Join us for a global celebration of Ocean Week June 6-10 2022!
You’re invited to join CPAWS-BC’s Ocean Conservation Campaign experts for a special launch for our new Great Bear Sea campaign. The Great Bear Sea, also referred to as the Northern Shelf Bioregion, is found off the north and central coasts of BC next to the famous Great Bear Rainforest.
Join us on Zoom on June 9 to learn about the incredible and unique marine life that lives here. Hear about how coastal First Nations are leading the process with the Canadian and BC governments to create a marine protected area (MPAs) network for the region. Thanks to people like you advocating for strong ocean protection, we have a plan to build on the existing three MPAs here to create a whole network of protected areas to further support important habitats. These connected MPAs increase the resilience to impacts and protect the health of the Great Bear Sea for present and future generations.
Register to join us for a live presentation followed by Q&A. Speakers:
Carlo Acuña (he/him), Ocean Conservation Coordinator Kate MacMillan (she/her), Ocean Conservation Manager
It’s been quite a year and a half! Despite many restrictions and challenges, nature has been there for us when we needed it most. Nature was ready to welcome us, enveloping us in its safe bubble where we found recreation, rest, and rejuvenation. Whether you enjoyed the greenery from your balcony or ventured into local parks and the untamed wilderness, join us in celebrating the great outdoors by sharing a photo of how you found solace in nature’s bubble!
Prizes
– One $500 MEC gift card (based on judging criteria)
– One of two $250 MEC gift cards (randomly selected at end of contest)
– One of two survival kits from BMG Industries, awarded randomly and biweekly
How to Enter
Post your photo in nature’s bubble from the last 12 months on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Photos must be public so we can see them!
In your caption, tell us why nature matters to you, and what’s special about your memory.
Tag and follow CPAWS-BC and the Guide Outfitters Association of BC. Multiple entries are encouraged—up to one entry a day! CPAWS-BC: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Guide Outfitters Association of BC: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Make sure that your profile is public so that we can see it. Posts must be put in a feed, unfortunately Instagram stories will not be eligible to win.
Don’t have a social media account? No problem! You can also email parks@cpawsbc.org with subject line “Nature’s Bubble Photo Contest”.
UPDATE: Contest closes on Friday, November 5, 2021. Find the full contest rules here.
Let’s honour the ocean with a BC Coastal Marine Strategy
In 1992, Canada first proposed the idea of a World Oceans Day at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, as a day to encourage protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources. Twenty-nine years later, on World Oceans Day 2021, the message of World Oceans Day is needed now more than ever in British Columbia.
The iconic southern resident killer whales have been listed as endangered since 2001, fishers worry about their livelihoods, and coastal communities in BC are concerned about climate change-induced sea level rise and flooding. Without a strategy to protect and sustainably manage coastal and marine spaces, we are putting the future of the coast at risk.
However, this year on World Oceans Day, we have hope for the coast. After years of calls from conservation groups, fishers, local governments, and others, the provincial government has recognized that it needs to act to address the challenges facing coastal and marine areas.
The development of a BC coastal marine strategy and law represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revamp provincial coastal management to ensure marine life and coastal communities get the future they deserve.
What is a Coastal Marine Strategy and Law?
In the face of accelerating coastal development, greater stressors on ocean resources, and declines in marine ecosystem health, many states around the world have adopted coastal marine strategies to better manage coastal and marine areas. We refer to a coastal marine strategy as a “blueprint for the coast” because it provides long-term directions to guide governments in the planning and management of these areas.
A strong coastal marine strategy will identify high level goals for coastal and ocean management and include laws and policies to achieve these goals.
The strategy should ensure that the management of marine and coastal areas is:
Integrated – so that provincial government decision-makers, including local governments, coordinate effectively between themselves and with Indigenous and federal governments;
Adaptive – meaning that the provincial government monitors and adapts its decision-making to ensure that the goals of the strategy are being met; and
Sustainable – so that the needs of future generations are not compromised by today’s decisions.
