Giesbrecht, K: Community Control in Resource Management

Traditional public participation in resource management planning and decision making processes in British Columbia has often resulted in little or no public influence in the process, or over the decisions made. This study of the Bulkley Valley Community Resources Board (BVCRB) explores how public input through this body was conceptualized and incorporated into the Bulkley Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) process. This work explores the linkages between public participation, community conflict, community organization and community power. Community support and community representation are central to the BVCRB‘s influence in the development of the Bulkley LRMP. The goal of this work is to examine how a level of public input which went beyond tokenism was achieved and resulted in community control and community power. This provides insight into the legitimacy of community organization, community representation, and community support for public participation to influence resource management planning and decision making.