Archaeological Impact Assessment Guidelines
3.0 Archaeological Impact Assessment and Review
Process
Part 1 of 4
Archaeological impact assessment studies are
initiated in response to development proposals which
will potentially disturb or alter the landscape, thereby
endangering archaeological sites. Major development
projects of this nature normally proceed through four
general stages of project planning:
- prospectus;
- feasibility or preliminary planning and design;
- final design, licencing and approval; and
- implementation and operation.
At each stage of this general planning process a
particular type of archaeological study is undertaken to
meet specific project objectives and needs.
The archaeological assessment process is composed of
two principal components: assessment and
impact management. Assessment is primarily concerned
with the inventory and evaluation of archaeological
resources, and the assessment of impacts during the
initial stages of project planning. Impact management
follows directly from assessment and is primarily
concerned with managing unavoidable adverse impacts as
well as unanticipated impacts. It is important to
recognize that the assessment and impact management
stages are approached sequentially in association with
specific levels of project planning. Moreover, each new
stage in the process is highly dependent upon results
and recommendations made in the preceding stage. The
success of this process is also dependent upon effective
communication and cooperation between project proponents
and the Branch, and their mutual respect for development
and archaeological resource management objectives.
The main participants in the archaeological
assessment process usually include: project proponents,
archaeological consultants, Branch staff, and project
committees established under the Environmental
Assessment Act.
Proponents are encouraged to consider archaeological
resource concerns in their project planning and design
from the outset. As participants in the archaeological
assessment process, proponents and archaeological
consultants who represent them, are responsible for:
- complying with all orders and permits
issued under the Heritage Conservation Act;
- implementing assessment and impact
management studies; and
- reporting the results and
recommendations of archaeological impact studies to
the Branch for review.
Consultants should be concerned with designing
research strategies, conducting archaeological impact
assessment and management studies, and recommending
courses of action. The responsibility for final
decisions concerning the management of archaeological
resources is vested with the Branch.
The branch exercises various responsibilities that
include:
- establishing impact assessment and
management guidelines, study standards, and
reporting requirements;
- reviewing development proposals to
determine the proponent's level of involvement in
the archaeological resource assessment process;
- preparation of orders and permits
pursuant to the Heritage Conservation Act in
assistance to the Minister;
- providing guidance or direction to the
proponent throughout the archaeological assessment
process;
- ensuring that First Nations who could
be affected by decisions are given an opportunity to
have their concerns considered prior to making
decisions;
- providing consultants with access to
archaeological site files, maps, and other
documentary materials maintained within the
Ministry;
- monitoring field aspects of
archaeological impact assessment and management
studies for compliance with terms and conditions of
orders and permits;
- reviewing reports and research
proposals for relevance, completeness and
objectivity; and
- establishing terms and conditions for
project approval.
Committees set up for each project review incorporate
the archaeological resource assessment process by
providing general direction and coordination of the
province's overall environmental assessment and review
process. These committees work directly with the
proponent and the Branch to clarify requirements or
provide general advice on assessment and review
procedures at various stages in the approval process.
They also coordinate review comments, advice and queries
the Branch may have regarding a proponent's
archaeological impact studies.
The Branch may conduct as many as three formal
reviews. The first involves an examination of the
proponent's application for a Project Approval
Certificate to determine whether further involvement in
the archaeological resource assessment process is
required. Therefore, the application should include an
archaeological overview. The second review is to
evaluate the Project Report which should include the
results of an archaeological impact assessment. The
third review is to assist in the preparation of the
terms of reference for an Environmental Assessment Board
hearing, if required, and will address archaeological
impact management issues.
The Branch may request that report deficiencies
either be rectified immediately or, depending on the
nature of these deficiencies, in a following stage of
the assessment process. In this regard, the Branch will
advise the proponent of the nature of deficiencies and
how they may be rectified.
Archaeological assessment reports should be received
by the Branch as early as possible in the project
planning process. Early Branch review will provide
maximum lead time for correcting report deficiencies
and/or designing and implementing subsequent
archaeological investigations. This practice will
minimize expense and delay to the proponent.
Unless the proponent requests otherwise, final
reports received by the Branch are considered public
information.
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