B.C.'s Forests Ministry told to protect cultural sites, First Nation's water source

Cattle graze at sunset near Cochrane, Alta., Thursday, June 8, 2023. (Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Forest Practices Board says the British Columbia government “did not follow the law” when it approved range use plans that near the Halfway River First Nation’s watershed and at its culturally significant sites.

The nation complained to the board in 2023 about grazing livestock being allowed to damage the sites, while displacing wildlife in its territory in northeastern B.C.

The board says in a statement that it also found problems with the government investigation of the nation’s complaint about its drinking water being safe, and it urged B.C.‘s Natural Resource Officer Service to review its probe into cattle being allowed to gather near the Halfway River.

Keith Atkinson, chair of the Forest Practices Board, which also oversees range use, says the Forest Ministry had two range agreement holders in the area, but its report says the government didn’t feel it was able to compel them to protect the Indigenous sites.

The board says its investigators looked at records from 2013 and 2023 and found the province didn’t follow the law when it approved the range use plans.

It says after its investigation, the ministry and nation reached an agreement to address the concerns, including that the government tell those allowing their animals to graze in the area that they must protect the cultural and ecological assets.

The Halfway River First Nation is one of 39 First Nations within the Treaty 8 Agreement and its members have the right to use the entire Treaty 8 area for hunting, fishing and cultural activities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2025.