Cumulative Effects Assessment & Management, Eastern Canada

Registration begins at 7:30 am

This session is designed for delegates who want a refresher course on the basics of cumulative environmental assessment. Take part in this hands-on interactive session to gain practical and relevant real-world knowledge for in the field and in the office work.

• Fundamentals of doing CEA
• Explanation of terminology – definitions and acronyms
• Data gaps, challenges and limitation
• Your questions answered on how assessments work

This presentation will provide a general overview of the RA and SA provisions of the IAA, the various assessments that have been completed or are in progress, and an on-going IAAC research and planning initiative designed to identify key principles and best practice to help inform the future planning and conduct of such assessments under the IAA.

This will be an interactive discussion forum, which will seek input and perspectives from IA practitioners and participants around potential RA / SA goals, objectives, approaches, outcomes and uses – including the role RAs and SAs in the analysis and management of cumulative effects, and approaches to maximining their utility for this purpose.

This session will consider the recent amendments to the IAA and their real-world effects. Topics of discussion will include:

• Discussing personal impact by highlighting changes, challenges and areas of optimism
• Examining transition effects by exploring the impacts of the amendments on projects and what the changes mean
• Identifying gaps by reviewing what might still be missing after seven months of implementation
• Predicting future changes and what these modifications would mean

Human disturbances from forestry, mining, oil and gas, hydroelectric, agriculture, and other developments, in combination with climate change, can have significant cumulative effects on valued components (VCs) such as aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, hydrology, and the peaceful enjoyment of the landscape. Governments and communities are concerned about cumulative effects to key VCs and need better tools and access to cross-sectoral data to support local decision-making for improved management, monitoring, and conservation of priority values. We will discuss our work in British Columbia (BC) that builds upon BC’s Cumulative Effects Framework across freshwater, terrestrial, riparian and wetland, and marine environments. Through demonstration of a web application, we will showcase how biodiversity, cumulative effects metrics, and traditional knowledge information can be visualised on broad spatial scales. These applications are used to support communities and First Nations with rapid decision-making regarding cumulative impacts and engagement with new development projects.

Explore the cumulative effects of marine shipping in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, where Transport Canada, community members, and local stakeholders have been working together to assess and address the unique challenges posed by vessel activity in this vital region. Topics of discussion will include:

• Assessing the cumulative effects of diverse vessel activities in Placentia Bay
• Identifying “hotspots” of shipping impact within the bay
• Analyzing the variability of these “hotspots” to inform recommendations
• Collaborating with community members and stakeholders for effective solutions
• Presenting insights from the ongoing Transport Canada-led initiative under the Oceans Protection Plan

• Providing information about the Review Board
• Understanding why a regional study of the SGP is needed
• Reviewing the process of the SGP regional study to date
• Identifying desired outcomes
• Asking “what’s next?”

This session will address the key requirements and challenges of the regional impact assessment, highlighting the importance of co-leadership by affected First Nations and the urgency of shared decision-making. Topics of discussion will include:

• Understanding the essential criteria for the regional assessment (RA) of the Ring of Fire
• Geographic scope and activity scope
• Purpose of the RA
• RA to be co-led by affected first nations
• RA to be conducted promptly and a top priority
• RA should enhance and inform individual IAs of mines and other projects in the ROF
• RA to be fully and adequately funded by Canada
• How has the process worked and what challenges have been encountered?
• Why push for shared decision making now?