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The Coast to Cascade Grizzly Bear Initiative is pleased to see that today’s statement by the  Provincial Government regarding ending the trophy grizzly bear hunt also confirms its commitment to a renewed wildlife management strategy for the province. The group notes the importance for this strategy to recognize that the fate of grizzly bears in B.C. is deeply tied to managing the species and their habitat beyond just the hunt.

“Many British Columbians are not aware that for years there has been no legal hunt for the most at-risk populations of grizzly bears in B.C., yet some of these populations continue to decline to perilous levels,” said Johnny Mikes, Field Director for Coast to Cascades. “Even though the Province will end the B.C. grizzly bear trophy hunt in its entirety, it is only improved management focused on habitat and non-hunting threats that will benefit the bears in these depressed and declining populations.”

B.C.’s most threatened grizzlies will still face human-caused deaths related to poor management of garbage and other attractants, poaching, livestock conflicts, plus issues such as habitat loss and fragmentation, and genetic and demographic isolation. Stronger management measures by the provincial government are urgently required to prevent threatened populations from disappearing and the overall range of grizzly bears in B.C. from shrinking further.

In late 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed the world’s brown bear populations, and identified eleven around the world as Critically Endangered. Three of those are in Canada – all in southwest BC. Without provincial intervention for these populations, there is a real possibility that those grizzlies will eventually die out.

“We expect that the BC Auditor General’s Office will be releasing its report on the effectiveness of grizzly bear management in B.C. sometime this fall,” said Mikes. “We’re optimistic that the thorough sort of analysis that the Auditor General is known for will help identify opportunities to address the issues that confront our most vulnerable bears.”

The Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative was formed in 2013 to help ensure the survival of threatened grizzly bear populations in southwest BC where recovery to self-sustaining numbers is supported by a broad range of local governments, First Nations and non-profit organizations. CPAWS-BC is a leading Canadian partner in this initiative.

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Contact:
Johnny Mikes, Coast to Cascades Field Director
604-905-9630

For more information on the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Initiative, visit www.coasttocascades.org

Vancouver, BC – According to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), urgent measures need to be taken to protect Canada’s endangered whales. The establishment of marine protected areas that provide much needed protection from vessel noise and ship strikes, entanglement with fishing gear, pollution, and oil and gas activities are vital to our whales and other species’ survival.

This statement was in response to the announcement made today by Fisheries and Oceans Canada regarding the launch of Let’sTalkWhales.ca. This online engagement platform seeks input from Canadians about proposed recovery measures for three of Canada’s most endangered whale species: the North Atlantic right whale, the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga, and the southern resident killer whale.

“We welcome this opportunity to provide feedback to the government on this pressing issue and are hopeful that Canadians will see real action being taken to protect these whales as a result,” said Sabine Jessen, National Ocean Program Director at CPAWS. “We know that these whales face an array of threats and that marine protected areas that have strong protection measures are one of the most effective ways to address multiple simultaneous threats to species and ecosystems,” added Jessen.

The Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area, the St. Lawrence Estuary Marine Protected Area, and the Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area, are three proposed marine protected areas (MPAs) that would offer these three species of endangered whales protection. “Quickly finishing these MPAs and ensuring that they meet high conservation standards would provide immediate protection for these whales, and would be a positive step towards reaching the government’s commitment to protect 10% of our ocean by 2020,” said Jessen.

“Establishing a comprehensive network of marine protected areas in each region that protects the various habitats that the whales use, and also the habitats on which their prey depend, will give our endangered whales the full protection they need to provide the best chance of recovery and a healthy future. This is something that CPAWS has long been pushing for DFO to get done,” adds Jessen.

Since June, 10 North Atlantic right whales have washed up dead, probably killed either from entanglement in fishing gear or by being struck by vessels. “There are only about 500 North Atlantic Right Whales left in the world, so each death is very concerning. We need quick and drastic action to prevent any more deaths,” said Alice De Swarte, Conservation and Policy Coordinator at CPAWS’ Québec chapter.  “We have long been pushing for a network of MPAs throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including the proposed St. Lawrence Estuary MPA which would provide protection to the St. Lawrence beluga,” adds De Swarte.

