cpawsadmin

About cpawsadmin

Posts by :

BC Provincial Parks banner - snowshoe - Tori Ball

October 19 2018

BC’s Provincial Parks

cpawsadmin FrontPageOurWorkSlider, Parks Campaigns #fundbcparks, bc parks, camping bc, provincial parks

ID: Line of snowshoers wear sign that reads Stand up for BC's parks.

BC’S PROVINCIAL PARKS

It’s no secret: if you’ve ever hiked, paddled, or rode on horseback through one of BC’s provincial parks, you’ll know they contain some of the world’s most beautiful and wild places. From high alpine meadows bursting with wildflowers to towering ancient forests and crystal clear lakes, BC’s +1000 parks are places of peace—places we can connect to nature and find reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life.

GOOD NEWS

Sadly, all is not quite well within our existing parks. With human pressure increasing in these places, we need to take care of our parks, like they take care of us.

CPAWS-BC and its partners have been campaigning for bold budget action for years. Provincial parks are key players in the fight against climate change and species extinction—crises that we hope to halt, so that nature can thrive forever.

Thankfully, our call was heard! In early 2021, the BC government announced a historic $80 million boost over three years to BC’s provincial parks—one that’s been overdue for decades. These funds could help hire more parks staff, build more backcountry trails, repair old guest facilities, and more.

TIMELINE

2000: BC’s Parks receive huge budget cut
2010: BC Auditor General finds that BC Parks isn’t meeting mandate to preserve nature in parks
2016: $35M budget boost over three years, BC Parks Foundation created
2021: $83M budget boost over three years announced in Budget 2021

PRESSURES CONTINUE IN BC’S PARKS

Though the 2021 budget increase was welcome news, our parks continue to face tremendous pressure as more people visit them. This massive increase means that park rangers are still stretched thin, trying their hardest to enforce regulations that protect nature.

Nature, animals, plants, and humans suffer in parks without enough funding. As visitation increases, so does littering, dangerous wildlife interactions, and off-trail ventures. When bridges, paths, outhouses, and tent pads break or go missing, they aren’t repaired or replaced—ultimately taking away from enjoyable and meaningful experiences in parks.

Together, let’s make sure the provincial government knows that having world-class provincial parks is a top priority for British Columbians.

Your support makes this work possible. Will you make a gift to defend BC’s lands and waters today?

Yes! I'd like to support BC's provincial parks

October 18 2018

Grizzly Bears

cpawsadmin Campaigns, FrontPageOurWorkSlider, Wildlife Campaigns coast to cascades

Grizzly bears have been admired by inhabitants of these lands for generations: they are fiercely protective mothers, strong and fearless when called for, and share homes with us across the province—homes that are shrinking and dividing rapidly because of us.

Of the 50,000 kiʔlawnaʔ that used to roam freely across North America—from Mexico to the northern shores of the Arctic Ocean—mere hundreds remain in BC and Washington’s most critical populations. We need urgent conservation measures to protect these animals.

BC’S GRIZZLY BEARS ARE IN TROUBLE

In BC, there are 55 Grizzly Bear populations, and 60% of them are threatened. In the southwestern part of the province, there are fewer than 300 Grizzly bears remaining in six populations, with as few as 24 bears in the Stein-Nahatlatch population and six bears in the North Cascades population.

Map with black bear icons shows red population density in six southwest regions — Grizzly Bear Population Units of Southwest BC | Coast to Cascades

Habitat destruction and fragmentation from roads, logging, and human interactions are the top reasons that BC’s grizzly populations are hurting. Though Grizzly Bear trophy hunting is banned in the province, defensive shootings, garbage-related conflicts, and vehicle collisions continue to threaten them.

WHY THEY SHOULD BE PROTECTED

Grizzly Bears are a keystone species in North America, which means their presence in a landscape shows us how healthy or harmed an ecosystem is. Losing them means that other animals like moose can grow in number and decimate local vegetation, hampering biodiversity and leaving less food for other species that depend on it

They also help disperse berry seeds through eating and excreting plants, aerate soil when they dig up tubers in the fall, and introduce nitrogen to riverbed soil when salmon carcasses are left to decompose.

