CLIENT: Blueberry River First Nation
PROJECT DECRIPTION:
From 2015 to 2023, PRI delivered a range of GIS and environmental assessment services to Blueberry River First Nation, providing ongoing technical support on an as-needed basis and contributing to the Regional Strategic Environmental Initiative (RSEA) — a collaboration between seven Treaty 8 Nations and the Province of BC aimed at understanding and managing the cumulative impacts of resource development within Treaty 8 territory.
CHALLENGE:
Supporting Blueberry River First Nation required a flexible and responsive engagement model that could address evolving technical needs over an extended multi-year period. The RSEA work demanded rigorous data analysis across a broad range of land and resource categories — including oil and gas infrastructure, old growth management areas, riparian areas, and crown and private land — within a politically and culturally significant context centered on the protection of First Nation treaty rights.
APPROACH:
PRI provided sustained GIS support to Blueberry River First Nation across multiple years, adapting to the Nation’s priorities as they evolved. In 2022 and 2023, PRI contributed to the RSEA process through comprehensive data summary reviews covering oil and gas infrastructure, old growth management areas, riparian areas, and crown and private land. This work was carried out in alignment with the broader RSEA framework, which seeks to build trusted, evidence-based information on cumulative resource development impacts to inform meaningful recommendations for managing effects on treaty rights.
OUTCOME:
PRI’s long-term technical partnership with Blueberry River First Nation delivered consistent and reliable GIS support across nearly a decade, culminating in substantive contributions to the RSEA process. The data summary reviews provided the Nation with a stronger evidentiary foundation to participate in treaty rights discussions and support the development of culturally and environmentally informed land management recommendations within Treaty 8 territory.