This past June, the government released the draft regulations for the proposed Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area, but the proposed regulations allow for oil and gas activity within the MPA. “The Laurentian Channel is an important corridor for the North Atlantic right whale and is deserving of the highest protection. Allowing oil and gas activities within this marine protected area would continue to put endangered North Atlantic right whales at risk,” said Jessen. “During the public consultation period the government has heard loud and clear from Canadians that oil and gas activities are not acceptable within marine protected areas” Jessen adds.

The recent deaths on Canada’s east coast are not isolated incidents. 2016 was a terrible year for BC’s southern resident killer whales with the death of 7 whales, including “Granny” the famous centenarian matriarch of J-pod. “With fewer than 80 southern resident killer whales left, it is imperative that we implement the proposed Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area to protect the home of the orca against multiple known threats including vessel noise, pollution, and loss of prey from declining salmon runs,” said Alexandra Barron, Ocean Conservation Manager at CPAWS BC Chapter. “The Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area was proposed 47 years ago. In the time we have been waiting for this area to be protected, we have seen the number of southern resident killer whales decline precipitously. We cannot afford another bad year,” adds Barron.

“Canada’s whales need urgent help, and we can’t deal with the problems they face one at a time. We were really pleased to see the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard commit to doing whatever it takes to protect Canada’s whales and our advice is that to protect our whales the government needs to establish more strongly protected MPAs, much more quickly,” said Jessen. “ We need to complete the existing sites and make sure that they are fully protected and we need to move beyond this site-by-site approach that can take decades, and establish strategic and comprehensive MPA networks that protect the whales, their habitat and their prey, ” Jessen adds.

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Resources:

Learn more about Let’s Talk Whales.

Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society BC Chapter are pleased to see Prime Minister Trudeau and his family take a short break kayaking in the proposed National Marine Conservation Area in the Southern Strait of Georgia, and are urging the PM to make sure that this area is finally protected, before it is too late.

“The Prime Minister has already started building a reputation for himself as a global ocean hero, and here he has a chance to really live up to that title by finally establishing the National Marine Conservation Area in the Southern Strait of Georgia, the home of BC’s endangered southern resident orcas” said Sabine Jessen, National Ocean Program Director at CPAWS.

The Southern Strait of Georgia contains a large portion of the critical habitat of the southern resident killer whales, which now number fewer than 80 individual animals. Orcas face many threats including pollution, overfishing and noise from vessel traffic. “Marine Protected Areas, like the National Marine Conservation Area, can address multiple threats to species and ecosystems by managing all activities within a given area” said Jessen.

“This area is an ecological jewel and is home to about 3,000 other marine species, a number of which are also of conservation concern, including rockfish, ancient glass sponge reefs, whales, and various seabirds” said Alexandra Barron, Ocean Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC. “But it is also one of, if not the most, heavily used marine areas in BC, so those ecosystems and species need urgent protection” adds Barron.

Parks Canada is currently working on a feasibility assessment for the proposed National Marine Conservation Area but progress has been painfully slow according to conservationists. “The area was first proposed as a potential marine park back in 1970, a proposal that was endorsed by none other than the Godfather of marine conservation, Jacques Cousteau,” said Jessen. “PM Trudeau has a unique opportunity now to be a real ocean hero, and finish what was started over 47 years ago” Jessen adds.

Trudeau has made strong commitments to marine conservation in Canada, promising to protect at least 10% of Canada’s Ocean by 2020, but the Southern Strait of Georgia has languished. “We have seen some great progress for marine conservation in BC with the recent designation of the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs MPA” said Jessen. “It’s now time to continue this good work and make sure that this area and the orcas, get the protection they so desperately need in the face of climate change, proposed increases in oil tankers, shipping traffic and other industrial issues” Jessen adds.

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Vancouver, BC – In its latest annual report on the state of protected areas in Canada, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is calling upon all governments to step up efforts to meet Canada’s international commitments to protect at least 17% of land and inland waters by 2020. CPAWS’ 2017 report “From Laggard to Leader? Canada’s renewed focus on protecting nature could deliver results” calls Canada out for ranking last among G7 countries in the percentage of land and freshwater protected for conservation purposes, and encourages all governments to improve the quality of their protected area systems to more effectively conserve nature.

