WHEREAS all new and remedial development in riparian and marine environments, including emergency response measures and work to repair, develop or maintain essential infrastructure, must be referred to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans DFO for approval; AND WHEREAS response time from DFO to referrals varies widely and often leads to unacceptable project delays resulting in local governments inability to respond to urgent public safety issues andor economic hardship to governments and communities: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the DFO adopt a policy committing the department to provide a response to referrals within 30 days of receipt of any development referral from a local government or first nation government; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any referral which goes unanswered after 30 days of receipt be deemed to be approved.
Fisheries Oceans Canada DFOs Habitat Management Program HMP is responsible for issuing Fisheries Act Section 352 authorizations for the harmful alteration, disruption andor destruction of fish habitat. The HMP does not provide approvals for projects but will review projects that are proposed in and near water to determine if impacts to fish and fish habitat require authorization under the Fisheries Act. The Departments goal is to provide a professional and regionally consistent referral management process so that DFO can provide consistent service delivery standards that meet client needs, departmental priorities and program resource levels. In September 2010, DFO Habitat Management in Pacific Region developed a new website and project review process to standardize referral management, focus departmental resources on the highest priorities including emergency works and public safety, and improve client service and referral response times. The website can be found at: http:www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.cahabitatindex-eng.htm