Jim Wyse (Photo supplied)
Dear Editor:
B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak has asked for public feedback by Oct. 31, on her proposal for a South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve.
Park supporters are rejoicing that our provincial government has listened to the 75 per cent majority of local residents who have supported this initiative for years.
However, Polak’s plan as set out in her mid-August “Intentions Paper” has some serious omissions.
Area 2, which includes Mount Kobau and the area surrounding the Town of Oliver, has been removed from this proposal.
Mount Kobau, a major attraction for tourists, already has an impressive collection of well-marked hiking trails with spectacular viewpoints sprinkled along the way. It is a world-class site for dark sky stargazing, but most importantly, it should be part of a contiguous area managed cohesively by one entity – Parks Canada.
For this park to be considered a world-class national park, it must include Area 2. Without this essential component, our national park will consist of Area 1 (Osoyoos) and Area 3 (Vaseux Lake), which are two relatively small areas that are widely separated by about 20 kilometres of a fragile ecosystem, thus underperforming in tourism appeal and threatened species protection.
The proposed plan would only create a second-class national park.
National parks generate economic activity, support tourism, provide sustainable jobs, generate tax revenue to local governments and diversify the economy.
The potential economic spinoffs from a first class national park are significant.
We know that the average of six national parks in B.C. provides 772 jobs and local spending of $66 million per park annually. Without Area 2 included in the park, the new park will not realize its true potential economically or environmentally.
With Area 2 (Mount Kobau) included, our national park will be ranked high for national and international travelers.
I urge local residents to please not wait.
The deadline for Oliver residents to speak up and demand that Area 2 be included in the park is Oct 31.
The easiest way is to go to www.yesnationalpark.com and follow the instructions.
Jim Wyse
Oliver, B.C.
