2023 R04 – E&N Land Grant Biodiversity and Restoration

Whereas in 1883, 8,000 sq kilometers of south-east Vancouver Island representing 20% of the island land base was granted to Robert Dunsmuir in exchange for the construction of the E&N Railway, and the E&N Land Grant has impacted Indigenous rights and title, community drinking watersheds, and the ability to protect and conserve biodiversity and sensitive ecosystems;

And whereas the federal and provincial governments have committed to the protection of 30% of the land base by 2030 as part of the provincial, national and international commitments to protect biodiversity:

Therefore be it resolved that on this 140th anniversary of the E&N Land Grant, the AVICC call upon the Governments of Canada and British Columbia to identify areas within the E&N Land Grant as a priority for the protection and conservation of biodiversity for their 2030 targets, and engage with impacted First Nations, local governments and land owners in a process to protect and restore the biodiversity of the southeast region of Vancouver Island with a focus on community watershed catchment areas, riparian areas along fish-bearing rivers and streams, sensitive ecosystems and habitats, and culturally significant areas.