2023

Whereas the invasion of zebra and quagga mussels poses a serious threat to watercourses in British Columbia and the primary vector for invasive mussels is watercraft entering the province; And whereas the provincial Invasive Mussel Defence Program IMDP is the first line of defence and remains grossly underfunded with less than 10 watercraft inspection stations throughout the province; And whereas the Province has yet to introduce pull-the-plug legislation, legislation that requires watercraft owners to clean, drain and dry their vessels or mandatory watercraft inspections for vessels ente

Whereas the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation regulates development within a riparian assessment area and a local government cannot approve a development application until an assessment report from a qualified environmental professional QEP has been submitted through the Riparian Areas Regulation Notification and approved by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship; And whereas the Ministry response time to review QEP reports continues to increase, unreasonably delaying local government development and significantly impacting local economies; And whereas the effectiveness o

Whereas rural communities across British Columbia have historic and ongoing cultural and economic connections to forest and timber industries; And whereas the closure of major employers such as mills can affect not only the immediately laidoff workers, but their families, and the economic viability of the entire community; And whereas the Province of BC has committed to multimillion dollar funds such as the Rural Economic Development Fund and the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund; And whereas spending from these funds can be avoided if rural areas do not lose jobs unnecessarily: Therefore be i

Whereas the Water Sustainability Act WSA was brought into force and effect to ensure a sustainable supply of fresh, clean water that meets the needs of BC residents today and in the future, and the Okanagan, like most of BC, faces real threats to watershed security over the next decade and beyond; And whereas inadequate enforcement tools, compliance monitoring, resources and penalties for contraventions under the WSA are perpetuating damages to streams, watersheds and aquifers that provide drinking water, irrigation and fisheries resources: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the M

Whereas BC Hydro suspended their Beautification Program in July 2022 which provided financial assistance for relocating electrical services to underground facilities; And whereas overhead electrical services are vulnerable to wildlife interference or emergency events such as fire; require space within municipalities limited right of way area which conflicts with municipal infrastructure, cause barriers to creating active transportation improvements and limit greening projects such as street trees; And whereas costs to convert overhead electrical services to underground facilities have bec

Whereas provincial legislation enabled the issuing of Crown-grant mineral claims from the mid-1800s until approximately 1960, and then the Mineral Tenure Act enabled miners to stake mineral claims on private property entitling miners to prospect, explore, locate, mine and produce minerals, notwithstanding any negative impact of such activities on the rights of private property owners; And whereas Section 19 of the Mineral Tenure Act relates to Right of entry on private land and compensation and sets out a process for resolving disputes involving private property owners and miners undertaki

Whereas the Province of BC faces ongoing and increased risk of wildfire, with more aggressive fires, that grow larger and threaten more lives and property each year; And whereas the Province spends hundreds of millions of dollars on wildfire suppression 263 millionyear - 10-year average; And whereas the amount dedicated to local governments for wildfire prevention via the Community Resilience Investment Grant is exponentially smaller 13 million in 2022; And whereas the existing grant process is onerous and resource intensive, whereby local governments must apply every year and compete fo

Whereas regional districts currently have no regulatory authority to prevent tree cutting except as it relates to areas affected by flooding or other hazards; And whereas municipalities have broad powers to regulate tree protection under Section 83c and Division 7 of the Community Charter, including bylaws for protection, removal, replanting, and replacement of trees; And whereas some regional districts, particularly regional districts experiencing development pressure, share similar concerns as municipalities with respect to protecting trees: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the

Whereas corporate and non-food crop farming on agricultural land has resulted in a decrease in crop diversity and increased stress on smallerfamily-owned farms which produce tree fruit, vegetable, and berry crops; And whereas smallerfamily-owned farms are in need of additional sources of income from non-farm usage of their land bistros, restaurants, etc.: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Agricultural Land Commission to allow for expanded non-farm usage on farmlands through a Temporary Use Permit TUP system.

Whereas the Weed Control Act RSBC 1996 Chapter 487 provides that an occupier must control noxious weeds growing or located on land and premises, and on any other property located on land and premises, occupied by that person; And whereas the proliferation of invasive plants has grown exponentially throughout British Columbia; And whereas invasive plants continue to be sold commercially to uninformed property owners and landscapers; And whereas S.