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Band Administered Environmental Assessment
Screening Procedures
Kamloops Indian Band, British Columbia
The Kamloops Indian Band engaged ESSA to develop
environmental assessment procedures that would reflect the Band's
community values while meeting the requirements of the Indian Act
and the spirit of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
ESSA conducted a needs assessment and analysis
of the requirements for creating a workable environmental assessment
process for the Band. Based on these results and a thorough knowledge
of the Band's responsibilities under Section 53/60 of the Indian
Act, the project team prepared a set of written procedural guidelines
for environmental assessment. These guidelines included suggestions
and methods to determine when various technical assessment procedures
are required, what triggers them, and how to add components relative
to the Band's wishes (e.g., traditional elements, cultural heritage
matters). ESSA also provided advice and recommendations about environmental
assessment tracking systems, and provided orientation training for
key staff members regarding the implementation of the new procedures,
using case studies of hypothetical environmental assessments as
a teaching tool.
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