For the St’át’imc, sməlqmix / suknaʔkinx (Okanagan), Stó:lō, Nlaka’pamux, Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh Úxumixw (Squamish), and Secwépemc (Shuswap) Peoples, Grizzly Bears are of high cultural importance. They are healers and teachers, showing communities where to find food and how to raise children. Several of these First Nations have advocated for better protection of BC’s Grizzly Bears.

Despite the obstacles they face, there’s hope for our Grizzly Bears. Learn more about how these communities are protecting Grizzly Bears with support from Coast to Cascades, a coalition (including CPAWS-BC) working to sound the alarm for grizzlies in BC:

Video: Grizzly Bear Translocation Initiative: A Hope for the Stein-Nahatlach Grizzly Bear Population

If you go out in the woods today and see a Grizzly Bear, please call the reporting hotline: 1-855-GO-GRIZZ (1-855-464-7499)

Want to talk with someone who shares your love for bears? Call Sarah, Development Manager for ways you can support Grizzly Bear conservation efforts in BC. Call 604-685-7445 x33 or email: sarah@cpawsbc.org

Support Grizzly Bears

ID: golden grasslands roll below blue sunny skies

October 17 2018

South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve

cpawsadmin Campaigns, FrontPageOurWorkSlider, Parks Campaigns, Pathway to Canada’s Biodiversity Targets okangan

Photo: Graham Osborne

With its semi-arid deserts of fragrant sagebrush, and its valleys dotted with ponderosa pine, the nxʷəlxʷəltantət (South Okanagan-Similkameen) grasslands are a place where birds like the Flammulated Owl soar, and North American Badgers burrow to build their homes. In the coming years, these animals—along with over 200 other red listed species in BC—will be better protected through a new National Park Reserve (NPR) that will bring several smaller protected areas together into one continuous park.

Grasslands are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Protecting these grasslands should be a top priority—doing so will honour the cultural values of the sməlqmix / suknaʔkinx (Okanagan First Nation), slow species extinction, keep huge amounts of carbon stored in the ground, and provide meaningful recreation opportunities through birdwatching, hiking and more. It would also boost local economies in nearby communities like Osoyoos and Oliver.

GOOD NEWS

After nearly 20 years of hard work from local communities and CPAWS-BC advocating for protection in the South Okanagan-Similkameen, three levels of government—the syilx/Okanagan Nation, provincial, and federal–signed iʔ sc̓ax̌ʷtət, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin formal work on establishing a National Park Reserve (NPR) in the area. This park would span 27,300 hectares and protect dozens of species that need our help.

TIMELINE

2003: Canada and BC sign an MOU to assess the feasibility of an NPR in the South Okanagan
2012: Okanagan First Nation completes feasibility study for potential park
2017: Okanagan Nation Alliance, Canadian and BC governments renew promise to create park
2018: Consultations on park begin
2019: Woohoo! MOU signed to solidify commitment to park
2020: Negotiations begin

RIGHT NOW

Currently, negotiations between the syilx/Okanagan Nation, BC, and Canada are underway: this process can take up to four years. In an August 2021 newsletter, Parks Canada noted that no new mining or logging ventures could take place until a final decision on park establishment is made.

Stay in the loop! Subscribe for the latest campaign updates, action alerts and more right to your inbox.

October 17 2018

404 Gone Off Trail

cpawsadmin Uncategorized

Oops! You’ve wandered off trail…

This part of our website is marked off for ecological restoration. Please go back to the safety of our online trail system.

October 16 2018

CPAWS welcomes call for stronger marine protection standards in Canada

cpawsadmin News

Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) welcomes the recommendations released today by the National Advisory Panel on Marine Protected Area Standards, which partially address the lack of consistent protection standards in ensuring the long-term health of ocean ecosystems. We are also pleased to see the Panel provide important recommendations on Indigenous Protected Areas, the need for long-term, stable funding for marine protected areas (MPAs), as well as the need for transparency in both MPA consultation processes and the provision of MPA information.

Over the years, CPAWS has highlighted the problems with MPA protection, and the lack of information about the standards for each site. We welcome the recommendations made in this report as a much needed first step and urge the government to adopt and implement them for both existing and future sites to safeguard Canada’s ocean ecosystems for generations to come.

