A recent tripartite conservation agreement between the federal government, the province of British Columbia and the First Nations Leadership Council could serve as a model for further Indigenous involvement in decisions around land management. This was a central message communicated during the November Indigenous Law Insights webinar, hosted by associates Maeve O'Neill Sanger and Lisa Manners.
The non-binding tripartite agreement establishes collaboration between the parties on nature conservation and land management in B.C. Underlying principles of B.C.'s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act feature prominently in the agreement. The agreement is the first of its kind to include a party explicitly representing Indigenous Peoples of the affected region.
An Interim Tripartite Nature committee has been established to coordinate activities under the agreement. The committee's work remains to be defined by terms of reference anticipated within the next year.
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