Forest and Range Evaluation Program cultural heritage monitoring
Last updated on January 29, 2024The management and protection of archaeological resources is regulated by the Heritage Conservation Act whereas the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) governs the conservation or protection of cultural sites and resources.
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Overview
The Forest Act defines a cultural heritage resource as: “An object, a site or the location of a traditional societal practice that is of historical, cultural or archaeological significance to British Columbia, a community or an Aboriginal people.”
The goal of the FREP evaluation is to determine whether the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) standards and practices governed by regulation achieve the desired results and strategies to protect or conserve cultural heritage resources that:
- Are the focus of a traditional use by an Indigenous People
- Are of continuing importance to that people
Priority question
“Are cultural heritage resources being conserved for Indigenous Peoples continued cultural and traditional activities?”
How cultural heritage resources are evaluated
A comparison is made between the management strategies recommended for known cultural heritage resources prior to forest harvesting (by Indigenous communities, Archaeologists, and Professional Foresters) with the effectiveness of the practices carried out during:
- Forest harvesting
- Road building
- Silviculture activities
Sites with known cultural heritage resources are selected on an annual basis either from a random list of cut blocks logged 1 to 3 years prior, and/or targeted by Indigenous communities as priority to assess. The number of sample sites assessed annually varies, with an expectation of a minimum of 30 sites sampled every 5 years in each Natural Resource District across the province.