Petroleum and Natural Gas (PNG) Legacy Sites Restoration Program
In 2020, the Province of British Columbia (B.C.) and the oil and gas sector signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on planning and jointly funding projects designed to restore and/or reclaim legacy oil and gas disturbances that contribute to landscape management challenges, such as seismic lines and other ancillary features.
Approximately $6.5 million in restoration funding supports the implementation of the legacy sites restoration program. BC OGRIS allocated $541,000 left from the Boreal Caribou Initiative as seed funding for work on the ground. BC OGRIS also allocated $5 million from the Federal government (2021), part of the $120 million federal contribution to the Province of British Columbia. The combined funding pools will be used to support priority legacy site restoration projects.
The implementation of the MOU will be overseen by a Restoration Management Committee with support from a program manager, and will be undertaken in a manner that respects Indigenous culture and Treaty rights, and seeks synergies and partnerships with other provincial programs, local governments and stakeholders that have a shared interest in restoration activities. Priority projects will be identified through calls for proposals from the Restoration Management Committee.
The governance of the PNG Legacy Sites Restoration Program is directed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and terms of reference for the Restoration Management Committee.
- PNG Restoration Program--Memorandum of Understanding (2020)
- Restoration Management Committee (RMC)--Terms of Reference (2020)
PNG Legacy Sites Restoration Projects
Projects supported under this initiative are listed under the PNG Legacy Sites Restoration Program section of the Projects webpage.
BC OGRIS Supports Restoration Initiatives
The BC Oil and Gas Research and Innovation Society (BC OGRIS) is committed to assisting in the restoration of legacy footprint from the oil and gas industry (roads, seismic lines) to help recover and heal the environment from historical development. Partnering with governments, industry and indigenous communities, BC OGRIS provides governance over the distribution of funds to ensure accountability and adherence to reporting requirements of our contributors.
BC OGRIS started its restoration journey through its predecessor, the Science and Community Environmental Knowledge Fund (SCEK) in 1999, under the Boreal Caribou Initiative, investing $8.9 million over seven years in science, research and pilot methods.
