Dear Editor:

The Province of British Columbia is again reviewing the possibility of a national park in the South Okanagan. They are asking residents to comment on the proposal. The following are some of the issues we must consider.

If our provincial government approves the South Okanagan national park reserve the following will happen; Parks Canada would full control and local input would be ignored. Ask those who live in Banff or Jasper.

• First Nations would be given management control of this national park as they have in other national parks. If that happens, they will be allowed special access to the park that non-First Nations people would not have.

• The following is a current proposal by First Nations; which states, “The areas dedicated to the national park would be managed in partnership with the Sylix People under a consensus-based co-operative stewardship regime (similar to the successful model used in Gwaii Haanas), including the use of traditional ecological knowledge to meaningfully inform and guide park management and decision-making.”

• Both the federal government and First Nations have now gained full control of our parklands, which means our local wants and needs would be irrelevant. The provincial government would be giving away this parkland and we would never get it back.

Our provincial parks currently provide protection and management of the wildlife and wilderness areas while restricting commercial development. The provincial parks are well managed and most local stakeholders are satisfied.

We are on a very slippery slope, which may allow Parks Canada, First Nations and other special interest groups to control our public lands.

To abandon control to federal agencies and local special interests is a very bad idea.

With few exceptions, wildlife and wilderness in the South Okanagan are not endangered, but our control of this beautiful part of the world is in serious danger and may be lost forever.

Our lifestyle is slipping away.

Interference by the federal government and special interest groups are not in our best interests.

Remember, the federal government is big enough to give you a national park and strong enough to ignore your advice.

We hope the Province of British Columbia will listen to our concerns, keep our provincial parks intact and make them work for everyone.

Time is getting very short, but we still have time to write letters asking our provincial officials not to reopen negotiations with Parks Canada.

It’s time for the silent majority to speak up and say we are happy with how our lands and wildlife are now protected and a federal park is not required.

Numbers count with politicians and the proponents have written many letters in favour of a national park.

This is why the provincial government is reconsidering their options with Park Canada.

Those of us who do not believe a national park is a good idea thought the battle had been won when the province ended negotiations with Park Canada, but the war drums are beating again.

Wake up people.

They must hear from all of us to make good decisions on your behalf.

Those of us who speak up run the world. It only takes a few minutes to write the following Provincial representatives. Please write today to your local MLA.

Her address is, Linda Larson, MLA for Boundary-Similkameen, P.O. Box 998, Oliver, B.C., V0H 1T0

You can also contact Mary Polak, Minister of the Environment, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C., V8V 1X4.

Thank you for allowing me to talk about this.

Aubrey G. White
Vice president
Osoyoos Wildlife Federation
Osoyoos, B.C.