With only 10.6% of its landscape currently protected, Canada lags behind the global average of 15%, and also trails other large countries such as China, Brazil, and Australia. In 2010, as part of a worldwide effort to stem the tide of biodiversity loss, Canada committed under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to protecting at least 17% of land and inland waters by 2020 and improving the quality of their protected area systems to more effectively conserve nature.

The report recognizes that Canadian governments are finally starting to take this commitment seriously after years of inaction. In February 2017, federal, provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for parks and protected areas publicly announced their commitment to work together to achieve this target. A new Pathway to 2020 process was initiated, and the Indigenous Circle of Experts and National Advisory Panel appointed to advise Ministers on this work.

“With less than 3 years to fulfill our 2020 commitment, we need to get going now,” says Eric Hébert-Daly, National Executive Director at CPAWS. “In the report we identify places across Canada where a considerable amount of work has already been done on proposed protected areas. By acting now to permanently protect these sites, while also planning for what’s needed to conserve nature in the long term, Canada has a chance to move from laggard to leader.”

In British Columbia, the grasslands of the South Okanagan-Similkameen have been identified as an immediate conservation priority. The importance of establishing a National Park Reserve in this region has long been recognized by scientists, governments, and local communities; however, it has remained a decades-long struggle to protect this globally significant landscape.

“The new BC government has an incredible opportunity to demonstrate its leadership and commitment to conservation efforts by working immediately to establish a National Park Reserve in the South Okanagan,” says Jessie Corey, Terrestrial Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC.

“This is the biggest opportunity in nearly two decades to finally get down to business and get some much-needed federal protections for these grasslands. With First Nations support and a commitment from the federal government to see this process through, the timing has never been better,” says Corey.

In addition to identifying opportunities for new protected areas across the country, the report also notes that Canada’s protected area targets are about more than just percentage of lands and waters protected – they’re about creating a resilient network of connected, well-managed protected areas that represent the broad diversity of ecosystems found here in the province and across the country.

Protected areas are important to conserve wildlife and wilderness, as well as provide clean air and water for all Canadians, store carbon, and play a major role in improving our health and well-being. They also make economic sense. Protected areas around the world generate US$600 billion per year in direct spending, while costing less than US$10 billion per year to manage.

For over 50 years, CPAWS has been working with all levels of government, and other partners across the country to protect more of Canada’s public lands. As the only nationwide charity dedicated to the protection of our public lands and water, we are uniquely positioned to help governments protect what nature really needs.

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Read the full report: http://www.cpaws.org/uploads/CPAWS-Parks-Report-2017.pdf

For interviews, contact:
Jessie Corey, Terrestrial Conservation Manager
(604) 685-7445, ext 25
jessie@cpawsbc.org

Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) welcomed the proposed changes to the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act tabled in the House of Commons on 15 June 2017.

The proposed changes include providing some interim protection to sites identified as potential marine protected areas (MPAs) and setting time limits for final designation of those sites, requiring the application of the precautionary principle when designating an Oceans Act MPA, and strengthening enforcement powers and fines.

“This is another positive step forward in the Government of Canada’s push to meet our international commitments to protect at least 10 percent of our ocean by 2020,” said Sabine Jessen, CPAWS’ National Ocean Program Director. “Until now, Canada’s marine protected areas have taken far too long to establish. Some sites have taken up to 20 years to establish, with no interim protection, leaving ecologically important areas at great risk from industrial uses,” said Jessen.

Under the proposed changes, by designating “interim protection” the government could “freeze the footprint” of human activities in a proposed MPA so current activities would be allowed to continue but new activities would be prohibited. Sites that receive interim protection would then have to be fully designated within five years.

But according to Jessen, freezing the footprint might not be enough. “In some instances, we know existing activities pose significant threats to known ecological values, so freezing the footprint would offer little protection to vulnerable ecosystems,” said Jessen.