“We are pleased to see that the panel has recognized the importance of the global IUCN MPA protection standards and categories, and the need for Canada to adopt these standards,” said Sabine Jessen, National Director, CPAWS Ocean Program. “International consistency on protection categories and standards is very important to ensure that areas established meet the primary intent of nature conservation. However, CPAWS encouraged the panel to incorporate the ‘ecological integrity’ standard, which is used in Canada for national parks, to guide protection of MPAs and OECMs in Canada.”

While CPAWS applauds the recommendation to prohibit industrial uses such as oil and gas and bottom trawling in MPAs in an effort to conserve ocean ecosystems, we are concerned that the report did not consider the impacts of other types of fishing on ecosystems and the scientific benefits of no-take areas. While we are pleased that the panel recognized the important role of Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs), we are also concerned that action is sufficiently precautionary to maintain the conservation contribution they provide.

“The international consensus has been that OECMs should be protected to the same standard as MPAs,” said Jessen. “However, we are pleased that the Panel identified the need to advance a more comprehensive approach to ocean planning and management, including MPA networks, and marine spatial planning to guide ocean uses and conservation in all of our ocean territory.”

Other positive recommendations from the report include integrating Indigenous knowledge in MPA planning, design and management, and recognizing the role of Indigenous Peoples as full partners in all aspects of MPAs and OECMs. The report also highlighted the need for long-term, permanent and stable funding for MPAs, Indigenous Protected Areas and other ocean protection measures, an initiative CPAWS and the Green Budget Coalition are currently advocating for within their budget recommendations to government.

-30-

For interviews, please contact:

Sabine Jessen, National Director, CPAWS Ocean Program: (cell) 604-657-2813
Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager, CPAWS-BC: 604-685-7445, ext. 29

Background information:

Green Budget Coalition Recommendations

CPAWS’ Ocean Reports

CPAWS written submission for MPA standards

ID: Five puffins sit on grassy cliff over ocean.

October 15 2018

Scott Islands

cpawsadmin Ocean Campaigns british columbia, marine protected area, mnwa, national wildlife area, protected area, scott islands, triangle island, tufted puffin

Seabird Sanctuary on the Scott Islands

Photo: Sabine Jessen

Safeguarding millions of migrating seabirds from around the world

The Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area (mNWA) off the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island is a global hub for migratory birds. Over one million seabirds nest in colonies on the marine protected area’s (MPA) five stormy, foggy, and rocky islands. Outside of the breeding season, millions of seabirds from across the Pacific Ocean feed in the surrounding rich waters. Internationally recognized as an important bird area, it provides important habitat for:

90% of Canada’s tufted puffins
95% of Pacific Canada’s common murres
50% of the world’s Cassin’s auklets
7% of the world’s rhinoceros auklets

But it’s not only a home for seabirds. These waters provide habitat for cod, sablefish, flatfishes, hake and herring. Seals, sea lions, whales and other marine mammals also call use the area throughout the year.

Over one million seabirds nest in colonies on the marine protected area’s islands

Safeguarding millions of migrating seabirds from around the world

90% of Canada’s tufted puffins
95% of Pacific Canada’s common murres
50% of the world’s Cassin’s auklets
7% of the world’s rhinoceros auklets

Over one million seabirds nest in colonies on the marine protected area’s islands

Stronger Protections for the Scott Islands

However, this MPA is not strongly protected. Bottom trawling, a fishing method involving heavy nets that destroys seafloor habitat, is allowed in much of the MPA. Decades-old offshore oil and gas exploration permits still overlap with the wildlife area. Shipping traffic heavily transits through the area, dumping hazardous waste into the ocean.

In 2019, Canada committed to implementing minimum standards for MPAs prohibiting oil and gas activities, mining, dumping and bottom trawling. Applying these standards to the Scott Islands mNWA would go a long way to adequately safeguarding marine life and the ocean they depend on for survival.

The Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area will be part of a planned marine protected area network for Northern Shelf Bioregion on the North and Central Coasts of BC.

iFrames are not supported on this page.

Stronger Protections for the Scott Islands

The Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area will be part of a planned marine protected area network for Northern Shelf Bioregion on the North and Central Coasts of BC.

iFrames are not supported on this page.

Stay in the loop! Subscribe for the latest Scott Islands updates, action alerts and more right to your inbox.

