishing guidance for major project applicants on how to effectively consider cumulative effects, reflect cumulative effects considerations in the project planning and design, and manage for cumulative effects. The Province of BC conducts and publishes current condition assessments that can be accessed by all parties. Current condition assessments describe the state of a value using the set of indicators. The Province of BC works in partnership with First Nations through the Collaborative Stewardship Framework on regional stewardship initiatives including the generation of cumulative effects information and data. Under the Framework, work is underway to draft management guidance to support the management of cumulative effects from major projects. Including in the consideration of cumulative effects for a given project is the consideration of reasonably foreseeable future development thereby requiring decision makers to consider other projects also undergoing permitting.