environmental assessment under aboriginal land claim agreements february 23, 2012
TRANSCRIPT
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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT UNDER
ABORIGINAL LAND CLAIM AGREEMENTS
FEBRUARY 23, 2012
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Overview
• Historical Overview of Treaties
• Modern Treaties (Claims Agreements)
• Land Claims EA Regimes after JBNQA – Inuvialuit Final Agreement– Dene First Nations Agreements (MVRMA)– Yukon First Nations Agreement (YESSA)– Nunavut Inuit Agreement – Labrador Inuit Agreement
• Application of CEAA
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First Nations Treaties
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First Nations Treaties• Royal Proclamation of 1763• Friendship treaties• Southern Ontario/Robinson treaties • Numbered treaties • Most purported to surrender aboriginal title• Established small land reserves• Provided harvesting rights to unoccupied
Crown Lands• Governance by Indian bands under Indian
Act (minor environ. role)
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Modern Comprehensive Claims
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Comprehensive Claims Agreements
• Modern era of aboriginal claims settlement dates from 1973 Canada policy
• Comprehensive vs. specific claims • Comprehensive claims based on assertion
of continuing Aboriginal rights and/or title to lands and natural resources
• Achieve certainty of land tenure through surrender of title to Crown (recent approaches differ)
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Comprehensive Claims Agreements
• Agreements provide rights and benefits (title to some land, rights to other lands, financial benefits, joint management regimes for resources
• Joint management (co-management) regimes (wildlife, water, land use planning and management, environmental assessment)
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Environmental Assessment under MVRMA
• MVRMA enacted in 1998 following completion of land claims agreements with Gwich’in, Sahtu Dene, later Tlicho Dene
• Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board - co-management EA board
• Seven or more members appointed by Minister, half (excluding chair) nominated by aboriginal groups, four by governments, chair nominated by Board s. 112
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Purposes
• Establish Review Board as main instrument for EA in Mackenzie Valley
• Ensure environmental impact of developments carefully considered before actions taken
• Ensure concerns of aboriginal people and general public are taken into account
s. 114
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Guiding Principles
• Timely and expeditious
• Have regard to: – protection of environment from significant
adverse impacts of developments– protection of social, cultural and economic
well-being of residents and communities– Importance of conservation to well-being and
way of life of aboriginal people s. 115
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Preliminary Screening
• Applies to proposed developments requiring permit by Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board or other regulator s. 124
• Quick review of application to determine if project might have significant adverse impacts on environment or be of public concern s. 125
• If yes, refer for EA by MVRMB• If no, issue permits
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Environmental Assessment
• EA by MVRMB a more thorough study to decide if development likely to have significant adverse impacts on environment, cause public concern s. 126
• If yes, MVRMB may recommend Minister issue permit(s), issue permits subject to mitigation measures, or reject s. 128
• Alternatively, MVRMB or Minister(s) may order panel review s.129, 130
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Environmental Impact Review
• Review conducted by an independent panel, consisting MVRMB and non-MVRMB Board members
• Review provides more focused study of issues raised during EA s.132
• Review panel issues report with recommendations to federal Minister, responsible Ministers, regulatory agencies for decision s. 136, 137
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Application of CEAA
• Minister may refer a project to a panel review under CEAA where in national interest s. 130
• Otherwise CEAA does not apply in Mackenzie Valley s.116
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Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act
Purposes•Provide a comprehensive, neutrally conducted assessment process •Require consideration of environmental, socio-economic effects before projects undertaken •Ensure projects are undertaken in accordance with principles that foster beneficial socio-economic change without undermining ecological/social systems on which communities, residents, and societies in general, depend s. 5
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Application of CEAA
• Minister may refer a project to a panel review under CEAA s. 62
• Otherwise CEAA does not apply in Yukon s. 6
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Trends in Aboriginal Claims EA
• EA regimes co-managed with aboriginal communities
• Assessing sustainability, nor just environmental effects
• CEAA doesn’t apply except for large, transboundary projects