September 25 2018

Orcas

cpawsadmin Campaigns, Wildlife Campaigns wildlife

Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales are iconic species on British Columbia’s coast. These orcas rely on healthy waters in the Salish Sea and around Vancouver Island. But they are facing numerous threats and their ocean home is being degraded.

PROTECT CRITICAL HABITAT

Studies have shown that southern residents frequent parts of the Strait of Georgia, like the Gulf Islands, which are not mapped in the critical habitat. That means important foraging areas could be left unprotected. We are asking Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to expand critical habitat areas to include these important zones.

DFO can also address the threat of prey scarcity by creating refuges in southern residents’ key foraging areas. These refuges would restrict commercial and recreational fishing of Chinook salmon, the whales’ preferred prey, and help the orcas hunt a dwindling food source.

Most importantly, the federal government must legislate bold and effective protections for critical habitat. Critical habitat for northern resident killer whales includes the coastal waters off northern Vancouver Island, where fish farms still dot the waters. Fish farms do not belong in the orcas’ home: government must work to remove existing fish farms as well as put a moratorium on any new aquaculture in critical orca habitat.

The southern resident population has critical habitat at the entrance to major ports in Vancouver and Seattle. They are plagued by thunderously loud shipping lanes, which inhibit natural activities and raise the risk of fatal ship strikes. In the Salish Sea, protections must include a mandatory speed limit for commercial shipping and tanker traffic to reduce harmful noise pollution.

CPAWS-BC is working to protect critical orca habitat with community members, partners, and government officials. You can help by submitting your input on critical habitat changes, and spreading the word to mobilize others to take action for killer whales.

For years, CPAWS has worked to advance a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve in the Southern Strait of Georgia. This marine protected area would help protect orca habitat, as well as safeguard a unique ocean ecosystem teaming with life.

Join the Pod

September 13 2018

BC Municipalities Make a Push for Parks

cpawsadmin Blog

Earlier today, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) passed an important resolution for BC’s parks and wilderness. The UBCM voted to support the need for increased investment in BC’s protected areas system, both for the purposes of better managing existing parks as well as for expanding our network of parks and protected areas. CPAWS-BC welcomes this positive news, at a time when the province is preparing to launch a month-long consultation process with British Columbians to determine what the priorities for next year’s provincial budget will be.

The Village of Pemberton, located in the heart of the Sea to Sky Corridor in southwest BC, brought forward the resolution at the UBCM’s annual gathering in Whistler this week. The resolution calls on the province to set aside dedicated funding for its parks system in order to meet Target 1 of the Biodiversity Goals and Targets for Canada. This target is focused on protecting 17% of lands and inland waters by 2020, with provinces and territories playing a significant role in building and expanding their own protected areas systems in order to meet this target.

Photo credit: Moe Nadeau #StandUpForParks

By passing this resolution, municipal leaders across the province are collectively recognizing the value of a strong, resilient provincial network of protected areas – for climate change adaptation, for species, and for communities looking to diversify local economies. CPAWS-BC congratulates the UBCM and its members for supporting this resolution, with a special thanks to the Village of Pemberton and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District for their leadership on bringing this resolution forward.

Interested in learning more? Check out this amazing video on why our parks are important and call for a better protected and connected British Columbia.

September 13 2018

CPAWS welcomes Canada’s first marine National Wildlife Area for BC’s Scott Islands

cpawsadmin News

Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) welcomes today’s announcement regarding the establishment of Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area (nMWA). This announcement comes after nearly 17 years of consultation with federal, provincial, and First Nations governments, as well as various stakeholder groups, including CPAWS. As Canada’s first marine National Wildlife Area, its aim is to protect and conserve the millions of seabirds and other marine life that breed, forage, and overwinter at the Scott Islands.

“CPAWS first called government attention to the need to protect the Scott Islands marine area in the early 1990s, and we have been working ever since to get to this day,” said Sabine Jessen, CPAWS’ National Director of the Ocean Program. “We are pleased to see that the government has addressed our recommendations including the commitment of significant new funding,” Jessen added. “We look forward to working with all levels of government to ensure that the necessary next steps are taken toward more effective protection of these habitats and their biodiversity.”

