In order to reduce the size of government and speed up approval processes, public oversight of BC resources has been drastically reduced over the past 15 years. Professional reliance became the BC government’s term for the way natural resources are now managed. This approach lets corporations hire consultants to monitor and approve their industrial activities, instead of government scientists and engineers. Many call what has taken place in BC “putting the foxes in charge of the henhouse.”

The BC government is now conducting a review of professional reliance, and the deadline for input is January 19. Any BC resident whose waters or lands are affected by professional reliance,” please Provide input to the Province by January 19.

Here is a recent blog post Andrew Gage, staff lawyer for West Coast Environmental Law, recently posted on the subject https://www.wcel.org/blog/professional-reliance-or-regulatory-outsourcing