Jessen points to the newly designated Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound glass sponge reef MPA as an example. “We knew ongoing fishing activities like mid-water trawling and prawn traps and bottom trawling near the reefs were causing damage, so freezing the footprint would have done little to protect the reefs,” said Jessen. “Freezing the footprint is a start but we hope Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will provide stronger interim protection for sites in the future,” Jessen adds.

The proposed amendments to the Oceans Act also require the precautionary principle to be applied in the establishment of MPAs, so that a lack of scientific certainty should not be used as a reason to delay or fail to designate an MPA. According to Jessen, this is something conservationists have been pushing for years.

“We are very happy to see the precautionary principle added as a requirement in the Oceans Act. Scientific studies take time, leaving sensitive ecosystems exposed to harmful human activities for years simply because we don’t have enough data.”

In addition to amendments to the Oceans Act, complementary changes are being proposed to the Canada Petroleum Resources Act that would give the Minister of Natural Resources Canada the authority to prohibit oil and gas activities within a proposed MPA that is under interim protection. Additionally, the Minister of Natural Resources Canada could cancel a company’s exploration licenses or leases to mine an area that is designated an MPA.

“These changes are a great improvement, as the Oceans Act currently contains no explicit prohibitions on oil and gas activities, unlike the National Marine Conservation Areas Act.. We wouldn’t allow an oil rig in our national parks and we shouldn’t allow them within our marine protected areas.”

“However, we are disappointed that these changes on oil and gas activities do not apply in areas off Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia where offshore petroleum boards regulate oil and gas activities,” noted Jessen. “Proposed sites like Laurentian Channel MPA prohibit all fishing activities but would allow oil and gas activities to continue, which is a clear double standard. We think the amendments need to apply in these offshore regions of Canada where oil and gas activities are taking place” Jessen adds.

“Oil and gas activities simply do not belong in marine protected areas, and recent polling by WWF and Environics has shown Canadians do not want these activities to be allowed inside our MPAs. We are pleased the government is listening to Canadians and taking steps to ensure our MPAs are better protected,” said Jessen.

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Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) today responded to Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s announcement about Fisheries and Oceans Canada policy and sites regarding Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs).

“While we appreciate the efforts that Minister LeBlanc and his department have made to be the first government in the world to develop explicit policy on marine OECMs, we are concerned that neither the policy nor the sites announced today meet the test set out by the Convention on Biological Diversity to protect biodiversity as a whole”, said Sabine Jessen, CPAWS National Ocean Program Director. “As long as other industrial activities are being allowed in these areas, it is difficult to see them as ‘marine refuges’, as DFO has labeled them.”

Signatory countries, including Canada, to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), have agreed to meet Aichi Target 11, which commits governments to:
By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.

Under the CBD convention, in-situ conservation of biological diversity means that the areas counted towards Aichi Target 11 should be managed to achieve the conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats and the maintenance and recovery of viable populations of species in their natural surroundings. With only 3 years left to meet these ambitious targets, countries around the world are racing against the clock to put new protection measures in place. In Canada, only 1% of our ocean territory is currently protected.

“In Canada, the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (http://www.ccea.org) has been working for the past 5 years with the protected areas community of practice to develop science-based guidance for the identification and reporting of OECMs on land and in the sea. We are concerned that DFO’s approach is not consistent with emerging guidance from the CCEA and could also undermine efforts to define OECMs on land”, said Alison Woodley, CPAWS National Parks Program Director.

“The DFO policy is also not consistent with the emerging international consensus on OECM guidance being developed for the CBD by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)”, noted Jessen. “The draft IUCN guidance and the CCEA guidance are clear that any sites contributing toward the CBD Aichi Target 11, should be effective at conserving biodiversity. That cannot happen if these areas are left vulnerable to industrial-scale fishing, oil and gas exploration and development, and other industrial uses, which should be expressly prohibited.”

“In reviewing the sites that are being counted, we are concerned that the ancient and globally unique Strait of Georgia glass sponge reefs in BC, while protected from all bottom contact fishing, remain vulnerable to anchoring and cable laying and fail to consider the ecosystem linkages between the surface waters and seafloor ecosystem,” said Jessen.