Since the 1970s, the West Coast US states have had in place coastal marine strategies and laws to help manage ocean areas in concert with the federal government, Indigenous tribes, and local governments. They have created commissions or other government bodies in charge of administering their coastal marine strategies, have developed marine spatial plans that detail where activities can occur, implemented networks of marine protected areas to restore fisheries and revive marine ecosystems, and adopted sophisticated monitoring programs. Aside from BC, almost every coastal state and province in the US and Canada has adopted a strategy or law to manage its ocean areas, with Nova Scotia being the most recent, having adopted its Coastal Protection Act in 2019.
Right now, BC manages coastal and marine areas through a patchwork of regulations and laws overseen by different ministries and departments without an overarching vision for those decisions or a centralized body responsible for those decisions. This approach makes it difficult to coordinate with Indigenous nations and federal and local governments and to ensure that the long-term health of coastal and marine ecosystems is safeguarded.
The provincial government has nonetheless created some promising initiatives in recent years to improve management and protection of marine and coastal areas. For example, BC partnered with Indigenous nations through the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), a unique partnership to develop plans to manage marine areas from the Alaskan border down to Northern Vancouver Island in an ecosystem-based and adaptive manner. BC is also involved in the creation of a network of marine protected areas in the Great Bear Sea with the federal government and Indigenous nations.
However, without the backing of a coastal marine strategy and law, the success of these initiatives could be in jeopardy.
What’s needed for a strong BC Coastal Marine Strategy
A BC Coastal Marine Strategy can accomplish a number of important objectives for the coastal and marine areas off British Columbia – and the communities that rely on them.
To achieve the goals of the strategy and to ensure it is complied with, it is crucial that the strategy be legally implemented by an accompanying law. A law will ensure that the province has the legal tools necessary to carry out the strategy and make sure the strategy won’t be set aside to collect dust on a shelf.
A new coastal marine strategy and law should also establish a home within the provincial government responsible for coastal management that will also cooperate with other orders of government and achieve the goals of the strategy.
A BC coastal marine strategy presents an opportunity to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in coastal and ocean management. It must be developed jointly with coastal Indigenous nations and should recognize and support Indigenous marine spatial planning, marine Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and coastal Indigenous Guardians programs.
The Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) developed marine spatial plans for areas from northern Vancouver Island to the Alaska border. However, the plans have not been implemented into law to ensure they are legally binding and the plans lack long-term guaranteed funding to ensure essential components of the plans, such as monitoring programs, are carried out.
A coastal marine strategy and law can address these gaps by legally recognizing the MaPP plans and ensuring they are supported by long-term funding. The strategy and law should also support the development of coastal and marine plans along the rest of the coast. In addition to helping with coordinating and integrating ocean management, these plans should also support habitat restoration and protect marine environmental quality.
A coastal marine strategy and law should address the current fragile state of shoreline habitats, and the cumulative and ongoing harms they face. The strategy and law should protect shoreline ecosystems from shoreline hardening (adding hard coastal infrastructure like seawalls or jetties) and the damaging effects of sea level rise and extreme weather events associated with climate change.
Coastal communities and local economies depend on healthy coastal ecosystems. However, with sharp declines in salmon runs and other fisheries, downturns in the resource sectors, and economic disruptions from COVID, coastal communities are facing unprecedented challenges. A coastal marine strategy should support coastal communities and support the sustainable blue economy of the future.
Next Steps
Coastal strategies and laws have been successfully implemented around the world in order to ensure better integrated ocean governance and to safeguard ocean ecosystems. It is exciting to finally be embarking on this journey in British Columbia.
Join us this week as we celebrate World Oceans Day 2021, by showing the provincial government that you support the development of a BC coastal marine strategy. Take action by either sending a tweet or email to the provincial government today.
Let’s fulfill the promise of this day and make sure marine life and coastal communities get the future they deserve. Join us!
CPAWS-BC and West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) will be following every step of this process, and we invite you to stay up to date and get involved by visiting blueprintforthecoast.ca, signing up for our newsletters or follow us @Blueprint4Coast on Twitter.
