West Babine Sustainable Resource Management Plan

Xsu gwin lik’l’inswx: West Babine Sustainable Resource Management Plan
Appendix 4 - SRMP Consultation Process
Consultation for the West Babine SRMP occurred in two stages. A preliminary draft was
circulated in July 2002 to the old Babine Monitoring committee, interested public and
stakeholders. Extensive feedback was received from the Gitxsan and from a number of
stakeholders with an interest in the plan area. No feedback was received from the general public.
Based on this feedback, additional consultation occurred with the Gitxsan and key stakeholders.
Consultation with Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection and the Ministry of Forests also
occurred. The outcomes of this second round of consultation resulted in Draft 2 of the SRMP.
First Nations Consultation
The West Babine plan area is within Gitxsan traditional territory, and partially within the Lake
Babine Nation traditional territory.
Formal consultation and open information-sharing meetings have been conducted with three
levels of Gitxsan administration: the Gitxsan Treaty Office executive, the Gitxsan Babine
Watershed Table, and with the House Chiefs (Simgiigyet). Since January 2002 there has been
continuous contact with the Gitxsan Treaty Office executive, specifically Myrtle Muldoe and
Beverly Clifton-Percival. MSRM has also committed to consulting at a Huwilp level. Huwilp
simgiigyet were initially contacted via letter on January 25, 2002 with an invitation to be
involved in the planning process. Individual meetings with each Wilp occurred in March and
April of 2002, giving opportunities to Wilp simgiigyet or representatives to identify their
concerns in the planning area. A letter from the Regional Director of MSRM, Kevin Kriese, to
Ms. Clifton-Percival of the Gitxsan Treaty Office, dated May 1, 2002 summarizes the
consultation procedure that MSRM agreed to. Draft 1 of the West Babine plan, without the
cultural heritage chapter was presented to the Wilp simgiigyet and/or representatives at a
meeting in July 2002. The draft cultural heritage chapter was distributed and presented in two
meetings on January 15, 2003, with an invitation for comment. Additional contact with
individual house chiefs has occurred throughout the duration of this project upon request of
Gitxsan.
The Gitxsan Babine Watershed Table has prepared a resource sustainability plan for an area that
includes the West Babine, called the Babine Watershed Sustainability Plan (GTOWPG, 2002).
The Gitxsan will meet with MSRM staff at a Reconciliation Round Table meeting to present
Draft 2 of the West Babine SRMP and to reconcile differences. MSRM present Draft 2 of the
SRMP to the Simgiigyet in August 2003. The Gitxsan Treaty Office has provide informal
comment resulting from this meeting.
Consultation with the Lake Babine Nation was initiated in May 2003. The turn-over in Lake
Babine’s elected council has required consultation to be re-initiated directly with the Wit’at (Fort
Babine) People.
Page 88 March 2004