Whereas local governments acknowledge the critical importance of archaeology to reclaim the history and heritage of the Indigenous Peoples particularly while undertaking critical local government infrastructure renewal; And whereas the cost of infrastructure renewal is increasing in British Columbia due to the prevalence of aging municipal assets, inflation and increased archaeological costs, including the cost of project delays: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate to the provincial government to: 1. Considerably increase the provincial government resources for the processing of site alteration permit applications at the BC Archaeology Branch; and 2. Provide local governments with funding to offset archaeological costs, including costs related to project delays due to extended permit processing times.
Ministry of Forests To improve Heritage Conservation Act HCA permitting timelines and sound decision-making, the Archaeology Branch is undertaking a multi-year Continuous Improvement Initiative, resulting in enhancements to systems, processes, policies, and the Branchs organizational structure, in addition to participating in Ministry initiatives to support permitting. The Ministry of Forests 2023 Budget included 86.83M over three years to support permitting processes, resulting in six net new positions for the Branch between fiscal years 20232024 and 20242025. As committed in the Ministrys mandate letter and identified in the Declaration Act Action Plan commitment 4.35, the Ministry of Forests, with support from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, initiated the Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project HCATP, with the aim to address current challenges with the HCA and its administration and ensure consistency with the UN Declaration. Several concerns and challenges were identified through engagement to date in Phase one, 86 participants represented 49 local governments; in Phase 2 of this multi-year engagement, 89 participants represented 63 local governments, including funding and capacity for First Nations, local governments and provincial programming. Analysis of feedback received to date will inform recommendations for change. The Archaeology Branch has developed a suite of tools to support local governments in informing residents of their responsibilities under the HCA. More work to develop educational and guidance resources is anticipated through the HCATP. The Archaeology Branch does not provide funding to support archaeological assessments; the request for additional funding has been shared with the Ministries of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and Municipal Affairs for their consideration. However, ongoing improvements are anticipated to result in a decrease in permitting timelines. The Province remains committed to continuing to work collaboratively with local governments and First Nations to explore opportunities to support archaeological resource management.