By Michael Bissonnette, WCEL Marine Program Staff Lawyer
Biodiversity is the rich variety of life on Earth, from genes to wild ecosystems, and it can encompass all nature and culture that sustains life.
The world is facing a biodiversity crisis. Decades of climate change and unchecked industrial development pushes nature’s limits. British Columbia is on the frontlines of the fight to protect our remaining wild land and seascapes, and the plants and animals that depend on them.
We have a choice: take bold action to defend against the decline of species, or watch as iconic animals like caribou and orca vanish forever. With your help, CPAWS-BC is helping governments make the best decision.
Biodiversity Day 2021 celebrates being part of the solution #ForNature. From nature-based solutions to climate, health issues, food and water security, and sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity is the foundation upon which we can build back better.
CPAWS-BC has a plan to stem the nature emergency and ensure healthy ecosystems now and forever. When nature thrives, so do we.
Here’s three ways BC is part of the solution #ForNature.
Indigenous-led Conservation
Indigenous-managed lands and water play a critical role in helping species survive.Research shows the total numbers of birds, plants, fish and wildlife were thehighest on lands managed or co-managed by Indigenous communities. Our Indigenous partners help incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into every aspect of our work. On the path to Canada’s goal of protecting 25% of lands, freshwater and ocean by 2025, provincial and federal governments commit to helping establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs).
We all truly need to work together. We are in a deep biodiversity crisis, we’re in a water crisis, we’re in a climate crisis. We really need to rely on Indigenous teachings in order to help protect these beautiful lands and waters.
– Annita Mcphee, Executive Director (Read the full interview in The Narwhal)
Today, about 15.5% of BC’s lands and inland waters are fully protected under legislated protected areas, with 4% falling into the category of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
BC has a leading role to play to help reach commitments to protecting 25% of Canada’s land and ocean by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
“Expanding protected areas is essential for the future of British Columbia. Healthy ecosystems and intact forests don’t just exist for wildlife. Our communities need protected areas for sustainable livelihoods, human health, cultural values, and to ensure a livable future.” – Jessie Corey, Terrestrial Conservation Manager.
Thanks to our supporters and partners, we’ve made great strides to protect large parks, protected areas and wildlife corridors like Tatshenshini, Muskwa Kechika,Gwaii Haanas (the southern tip of Haida Gwaii), and the Scott Islands.
Let’s keep this momentum going. In April, Canada announced an historic investment for nature that will protect and restore forest, grassland, and wetlands.
Bold investments like these can propel conservation in BC on the path to 25 percent land and water protection by 2025, and 30% by 2030:
The Deepsea Oasis off the west coast of Vancouver Island will protect unique deep sea ecosystems and cover almost 2.5% of Canada’s ocean.
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.
The proposed Dene Kʼéh Kusān protected area in Kaska territory promises to protect an intact wilderness area larger than Vancouver Island.
Collaboration between First Nations, environmental groups and governments offers a hopeful path forward for better conservation.
Last year, Saulteau and West Moberly First Nations announced a partnership agreement with BC and Canada to protect and recover caribou in the Peace Region.
“We have no time to waste with the rampant global biodiversity crisis and declining wildlife populations across the province. CPAWS-BC is looking forward to working collaboratively with the coalition partners and all levels of government to improve the state of the lands, waters and wildlife across BC.” – Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner.
This Biodiversity Day, join the thousands of BCers defending biodiversity. Sign-up to receive the latest updates, nature news and actions from CPAWS right to your inbox.
For interviews, please contact: Rippon Madtha, Communications Manager Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter rippon@cpawsbc.org (604) 685-7445 x23
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2021
CPAWS-BC Welcomes Largest Investment To Date For Land and Ocean Conservation
Federal budget investments demonstrate a solid commitment to nature protection
Unceded Coast Salish Territory / Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) highly commends the federal government’s decision to invest $3+ billion over five years to protect Canada’s lands and ocean. Today’s historic announcement bolsters collective action towards protecting 25 percent of Canada’s lands and ocean by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030 while enabling and supporting Indigenous-led conservation in British Columbia and across Canada.
