WCEL was founded in 1974 and is the oldest environmental law organization in British Columbia, Canada.[4] In the late 1980s, WCEL played an active role in the establishment of Sierra Legal Defense Fund, now known as Ecojustice Canada, to use test litigation to protect the environment. WCEL later narrowed its focus to drafting and advancing legislative reform initiatives and providing public legal education. From 1990 to the present, WCEL has continued to collaborate with Ecojustice Canada on legal reform.[5]
Achievementsedit
West Coast Environmental Law has played a role in several environmental legislative initiatives in Canada.[6]
Represented the Peace Valley Environmental Association at hearings on the Site C dam.
Worked as part of a delegation to help negotiate the Kyoto Protocol.
Negotiated the amendments that resulted in the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest.
Helped to draft the "good wood" wood and forest certification standard for British Columbia, which independently verifies that wood products come from forests that are traded and sold in an ecologically and socially responsible way.
Legal aidedit
West Coast Environmental Law provides grants through its Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund to individuals or groups who need to hire legal representation to resolve an environmental problem. According to WCEL, the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund is the only source of environmental legal aid in British Columbia and is used to hire lawyers at a legal aid rate.[7]
From 1989 to 2009 the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund provided $4 million in grants, which have aided in 500 legal cases in British Columbia.[8] As an example of one legal case, marine biologist and fish farm activist Alexandra Morton used funding from West Coast Environmental Law to challenge the constitutionality of allowing fish farms in British Columbia.[9] In another such case, a group of citizens known as Coal Watch used funding from West Coast Environmental Law to oppose a proposed coal mine located in Baynes Sound in Vancouver Island.[10]
^. Archived from the original on 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
^"Comox Valley Echo - Award salutes 'CoalWatch' group".[dead link]
External linksedit
Official website
December 01, 2023
west, coast, environmental, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources West Coast Environmental Law news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message West Coast Environmental Law WCEL is an environmental law and public advocacy organization based in Vancouver British Columbia Canada 1 that does reform for environmental policies in British Columbia and the rest of Canada West Coast Environmental LawAbbreviationWCELFormation1974 49 years ago 1974 TypeLegal AdvocacyLegal statusactivePurposeadvocate and public voice educator and networkHeadquartersVancouver British Columbia CanadaRegion servedBritish ColumbiaOfficial languageEnglishFrenchWebsiteWest Coast Environmental LawWest Coast Environmental Law specializes in policies for environmental sustainability climate change energy efficiency sustainable forest and land use aboriginal First Nations law and environmental impact assessment The organization also provides free legal advice regarding environmental issues and provides grants through its Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund to individuals or groups seeking legal representation to resolve an environmental conflict 2 3 Contents 1 History 2 Achievements 3 Legal aid 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editWCEL was founded in 1974 and is the oldest environmental law organization in British Columbia Canada 4 In the late 1980s WCEL played an active role in the establishment of Sierra Legal Defense Fund now known as Ecojustice Canada to use test litigation to protect the environment WCEL later narrowed its focus to drafting and advancing legislative reform initiatives and providing public legal education From 1990 to the present WCEL has continued to collaborate with Ecojustice Canada on legal reform 5 Achievements editWest Coast Environmental Law has played a role in several environmental legislative initiatives in Canada 6 Involved in developing the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Represented the Peace Valley Environmental Association at hearings on the Site C dam Worked as part of a delegation to help negotiate the Kyoto Protocol Negotiated the amendments that resulted in the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest Helped to draft the good wood wood and forest certification standard for British Columbia which independently verifies that wood products come from forests that are traded and sold in an ecologically and socially responsible way Legal aid editWest Coast Environmental Law provides grants through its Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund to individuals or groups who need to hire legal representation to resolve an environmental problem According to WCEL the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund is the only source of environmental legal aid in British Columbia and is used to hire lawyers at a legal aid rate 7 From 1989 to 2009 the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund provided 4 million in grants which have aided in 500 legal cases in British Columbia 8 As an example of one legal case marine biologist and fish farm activist Alexandra Morton used funding from West Coast Environmental Law to challenge the constitutionality of allowing fish farms in British Columbia 9 In another such case a group of citizens known as Coal Watch used funding from West Coast Environmental Law to oppose a proposed coal mine located in Baynes Sound in Vancouver Island 10 See also editCanadian Environmental Law Association Ecojustice Canada Environmental Dispute Resolution FundReferences edit West Coast Environmental Law West Coast Environmental Law Comox Valley Echo Environmental Law Fund celebrates 20 years West Coast Environmental Law Annual Report 2009 10 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2011 07 28 Retrieved 2010 12 15 West Coast Environmental Law Our Unique Role Archived from the original on 2010 12 11 Retrieved 2010 12 15 Who do we work with and why Ecojustice 2022 03 09 Retrieved 2023 09 26 West Coast Environmental Law Our History Archived from the original on 2010 12 13 Retrieved 2010 12 15 About the EDRF West Coast Environmental Law www wcel org Retrieved 2023 09 26 On the Ground PDF Comox Valley Echo Environmental Law Fund celebrates 20 years Archived from the original on 2012 08 20 Retrieved 2010 12 16 Comox Valley Echo Award salutes CoalWatch group dead link External links editOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title West Coast Environmental Law amp oldid 1177783025, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
