First Nations' Management of Cumulative Effects in the Skeena River Watershed

The Skeena Watershed and adjacent marine environments are facing increasing industrial development pressures. First Nations and other residents of the watershed regularly access and rely on the Skeena fishery and recognize the need to understand current conditions, monitor any changes as a result of development, and establish management responses to ensure individual and cumulative impacts from projects combined with past and existing stressors can be identified and managed. The need for "Cumulative Effects Management" is not only present for ecological systems and fish species of concern, but extends to the larger socio-economic and cultural systems in the region. To respond to the need for a comprehensive approach to cumulative effects management, First Nations of the Skeena Watershed have been leading the development of several innovative Cumulative Effects Management tools and collaborative management structures. In this session, I will provide a brief overview of the various levels of First Nation cumulative effects assessments and management processes underway in the Skeena Watershed, highlighting lessons learned and future challenges. The presentation is intended to elicit input from fellow presenters and attendees regarding how best to manage cumulative impacts in a highly dynamic ecosystem and multi-stakeholder environment facing intense development pressures.