“This announcement brings immense hope to British Columbians and Canadians for a resilient future brimming with healthy landscapes, waters, and biodiversity,” says Annita Mcphee, Executive Director of CPAWS-BC. “With this significant investment important conservation projects will be enabled to move forward on the ground and in the ocean”.
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society has been drumming up Ottawa’s support alongside leading conservation groups as part of the Green Budget Coalition. The coalition has proposed investments of $4.8 billion over five years, followed by $745 million per year to manage federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous protected areas.
Ross Jameson, Oceans Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC comments, “This will add sorely needed investment into the health and well-being of coastal communities and the ecosystems that support them. Investment in ocean protection will support a web of marine life, increase recreation, tourism, and other conservation economy opportunities, and rebuild fisheries”.
Budget 2021 nature investment highlights:
$2.3 billion over five years to protect one million square kilometers of land and freshwater – which is equivalent to an additional 10% of Canada – including supporting Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, Indigenous Guardians programs, provincial and territorial protected areas, and to protecting species at risk.
$976.8 million over five years to protect the health of our oceans, commercial fishing stocks, and quality of life in coastal communities.
$200 million over three years supporting municipalities with natural infrastructure projects including establishing urban parks, green spaces, waterfronts, marshes, etc.
$1.4 billion over 12 years to replenish the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, including $670 million dedicated to small-scale climate adaptation and mitigation projects, including natural infrastructure projects such as wetland restoration, etc.
“This incredible investment shows great wisdom and fortitude in putting the future of our communities first by furthering important international nature commitments. We look forward to working towards a resilient future with Indigenous, provincial, and federal governments by furthering conservation here in BC,” adds Mcphee.
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For interviews, please contact: Rippon Madtha, Communications Manager Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter rippon@cpawsbc.org (604) 685-7445 x23
About CPAWS-BC:
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is part of one of Canada’s oldest non-profit conservation groups. We protect wilderness in every corner of BC and deep into the ocean. We have been defending BC since 1978 and are dedicated to keeping BC’s natural environment thriving forever. Nature is BC’s best hope.
Background
According to the World Economic Forum, half of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is moderately or highly dependent on nature and the services it provides, and the global food-, land-, and ocean-use system provides up to 40% of the world’s jobs. As a nation that relies on its rich natural resources, protecting nature and the multitude of services it provides is critical to Canada’s economic recovery.
Many studies done across Canada have found that natural assets, if maintained, already have tremendous value, which will increase as the climate changes. As an example, urban forests in Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax are valued at billions of dollars for ecosystem services such as control of stormwater runoff, air quality regulation, and carbon sequestration.
Protecting and restoring forest, grassland, and wetland (including eelgrass, saltmarsh, and riparian areas) to store and reduce greenhouse gas emissions would help to address the climate and biodiversity crises, create jobs, and expand a green economy in Canada. The same is true for using natural infrastructure solutions to increase our resilience to climate change.
The World Economic Forum estimates that transitioning industry to a more nature-positive model could result in up to $10 trillion USD in annual business value and could create 395 million jobs by 2030.
Terrestrial parks and associated visitor spending support 64,000 jobs, generate a return of 6:1 in GDP, and return 44% of government investment back in taxes. Canada’s parks and protected areas have become increasingly important for domestic tourism as COVID-19 restricts international travel.
Effective Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a key component of a strong Blue Economy. Recent studies show that protecting 30% of our ocean in effective and well-managed MPAs can restore ocean health and produce an economic return on investments of ten to one.
The Green Budget Coalition (GBC)includes 25 leading environmental organizations in Canada that analyze environmental sustainability issues and provide fiscal and budgetary recommendations to the federal government. Feature recommendations for nature and biodiversity conservation include: Nature-Based Climate SolutionsandCreating and Managing Protected Areas, including Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and Guardians programs, among other complementary nature conservation recommendations.
