B.C. Government and Blueberry River First Nations reach agreement

The B.C. government and the Blueberry River First Nations, north of Fort St. John, have reached a historic agreement.

According to the province, the new partnership in land, water, and resource stewardship ensures Blueberry River First Nations members can exercise their Treaty 8 rights, as well as providing stability for industry in the region.

The Treaty 8 website outlines the treaty as the “rights to areas used for hunting, fishing, cultural activities and burial grounds within all of Treaty 8. Wherever a Treaty 8 member is in Treaty 8 territory, he or she has rights within the whole territory, not just his or her own traditional land.”

The agreement includes a $200 million land restoration fund, limits on new petroleum and natural gas development, and a new planning regime for future oil and gas activities.

The First Nations will also receive 87.5 million dollars over three years — with a chance for increased benefits, based on petroleum and natural gas revenue sharing and provincial royalty revenues, in the next two fiscal years.

The deal follows a 2021 B.C. Supreme Court decision that found the provincial government had infringed upon Blueberry River’s Treaty 8 rights through decades of industrial development.

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Blueberry River First Nations Chief Judy Desjarlais says the agreement is important in regard to preserving and growing the Blueberry River First Nations culture and lifestyle.

“This agreement provides a clear pathway to get the hard work started on healing and restoring the land, and start on the joint planning with strong criteria to protect ecosystems, wildlife habitat, and old forests,” she explained. “With the knowledge and guidance of our Elders, this new agreement will ensure there will be healthy land and resources for current and future generations to carry on our people’s way of life.”

B.C. Premier David Eby echoed Desjarlais’ sentiment.

“This historic agreement between British Columbia and Blueberry River First Nations not only brings more predictability for the region and local economy but it helps ensure that we are operating on the land in partnership to ensure sustainability for future generations,” said Eby.

In the meantime, the two sides have agreed to a timber harvesting schedule outside of the core areas and are limiting new land disturbances caused by oil and gas development to 750 hectares a year.