Blueberry River First Nations and the BC Energy Regulator have launched a major restoration project aimed at healing industrial damage in the Nation’s traditional territory. The work is part of the 2023 Implementation Agreement with the Province of B.C., which gives Blueberry a leadership role in restoring lands impacted by decades of energy development.
The project is restoring nearly 93 hectares of seismic line disturbance near the Sikanni Chief River, an area of cultural and ecological importance. The goal is to reconnect habitat for the Southern Mountain caribou herds, whose numbers have been declining due to habitat fragmentation.
Restoration work began this spring and is set to wrap up in the fall. Crews are planting close to 100,000 seedlings and building structures like brush fences to help the land recover. About 20 Blueberry Members, including contractors, are working on the project, with long-term monitoring planned.
This is the first project approved under BCER’s new permitting authority and serves as a model for future Indigenous-led restoration efforts across Treaty 8 territory.
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