canadian parks and wilderness society british columbia

ID: Person raises arms over mountain peak sunrise.

September 17 2020

BC’s parks get a boost to support economic recovery

cpawsadmin News #bcpoli, #fundbcparks, bc parks, besthope.ca, bruce passmore, build back better, build bc back better, canadian parks and wilderness society, canadian parks and wilderness society british columbia, carol james, covid recovery, cpaws, cpaws-bc, economic recovery bc, economic stimulus bc, future for all, george heyman, green recovery, john horgan, marine debris, trails bc

For interview please contact:
Skye Vallance
Communications and Development Coordinator
skye@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 ext. 22

BC’s parks get a boost to support economic recovery

Economic recovery package announced Sept. 17 includes support for BC Parks trails, campgrounds and facility upgrades

Sept. 17, 2020

Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC), is welcoming the new injection of money for BC’s provincial parks. Today, the Premier announced a $5 million increase to BC’s provincial parks as part of a $1.5 billion investment to help build BC back better.

“BC Parks are the backbone of outdoor recreation in the province, which has seen a spike in interest over the past few years. This five million dollar bump for BC Parks will go a long way to improve trails, campgrounds and backcountry infrastructure,” said Tori Ball, Terrestrial Campaigner for CPAWS-BC. “Funding for parks has far-reaching benefits for nature and wildlife that are in crisis globally, as well as providing opportunities to relax and adventure close to home.”

Data shows that park usage has been steadily rising throughout the spring and summer of 2020. This is on top of annual increases in visitation to BC Parks, which has risen from 21 million in 2014/15 to over 26 million in 2018/19. A recent survey conducted by CPAWS-BC found that 89% of respondents were more or as likely to travel to provincial parks in the next 12 months, compared to last year.

That same study found that 94% of respondents agree or strongly agree that local businesses near BC’s provincial parks benefit from park visitors. “Our research demonstrates that BC Parks provide economic benefits to communities through visitor spending, in addition to providing jobs in conservation and tourism,” said Ball.

“This injection of extra resources will help the provincial park system to adapt to the continued rise in visitors, and mounting environmental challenges,” continued Ball. “Continued increases to the BC Parks budget are integral to a well managed, resilient parks system. Proper funding will ensure that these areas can support people and wildlife, and adequately protect and prepare for the years to come.”

CPAWS-BC is also encouraged to see funding and resources for watershed restoration to support wildlife recovery and jobs for communities hardest hit by the pandemic.

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For interview please contact:
Skye Vallance
Communications and Development Coordinator
skye@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 ext. 22

Key facts:

✔ A boost for BC Parks: $5-million to maintain and expand trails, campgrounds and other necessary park infrastructure.

✔ Money for restoration: Nearly $50-million will fund wetland conservation and species conservation, employing 1,000 people, focused on those hit hardest by the pandemic.

✔ Cleaning our coast: Nearly $15-million towards the removal of marine debris and derelict vessels.

✔ Conservation jobs for youth: The $1.8 million Youth Employment program is creating 25 new youth park positions and 18 positions in the conservation officer service.

ID: Person raises arms over mountain peak sunrise.

About CPAWS-BC

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) supports the creation of large, well-managed, connected protected areas where native plants and animals thrive, now and forever; and where people and communities can live off the land and ocean without impacting the ability of future generations to do the same.

July 9 2020

Canada joins Global Ocean Alliance: Advocates for protecting 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030

cpawsadmin News #30x30, bc ocean, canadian parks and wilderness society, canadian parks and wilderness society british columbia, coastal first nations, deep sea, deep sea mining, deepsea oasis, global ocean alliance, hypdrothermal vent, IUCN, marine protected area, mpa network, northern bioshelf, offshore pacific, orca, ross jameson, strait of georgia

For interview contact
Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia
778-953-2372
ross@cpawsbc.org

Canada joins Global Ocean Alliance: Advocates for protecting 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030

For Immediate Release

July 9, 2020

Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, announced that Canada has joined the United Kingdom and other countries in the Global Ocean Alliance. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) applauds Canada’s active role in the protection of at least 30 percent of the global ocean through the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based marine conservation measures by 2030.

In partnership with Indigenous Peoples, provinces and territories, and environmental and industry organizations, the Canadian government has made huge strides to protect almost 14 percent of our ocean. The bigger task remains to reach their goal of 25 percent ocean protection by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030.

“This is a pivotal moment for Canada as a global leader for ocean action” says Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC. “We look forward to working with the Minister to help Canada reach 30 percent ocean protection by 2030 with effective marine protected areas in BC and beyond.”