At 11,540 km2, the Scott Islands mNWA is designated to protect the foraging and breeding habitats of numerous seabird populations. Based on the final regulations, bottom trawl fishing, a particularly ecologically harmful method, is restricted in only 80% of the area, with additional restrictions placed on forage fish and gill net fisheries, activities that do not currently occur within the boundaries.

“While the establishment of the Scott Islands mNWA is an encouraging step, further efforts are needed to ensure protection for this rich marine ecosystem is enhanced,” said Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager, CPAWS-BC. “Commitments towards effective conservation measures such as bottom trawl fishing restrictions and no-go shipping buffers need to be completed, expanded and added to in the near future to achieve strong and effective protection for the Scott Islands mNWA and its feathered friends,” cautions Jameson.

Scientific research shows that bycatch and entanglement from fishing activities and disturbance by shipping activity are harmful to birds and other marine species. The Government of Canada is committing to further research and management measures to address some of the outstanding concerns from conservation groups and CPAWS is looking forward to working with them to achieve these outcomes.

“We also want to take this moment to applaud and thank Shell Canada for relinquishing their exploratory permits in the area. This is a very significant step and means that oil and gas activities will not be a future threat to this area,” said Jessen. “We are also very pleased by the
government’s commitment to consider expanding the Scott Islands, as there are important seabird areas that should be included in the mNWA,” said Jessen.

“While we acknowledge the government’s steps to increase ocean conservation, we will continue to emphasize the critical importance of the quality of protection if biodiversity is to be conserved over the long term,” said Jessen. “We will keep working to advance increased protection for the Scott Islands as well as for other vulnerable ecosystems throughout Canada’s ocean estate, and look forward to the recommendations of the National Advisory Panel on MPA standards.”

-30-

For more information contact:

Sabine Jessen, National Director, Ocean Program, CPAWS
sabine@cpaws.org | 604-657-2813

Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager
ross@cpawsbc.org | (604) 685-7445 ext. 29

Background:
Located off the northern tip of Vancouver Island, the Scott Islands are the most important seabird breeding area in Pacific Canada. They are home to 90% of Canada’s tufted puffins and half of the world’s Cassin’s auklets. The nutrient-rich ocean waters which surround the islands create productive feeding grounds that support a great diversity of marine life, including sea otters, Steller sea lions, and several species of whales. The Scott Islands are an internationally recognized Important Bird Area, while the marine area has been identified as an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

July 17 2018

New report outlines path forward to combat extinction crisis

cpawsadmin News

Vancouver, BC – Today, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) released its annual parks report, outlining the path forward to deliver on Canada’s commitments to safeguard biodiversity. Provinces and territories recently signed onto a Canada-wide declaration to improve networks of protected areas.

This year’s report, What’s Next: Parks and Protected Areas to 2020 and Beyond, provides a trailmap for governments to meet international conservation targets and prevent extinction of species by protecting key habitat.

“Large, high quality connected areas that limit industrial activity are critical for species to continue to exist – and thrive – in our rapidly changing environment,” said Bruce Passmore, Executive Director of CPAWS-BC.

“Improving our network of protected areas is entirely within our reach, and is something we know British Columbians already support,” said Passmore.

In the past, BC has been a leader in Canada on protected areas. While BC’s park system is currently plagued by underfunding and overcrowding, significant resources are available from the federal government to support protected area expansion work. BC is well-positioned to lead by example and go beyond short-term political commitments to truly meet the needs of nature.

“The BC government has the opportunity to demonstrate true leadership on safeguarding biodiversity,” said Passmore. “They can build on the momentum of current efforts, like the work underway to establish Canada’s newest national park reserve in the South Okanagan.”

“The window of opportunity right now is wide open for the province to work with Indigenous governments and community partners to protect BC’s biodiversity,” said Passmore. “By improving our protected areas system, we can safeguard habitat for endangered species, along with clean air and clean water, while building up rural economies and sustainable livelihoods.”

CPAWS-BC is recommending that the province prioritize landscape-level land use planning, focused on sustaining resilient natural systems and healthy communities in the face of a changing climate. Additional recommendations from the report focus on supporting Indigenous-led conservation, and habitat protections for species at risk.

Read the full report: http://cpaws.org/parks-report

For interviews, contact:
Bruce Passmore – Executive Director, CPAWS-BC
bruce@cpawsbc.org
(604) 685-7445 x23