A sign in the present provincial park advises that motor vehicles are prohibited, but tire tracks across the sagebrush suggest this is ignored. NDP Critic Spencer Chandra Herbert says staff are never seen in the provincial park and as a result, the environment is degraded. A national park would offer better protection, he believes. (Photo supplied)
The NDP Official Opposition is taking the provincial government to task for its refusal to reopen talks on a national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Lower Similkameen.
Spencer Chandra Herbert, the NDP environment critic, also said he thinks MLA Linda Larson is the biggest obstacle to the government changing its position and that she doesn’t support the tourism industry.
Last Wednesday, on Earth Day, Chandra Herbert posed a two-part question about the park to B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak in the legislature.
He also issued a news release urging the B.C. Liberal government to reopen talks on a national park.
“There is tremendous local support for the jobs and opportunities that a national park would bring to the region,” said Chandra Herbert. “It’s time for the B.C. Liberal government to stop throwing up barriers to this economic development opportunity.”
During the legislature’s daily question period, Chandra Herbert told Polak that a recent poll shows widespread public support for a park.
“Local tourism associations, chambers of commerce, local leaders, the wine industry and, most importantly, residents support this,” said Chandra Herbert. “Why does her (Polak’s) government refuse to act?”
Polak responded saying: “A national park is one tool that, in fact, is fairly restrictive when it comes to some of the other many activities that people hold important in that region.”
She noted that she, along with Larson, have met with community groups in the area twice and they are engaged on ongoing discussions with the Okanagan National Alliance.
“We identified the kind of provincial tools that allow us to provide the types of protections that people want, while at the same time being able to allow the activities to take place that they also value,” Polak said.
Chandra Herbert said he was puzzled by which activities Polak was referring to that wouldn’t be permitted under a national park.
“If you’re wanting to protect an endangered species, you’re not going to allow somebody to drive their ATV over it,” he said. “Many of the areas that would be included in the national park already are off-limits to off-roading.”
The NDP critic said he has spoken to hunters and ATV users in the area and they agree there are many other places they can engage in their activities.
A Ministry of Environment spokesman later clarified Polak’s remark about activities that would be restricted.
“Several activities, such as grazing, hunting, guide outfitting and air access, may be impacted by national park reserve status and subsequent management planning,” the ministry spokesman said.
Chandra Herbert said he believes it’s Boundary-Similkameen MLA Larson’s opposition to the park that is behind the government’s resistance to restarting talks.
“It seems to me it comes down to Linda Larson,” he said. “When you’ve got Dan Ashton up in Penticton saying he supports it and when you have the non-partisan finance committee, which is made up of members of both the Liberals and the NDP saying they support it, the only one I’ve seen who said she doesn’t support it is Linda Larson.”
In its report on 2015 Budget Consultations issued last November, the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, chaired by Ashton, called on the government to engage in talks with the federal government and local stakeholders aimed at establishing a national park.
At the time, Ashton said the committee was passing on what it heard during the consultations. Although he spoke in support of a national park when he was the chair of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, he has muted that support since being elected as a government MLA.
Chandra Herbert said he has spoken directly to Larson on the park issue and she told him she was working on something.
“I see no evidence of the protection needed or the boost to the tourism economy that would come from a national park with what she’s proposing,” he said.
The NDP MLA said he doesn’t believe the provincial government will put up the resources needed to protect the area, given that they cut 60 park rangers in 2010 and haven’t replaced them.
“You go to many provincial parks and you’ll never see a staff member at all,” said Chandra Herbert. “You’ll see many important areas degraded because there is no protection, the level of support has been so low.”
A national park would not only bring more federal resources and protection, but national parks attract international tourism that wouldn’t come to a provincial park, he said.
“From what I’ve seen in comments that (Larson) has made, she doesn’t seem to be too much of a supporter of the tourism industry,” he said. “I think tourism is very vital in the Okanagan-Similkameen and Osoyoos area.”
In a recent interview, however, Larson said the provincial government is looking at other options to protect the environment and promote tourism.
These include discussions with First Nations to promote aboriginal tourism, meetings with stakeholder groups and an attempt to have the Osoyoos Desert Centre nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Former Osoyoos Mayor Stu Wells chats with Spencer Chandra Herbert, the provincial NDP environment critic, in a photo taken in October 2014 when Chandra Herbert visited Osoyoos to discuss the national park issue. Wells is a strong supporter of the national park, as is current Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff. (Richard McGuire file photo)