Decades of harmful human practices including overfishing, oil and gas activities, pollution (including noise, chemicals, and plastics), and physical disturbance such as ship strikes and bottom trawling threaten ocean life and human well-being. MPA’s offer a natural solution to prevent further destruction and support a healthy ocean that will provide for us for generations to come.

By protecting entire ecosystems, MPAs can protect the full diversity of marine life and their habitats. MPAs can help depleted ocean life recover, and support sustainable fisheries. Kelp forests, eelgrass and other shoreline ecosystems can protect coastal communities and shorelines from erosion and sea-level rise.

BC has been at the forefront of establishing Canada’s MPAs. The Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA west of Vancouver Island was the first MPA created under the Oceans Act in 2003. The Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site is a prominent example of Indigenous-led, cooperatively managed MPAs in Canada.

We also have a large part to play in getting Canada to our 30 percent ocean protection by 2030 target with several MPAs in the planning process. The Offshore Pacific Area of Interest or Deepsea Oasis off the west coast of Vancouver Island will protect unique deep sea ecosystems and cover almost 2.5% of Canada’s ocean. The proposed Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Reserve will safeguard important feeding waters for the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Led by Indigenous communities, Canada’s first MPA network along BC’s north and central coasts will protect whales and other migrating ocean animals while also ensuring healthy coastal communities for generations.

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For interview contact
Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia
778-953-2372
ross@cpawsbc.org

Download PDF Copy

Resources:

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. (July 9 2020). CPAWS Celebrates Canada Joining the Global Ocean Alliance [Press Release] Retrieved from: https://cpaws.org/cpaws-celebrates-canada-joining-global-ocean-alliance/
BC’s Marine Protected Areas. Map by Jacob Chila, GIS Analyst, Ocean Program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia. 2020.
Explore Canada’s Marine Protected Areas. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, 2020.
Duarte, C.M., Agusti, S., Barbier, E. et al. Rebuilding marine life. Nature 580, 39–51 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2146-7

Map by Jacob Chila, GIS Analyst, Ocean Program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia

About CPAWS-BC

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia Chapter (CPAWS-BC) protects wilderness in every corner of BC and deep into the ocean. CPAWS-BC supports the creation of large, well-managed, connected protected areas where native plants and animals thrive, now and forever; and where people and communities can live off the land and ocean without impacting the ability of future generations to do the same.

In the past 50+ years, CPAWS has played a lead role in protecting over half a million square kilometres – an area bigger than New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador put together.

CPAWS BC_ Glass Sponge Reef_R1112_08517_Photographer Sally Leys

June 26 2020

New research prompts call for urgent protection of BC’s glass sponge reefs

cpawsadmin News Angela Stevenson, canadian parks and wilderness society, canadian parks and wilderness society british columbia, climate change, conservation, cpaws-bc, dinosaur bc, fishing closures bc, fossils bc, glass sponge, howe sound, marine protected area, mpa, ocean canada, ocean protection bc, ross jameson, ubc

For interview, please contact:

Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-British Columbia

778-953-2372

ross@cpawsbc.org

New research prompts call for urgent protection of BC’s glass sponge reefs

For Immediate Release

June 26, 2020

Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – A new study led by Angela Stevenson at the University of British Columbia indicates that ongoing climate change is a serious and immediate threat to BC’s ancient glass sponge reefs. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) calls for the urgent establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) for glass sponge reefs in BC.

Glass sponge reef ecosystems shelter rockfish and prawns and are efficient filter feeders. Healthy glass sponge reef marine protected areas can filter out up to 90% of bacteria from ocean water and work to keep carbon locked in the seafloor.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), along with the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society (MLSS), recently verified five new living glass sponge reefs and one dead reef during scientific surveys in Howe Sound. These reefs need urgent protection if they are to adapt and survive against threats from climate change and human activity.

“Marine protected areas will not only protect glass sponge reefs from physical damage caused by bottom-contact fishing, they will also act as natural climate solutions,” says Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC. MPAs offer long term protection, prevent further damage and absorb carbon to help beat back climate change.

For two decades, CPAWS-BC has worked to establish stronger protection for BC’s known glass sponge reefs. In 2017, Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area protected over 2000 km² of glass sponge reefs off BC’s north and central coast. 17 fisheries closures protect reefs in Howe Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Unprotected glass sponge reefs in Howe Sound and Chatham Sound need urgent attention.

This new study underscores the pressure glass sponges face to adapt quickly to survive in a changing ocean. Protecting these unique biological treasures will not only safeguard economically important marine life, but also ensure the reefs can remain a source of awe and wonder for generations to come.

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For interview, please contact:

Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-British Columbia

778-953-2372

ross@cpawsbc.org

Resources

We would like to recognize the many other organizations who have worked tirelessly to conserve this unique habitat: Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Subsea Society of Howe Sound, Canadian Marine Environment Protection Society, and Sunshine Coast Conservation Society.

