BC Municipalities Make a Push for Parks

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.

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.