“In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, based upon the information provided so far, the scallop buffer zones only restrict scallop fishing, and all other activities would be allowed to continue,” noted Roberta Clowater, Executive Director of CPAWS-New Brunswick. “This single restriction is not likely to contribute much to protecting overall biodiversity in these zones from current or future industrial activity.”

“In the case of the 3O coral closure, we are concerned that scientific advice that the closure should include areas within the 400m to 800m depth contour, has not been addressed,” noted Tanya Edwards, Co-Executive Director, CPAWS Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter. “In addition, while corals and sponges are being protected through the prohibition of bottom contact fishing, the other ecological values and linkages within the pelagic realm are being completely ignored.”

“While these sites each have some interim steps toward protection of specific elements of biodiversity, CPAWS believes that they all need additional measures to provide long-term protection for all elements of biodiversity, before they can count towards meeting the CBD target”, said Jessen.

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For further information about the IUCN guidance on OECMs see: https://www.iucn.org/theme/protected-areas/wcpa/what-we-do/other-effective-area-based-conservation-measures-oecms

Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) cautiously welcomes the announcement of a potential new large marine protected area off the West Coast of Vancouver Island. “Today, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) revealed an area of interest for a new marine protected area that covers 140,000 km2, making it the largest ever proposed marine protected area on BC’s coast,” said Sabine Jessen, CPAWS’ National Ocean Program Director.

The area includes several seamounts and hydrothermal vent fields, both of which are important deep sea ecosystems according to Jessen and her colleagues. “We have long been pushing for Canada to designate large marine protected areas and we look forward to working with DFO to ensure that this site provides strong, meaningful protection for these important ecosystems,” said Jessen.

Seamounts are undersea mountains, that can reach thousands of meters in height. They create important habitat for marine life, and attract species like tuna, sharks, whales, and seabirds.  Hydrothermal vents, sometimes known as “black smokers”, are like underwater hot-springs that support unique communities of deep-sea creatures.

DFO has announced that “portions” of the potential marine protected area will be closed to bottom contact fishing, but conservationists say more is needed. “We know from recent polling that Canadians do not want any bottom trawling inside our marine protected areas, and the science clearly shows that large, strongly-protected marine protected areas that are completely closed to commercial fishing and industrial activities, are more effective at protecting marine biodiversity,” said Jessen.

This will not be the first MPA in Canada to protect seamounts or hydrothermal vents. Two of Canada’s oldest marine protected areas are the nearby SGaan Kinghlas – Bowie Seamount and the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents.

“Chile was the first country to protect seamounts from bottom trawling and there have been recent high profile campaigns to protect seamounts in California and on the high seas because they are such incredible hotspots for biodiversity. This marine protected area is an opportunity for Canada to be an international leader in conserving these globally important ecosystems,” said Alexandra Barron, CPAWS-BC’s Ocean Conservation Manager.

When it is designated, the new marine protected area will help move Canada significantly closer to its target of protecting at least 10% of our coastal and marine waters by 2020.  “A large, strongly-protected, offshore marine protected area (MPA) will complement Canada’s ongoing efforts to establish new MPAs and MPA networks across our coasts,” said Jessen.

“We are pleased to see the government take another significant step to protect our ocean ecosystem. We will continue to work with them to ensure that this site and the rest of Canada’s ocean is well protected, for generations to come” Jessen adds.

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Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s BC Chapter (CPAWS-BC) welcomes the provincial government’s proposed Boreal Caribou Recovery Implementation Plan announced last week, but notes that without a strong commitment to stop the decline of all herds and their critical habitat, the plan’s goal of self-sustaining populations may not be achieved.

“This new plan is a big improvement over the abysmal 2011 boreal caribou plan,” says Johnny Mikes, CPAWS-BC Northern Terrestrial Campaign Manager. “Most notably in that it now includes a goal to recover these threatened populations to self-sustaining levels rather than to simply manage their decline. We are pleased with the research and monitoring investment made by the province in recent years and that the new Boreal Caribou Recovery Implementation Plan appears to be more in line with the federal recovery strategy. However, there are some aspects of the plan left open, that are concerning,” says Mikes.