Stevenson, A., Archer, S.K., Schultz, J.A. et al. Warming and acidification threaten glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus pumping and reef formation. Sci Rep 10, 8176 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65220-9

Media Release PDF here.

Additional Images here.

Photo: Delicate white silica glass sponge reef with small crabs — Photo: Sally Leyes

About CPAWS-BC:

In the past 50+ years, CPAWS has played a lead role in protecting over half a million square kilometres – an area bigger than New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador put together.

Stand Up For Parks snowshoe square image

June 10 2020

Protecting BC’s Provincial Parks

Skye CPAWS-BC Uncategorized #bcpoli, #explorebc, #explorebclater, #fundbcparks, #GreenRecovery, backcountry bc, bc parks, bc parks reopen, campaing bc, campgrounds bc, canadian parks and wilderness society british columbia, cpaws-bc, leave no trace, outdoor recreation bc, stand up for parks, tori ball, trail maintenance

BC Parks deserve a raise!

The COVID-19 public health crisis has shown us just how essential BC’s parks are for our physical and mental well-being. The pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to re-invest in BC’s parks, which have been chronically underfunded since the early 2000’s.

Throughout the month of June, the BC government is collecting feedback on how to set their priorities for next year’s budget. Send your comments by clicking the button below, letting the government know you would like parks to be prioritized with an additional investment of funding.

Our parks and the staff who take care of them are ill-equipped to support an influx of visitors as they gradually reopen. Staff shortages are making it difficult to enforce physical distancing requirements and maintain higher standards of facilities cleaning needed to keep visitors safe.

BC’s parks are in dire need of a funding boost to ensure that they’re able to support.

Speak Up for Parks

Click the button to edit your letter. A personalized letter triples your impact so add a personal note at the start of this letter. When you’re done, click send.

Protecting BC’s provincial parks

As British Columbians, we should be proud of the system of parks that has been created to safeguard some of our province’s most beautiful and unique places. From high alpine meadows to towering ancient forests and sweeping grasslands, BC is the most biologically diverse province and our parks steward some of the most spectacular natural wonders on planet earth. But with wildlife facing extinction and our parks facing humans pressures, we need to expand our parks system and give nature the protection it needs.

The Threat

The Threat
The Solution

BC’s provincial parks system is the largest in Canada – but it is also one of the worst funded.

Snowshoers at Cypress Provincial Park near Vancouver. Photo credit: Tori Ball

What does this funding crisis look like on the ground?

Massive shortage of park rangers: in 2016, there were just 7 full-time park rangers responsible for monitoring BC’s millions of acres of park lands. That means that during peak season, each park ranger was responsible for an area roughly two-thirds the size of Vancouver Island. Seasonal hiring has tried to fill gaps, but there’s still chronic understaffing in BC Parks. That means regulations meant to protect nature are left unenforced.
Doing more with less: with over 20 million visitors per year, BC Parks staff are under enormous pressure. But without adequate funding, they often don’t have enough resources for proper equipment or vehicles that help them monitor our parks.
Broken and missing infrastructure: tent pads, pit toilets, bridges, paths – these things cost money to build and maintain. Proper infrastructure makes for more enjoyable and meaningful park experiences for visitors, while also providing vital protection to sensitive ecosystems.
Threats to nature and wildlife: without enough park rangers, sufficient resources, or safe infrastructure, BC’s parks are becoming “paper parks” – protecting in theory but not in practice. That means severe degradation of irreplaceable ecosystems from the influx of visitors and their litter. For wildlife, it means losing habitat and more dangerous interactions that lead to conflict. Without adequate funding, our parks cannot do the job they are legislated to do: protect and conserve wilderness for generations to come.

Parks don’t protect themselves. We can see a better future for BC’s provincial parks and the wilderness that they protect, but only if we stand up and demand action from our government.

CPAWS-BC volunteers #StandUpForParks – Photo credit: Moe Nadeau, Wedge Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park.

In order to safeguard our province’s wild spaces, BC Parks needs more funding. Without resources to hire park rangers, maintain infrastructure, and enforce park regulations, BC’s provincial parks – and the wilderness within their boundaries – will continue to suffer.

You can add your voice to the many other British Columbians calling on the provincial government to:

Increase base funding for BC Parks to $60 million per year
Continue annual increases to eventually match levels of leading Canadian park agencies, like Alberta Parks and Parks Canada
Increase the number of park rangers

BC Parks is the largest provincial park system in the country, protecting the most diverse landscapes of anywhere in Canada. We have a golden opportunity for wilderness conservation: since these areas are already legally protected, we just need to ensure they have the resources they need to safeguard the wilderness they contain.