Dear Editor:

The B.C. government has recently released a report (Getting the Balance Right) that contains important recommendations for improving wildlife habitat management in the province.

The BC Wildlife Federation is to be commended for calling for such a report, and the Province (most notably MLA Mike Morris, the report’s author) for acting on this.

You may have missed it, as it was released quietly over the holidays, although it was completed last August.

Although largely focused on forestry, the recommendations in the report are broadly relevant to the province as a whole, including the South Okanagan.

It identifies the need to recognize the ecological value of wildlife species in decision making, make legislative changes to reflect this and to hire more staff to support implementation. Although the Province has said it will implement the “essence” of the report, it has indicated that it will not be changing laws or hiring more staff, the most important recommendations.

This is not the first time such a report has been given the brush-off.

Similar findings by BC’s Auditor General in 2012 have not resulted in any meaningful legislative changes or adequate resources being devoted to wildlife.

In 2010, the Auditor General found that “conservation policies are not being consistently upheld; and little action has been taken to ensure conservation.”

The Province has also made it clear that it is not willing to revoke changes it made to the BC Parks Act that leave provincial parks vulnerable to industrial development and boundary changes.

In 2014, the BC Wildlife Federation and CPAWS were among a large number of groups and nearly 170,000 people that opposed Bill 4 and the weakening of the BC Parks Act. BC Parks, on the whole, remains drastically underfunded and unable to provide even the most basic oversight of its parks.

For these reasons, and many others, CPAWS believes that a national park offers the highest level of protection for the fragile and diverse ecosystems of the South Okanagan – Similkameen.

The higher level of staffing will also translate into greater economic benefits locally.

Contrary to recent claims, locals will still be able to fish, hike, and horseback in the park.

In fact, with the purchase of private lands, the removal of associated fences, and the establishment of a proper trail system, this area will be more publicly accessible than ever.

Not surprisingly, 69 per cent of local people support the creation of a national park in this region, as reflected in a recent independent poll.

What’s even more interesting is that this number is even higher among households that hunt, fish, and ranch. During the Province’s recent consultation process, CPAWS alone received over 1200 letters of support for the original national park concept area, and other organizations collected many more.

It’s remarkable that in an area about half the size of Manning Park, we could protect about a third of the entire province’s species at risk, at no cost to the Province.

This could be our best opportunity to “get the balance right” for wildlife management in British Columbia.

Getting the Balance Right

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/management-issues/docs/getting_the_balance_right_improving_wildlife_habitat_management_in_british_columbia.pdf.

Peter Wood

Director of Terrestrial Campaigns

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society,
B.C. Chapter

Vancouver, B.C.