For example, the new plan outlines implementation objectives linked to forestry, oil and gas, and species and wildfire management. There are also some details on linear disturbance limits, mandatory habitat offset requirements for new disturbances, management of early seral forest, and wildlife measures. However, the cumulative benefit of such actions in terms of having a total of undisturbed critical habitat are not captured in the document. CPAWS-BC warns that the goal of achieving “positive habitat trend” is welcome but, in order to effectively protect the habitat these caribou need for survival, specific habitat disturbance targets must be better articulated and timelines clarified.

“Currently, every single one of B.C.’s boreal caribou ranges far exceeds the target habitat disturbance threshold that the province is working towards in the long term,” continued Mikes. “While it is good news that the plan appears to be calling on a moratorium for both forestry and linear disturbances in almost every core area in the five ranges (until further details about what can occur are sorted out), the plan mentions that there is some room for timber harvesting in every range, as well as for new linear disturbances. If we’re serious about giving these caribou a real chance at recovery, the most important action is to avoid further expansion of the industrial footprint in these ranges,” says Mikes.

“CPAWS is heartened by the 2016 plan,” says Mikes. “But only the ongoing monitoring of caribou population numbers and trends, and regular assessment of the condition of the habitat, will tell whether the plan is being implemented with enough resolve to actually achieve self-sustaining herds of boreal caribou in B.C.,” concluded Mikes.

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Contact: Johnny Mikes, CPAWS-BC Northern Terrestrial Campaign Manager
Email: johnnymikes@shaw.ca

Further Information:
Past CPAWS caribou reports: http://cpaws.org/publications/caribou
Public consultation: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/caribou/boreal-caribou/

Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s BC Chapter (CPAWS-BC) welcomes the B.C. Government’s announcement today about new campsites being built across the province, but cautions that without an accompanying long-term funding commitment to sustain this new infrastructure, it will only add to the existing burden of a system that is under-resourced and over-capacity.

“Additional campsites are something that’s been needed for a long time, but park facilities don’t take care of themselves,” says Jessie Corey, Terrestrial Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC. “What the province has committed to is only enough funding to build the new campsites. We still need longer-term investments that would keep the current sites and these additional sites operational and maintained to the high standard that people expect from our parks.”

The province has indicated that they expect the revenue from camping fees at the new sites to cover the majority of long-term operations and maintenance costs, but with an existing maintenance backlog that is already estimated to be millions of dollars, it is unclear whether this funding model is truly sustainable.

“We’re worried that in the rush to address the issues of overcrowding, the province isn’t looking at the bigger picture and thinking about what will happen to the new sites and facilities once the initial investment is spent,” says Corey.

“If they can’t say yes to a permanent and significant increase in operational funding for BC Parks, then all these announcements about new campsites are just temporary fixes that will cause more trouble for the system down the road,” adds Corey.

CPAWS-BC is advocating for meaningful, long-term investments in the provincial parks system, and has been pushing for a significant increase to BC Parks’ operational budget to help address the issues of degrading infrastructure, overcrowding, and an overall lack of capacity.

Specifically, CPAWS-BC is recommending the following to ensure the long-term sustainability of BC Parks:

1. Increase the number of regular and seasonal Park Ranger positions to 360 (up from the 164 employed in 2016) in order to match pre-2000 staffing levels and account for the additional burden of care placed on these employees as a result of a greatly expanded protected areas system since then;
2. Increase BC Parks base/core funding for operations and maintenance to $60 million to match pre-2000 funding levels and account for inflation as well as the additional lands that have been added under to the system since then;
3. Increase this base funding annually to eventually match what other leading parks agencies in Canada, like Parks Canada and Alberta Parks, are investing in their protected area systems; and
4. Commit to an accompanying increase in long-term operations and maintenance funding to support the expansion of campsites under the management and care of BC Parks.

For more information: www.standupforparks.ca

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For interviews, contact:

Jessie Corey, Terrestrial Conservation Manager, CPAWS-BC
jessie@cpawsbc.org, 604-685-7445 ext 25