Whereas natural assets, when responsibly managed and preserved, provide service to British Columbia communities on their own and as the foundation of natural infrastructure initiatives that enhance a communitys resilience to the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of Earths ecosystems; And whereas a natural asset inventory, co-developed with the Indigenous Peoples on whose traditional territory a community is located, is a first step towards the development of sustainable, resilient, natural infrastructure and towards ensuring that natural assets are valued and preserved for future generations: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province of British Columbia encourage local governments to develop natural asset inventories in collaboration with their Indigenous hosts by providing funding to local governments and Indigenous peoples to offset the costs of developing the inventories.
Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs encourages local governments to work with First Nations to advance common goals and work towards reconciliation, which can include collaboration on projects to protect the environment. Local governments have planning tools and can manage natural assets, such as green spaces, forests, foreshores, and water courses, which can help protect and steward areas of environmental and cultural importance. These assets are often important to First Nations for traditional uses including harvesting and spiritual ceremonies. Collaborating with First Nations to steward areas and natural assets that are important to them aligns with respect for their rights and title and working towards reconciliation. Funding can be accessed through the Community to Community C2C program to help support this kind of project. CivicInfo BC has an online database of Local Government and First Nations relationship initiatives and protocol agreements that can be searched for examples of communities working together on land stewardship.