The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRO) says the archeological and environmental studies critical to moving forward on the Pender Harbour Dock Management Plan should be completed by early next year.
Teams from the consultants hired by FLNRO were gathering data in Pender Harbour late last month, and the ministry said both studies are being conducted in two phases.
“Phase 1 of the environmental study has been completed and included study design and baseline data collection. Phase 2 is underway and expected to be completed in January 2018,” FLNRO said in a statement to Coast Reporter.
“This phase of the study includes further data collection that will allow comparative assessment of environmental changes related to marine and foreshore habitats, and aquatic and terrestrial species. Ultimately, it will provide empirical information that will support decision making related to the draft Pender Harbour Dock Management Plan.”
The ministry is going through a similar process with the archeological study, and told Coast Reporter that Phase 1 is complete and Phase 2 should wrap up next month.
“Phase 2 includes conducting the archeological impact assessment in Pender Harbour to determine what needs to be protected under the Heritage Conservation Act. The assessment will look at the impact from existing and proposed docks to archeological sites in the Pender Harbour area,” the ministry statement said.
At a Pender Harbour Advisory Council town hall in September, Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons promised the new government was moving forward with the recommendations made by former B.C. attorney general Barry Penner after outcry over a draft of the plan was released in 2015.
Simons said he’s glad to see the studies nearing completion.
“The evidence from these comprehensive studies will help inform the regulations to protect heritage and ecological values. It looks like the process is working, and progress is being made towards removing the uncertainty around this issue.”
Shíshálh Nation Chief Warren Paull was also at the September meeting, and told the crowd, “We’re not going to get everything we want, and not everybody else is going to get everything they want. But somewhere in there, there’s middle ground, and we look forward to finding that with you.”
In the meantime, the moratorium on new dock permits continues.
“The Pender Harbour Advisory Council is pleased to hear that progress is being made towards completing the archaeological and environmental studies set out in the Penner Report,” council president Alan Stewart told Coast Reporter this week.
“We hope that these studies will help facilitate meaningful and informed conversations between all parties in order to find a resolution to a long-standing and thorny issue for our community. A long-term solution is critical in Pender Harbour continuing to develop as an inclusive, prosperous and desirable community for its residents and visitors.”
Pender Harbour’s director at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), Frank Mauro, said the SCRD, though it doesn’t have direct jurisdiction over dock tenures, is also looking forward to the discussion moving ahead after the studies are completed. “It is a very important issue for the future of the area so we will be advocating for a reasonable, balanced approach to a dock management plan which will assist the Sechelt Nation and the Pender Harbour community in moving forward.”
