Who We Are

The Omineca Beetle Action Coalition includes the region between Prince George and Smithers, led by a Board of the region's Mayors and Regional District Chairs.

The members of the Coalition are:

Each member local government is represented on the OBAC Board by its Mayor or Chair, or by an elected official designated by the Mayor and council.

Board of Directors

Background

The Pine Beetle epidemic’s alteration of our region’s landscape, economy and social fabric is being felt and will be witnessed for years to come. In 2005, Federal Mountain Pine Beetle Recovery dollars were conveyed to the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition for the member local governments to begin building a diversification plan for the region’s communities – a response plan that would enable the forest dependent communities of the OBAC region to work together and to work with senior governments and others to build resilience and diversify the region’s economy for the future. In their July 2005 proposal to government, the local government leaders of the OBAC region noted the circumstances and committed to the following:

“Rather than leave the degree and consequences of the post-epidemic economic bust to chance, members of the Interim Coalition propose to focus on the first objective in the Province’s Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan 2005-2010: “Encourage long-term economic sustainability for communities affected by the epidemic”. Economic development and diversification takes time and concerted effort. By acting now, we expect to make the best of the short-term increase in forestry activity, while at the same time preparing for the future challenges. By acting collectively we can be more effective.

Despite the urgency, the Interim Coalition proposes a deliberate and measured approach. We propose to first broadly consult with our communities, including First Nations, and to then formalize the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition as a legal entity designed to address regional interests. Throughout this process we wish to communicate factual information about the situation we face, and establish a realistic and positive outlook. The coalition will be designed to ensure inclusiveness, transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Once established the coalition will immediately begin work on an overarching strategic plan for economic development, and on the business plans and work plans necessary to ensure orderly and timely implementation of the first two years activities. During the same period we will work with the province to establish a trust fund to support future work. The objective will be put the necessary actions in motion over the next five years in order to mitigate the negative economic impact in the following period.”

Between October 2005 and October 2009, the OBAC communities have worked together to:

• Identify priorities, challenges and opportunities for at the regional scale for inclusion in the strategy development
• Established and undertaken a robust planning process to create 10 strategies that present 10 sector specific vision statements and objectives, assess opportunities and challenges and recommendations and actions that are widely supported as credible, appropriate measures and are reasonable for implementation.
• Built working relationships with external organizations that have vested interests in the outcomes of implementation of the ideas in the strategies.
• Built an overarching framework for diversification of the region’s economy and resilience building across the region’s communities and a pragmatic, collaboration-based delivery mechanism for implementation that are widely supported.

Maps

British Columbia Map Click on the map for a larger view	Omineca Coalition Area Map Click on the map for a larger view
OBAC Regional Location Map Click on the map for a larger view For more information on the BC Ministry of Forests and Range Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative please visit the web site: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle For more information on the Ministry of Community and Rural Development Pine Beetle Response Division please visit: http://www.cd.gov.bc.ca/pine_beetle_epidemic_response	Beetle Epidemic Maps