Development Permits
Many local governments have Development Permits which are required to develop anywhere within 30 metres of a watercourse, including streams, wetlands, lakes and ditches.
Typically development permit applications require technical information on the site to determine if regulatory agency involvment from the provincial or federal level is required.
Development permit approvals are more political than Fisheries Act Authorizations and therefore sometimes may not be approvable. Developers should take care prior to purchasing a property to review local bylaws. Some local governments such as the City of Nanaimo do not allow the removal of Danger Trees in riparian areas and have riparian setbacks which cannot be changed. North Vancouver has strict policies on marine and riparian developments which cannot be ammended to support developments.