On April 28, 2022, the sməlqmíx, the syilx people of the Similkameen Valley, declared the nʔaysnúlaʔxw snxaʔcnitkw (Ashnola Watershed) in its entirety and for all future generations an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).
Publications
Browse our recent publications, including reports, briefs, submissions to government, and other materials.
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West Coast Environmental Law has intervened on behalf of Nature Canada in the constitutional reference of the federal Impact Assessment Act (IAA) at the Alberta Court of Appeal.
In early 2022, the BC government sought input on its Draft Offset Protocol Policy ("Draft OPP"), which outlines the government's proposed plans for oversight of new market-based p
NETs are technologies that remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and permanently store it, resulting in the net removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Investing in healthy watersheds tackles many priorities in the face of cumulative environmental and climate impacts: species recovery, job creation, reconciliation, community resilience, and more.
The Discussion Paper is the result of an Indigenous-led engagement process led by the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, with the support of the First Nations Energy and Mining Council and West Coast Environmental Law.
This legal synthesis and its summary consolidate the year-long learning of what stories, both sxwōxwiyám/ sx̌ʷəx̌ʷəyém (‘stories of the distant past’ or ‘tell stories’) and sqwélqwel/ sqʷelqʷəl (‘true news’ or ‘oral stories’), and Elders' knowledge teach us about Indigenous laws related to watershed management and fisheries governance in the Lower Fraser.
In October 2021, the BC government announced its intention to launch a comprehensive review of the province's oil and gas royalty framework and ensure it is modernized, aligned with the government’s climate goals and provides a fair return for British Columbians. This is the first major review in
West Coast Environmental Law joined 200 environmental groups from across Canada in sending an open letter urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, support Indigenous-led conservation, restore ecosystems and advance environmental justice.
In the wake of summer 2021's deadly heat wave and unprecedented fires, nearly 200 organizations representing well over one million British Columbians joined in a call to the BC government to fundamentally reboot its CleanBC plan and implement a genuine and transformative climate emergency