For interviews, please contact: Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter tori@cpawsbc.org (604) 685-7445 x24
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2021
$80M Boost for BC Parks Upgrades, CPAWS-BC Ecstatic
Historic budget lift sets bright path for parks and recreation in BC
Unceded Coast Salish Territory / Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is applauding the BC government’s announcement today of a new $80 million investment into BC’s provincial parks over the next three years. This represents a historic budget increase that’s been overdue for decades.
“After 20 years of fighting for this, we’re thrilled to finally see an investment of this magnitude for our provincial parks,” says Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner with CPAWS-BC. “This leap in budget funding will go a long way in helping BC Parks to refocus on protecting important landscapes and ecosystems, and supporting them to better meet the needs of British Columbians wanting to spend more time in these special places.”
Today’s budget announcement is the most recent and sizable upgrade to the BC Parks system. It comes on the heels of an announcement earlier this week creating hundreds of new conservation and park jobs for youth. BC Parks has received necessary increases for staffing, infrastructure, and park upkeep over the last year to manage pandemic-related demand. The BC government plans to inject additional funding over the next three years:
$36 million planned for operations
$47 million in capital investments
“Investing in BC’s parks is also a welcome boost to tourism – the sector hardest hit by the pandemic,” adds Ball. “More money for BC Parks means more jobs in remote and rural communities, and in the long term will serve to support natural climate solutions that will help stem the global biodiversity crisis.”
CPAWS-BC and its partners have been campaigning for bold budget upgrades for BC Parks for many years. As parks and other outdoor spaces continue to experience record high visitation through the pandemic, this announcement signals a turning point for BC Parks and can be widely celebrated as a long-overdue boost to upgrade visitor infrastructure, increase staffing in parks, and expand protected areas.
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For interviews, please contact: Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter tori@cpawsbc.org (604) 685-7445 x24
Key Facts:
BC’s provincial parks welcome over 23 million visitors each year. However, decades of underfunding have created significant gaps in the system. A surge in outdoor recreation through the pandemic put further pressure on staffing, park expansion, trail building, and visitor facility upgrades.
Canadian public health officials strongly recommend outdoor recreation to alleviate lockdown blues. However, lack of funding and staffing resulted in complete park closures in Spring 2020 during the pandemic’s early days.
In October 2020, Premier Horgan announced a strong parks-focused mandate letter to Environment Minister George Heyman and Parliamentary Secretary of Environment Kelly Greene. This budget provides necessary resources to deliver on this mandate of expanding campgrounds, trails and protected areas.
CPAWS-BC, alongside partner organizations, including tourism associations, recreation organizations, and labor unions, has been campaigning for bold budget upgrades for BC Parks for many years to increase staffing and improve park infrastructure and visitor facilities.
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is part of one of Canada’s oldest non-profit conservation groups. We protect wilderness in every corner of BC and deep into the ocean. We have been defending BC since 1978 and are dedicated to keeping BC’s natural environment thriving forever. Nature is BC’s best hope.
For interviews, contact: Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter tori@cpawsbc.org (604) 685-7445 x24
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New youth jobs program bolsters conservation and recreation in BC, says conservationists
April 13, 2021
Traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples/Vancouver, BC — The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is praising a new provincial program that will give youth opportunities to work in conservation and recreation. These jobs will help to launch careers in wilderness stewardship while preparing BC’s vast outdoor recreation network to host record visitor numbers through another pandemic summer.
“We’re thrilled to see this much needed capacity lift for nature and outdoor recreation in the province,” says Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner with CPAWS-BC. “We can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the province is preparing to better support the health and wellbeing of British Columbians by providing more access to parks, trails and camping opportunities.”
This is the second youth-focused work program the BC government has launched in the last year, both of which included conservation-specific opportunities. Hiring youth to improve parks and nature stewardship will help to meet the increasing need for more trails and campgrounds as people look to escape locally during the pandemic.
Long-standing budget constraints have created bottlenecks in BC’s parks system, from delays in planning to visitor facilities in need of maintenance or waiting to be built. Unfortunately, this resulted in BC’s provincial parks being forced to shut down last spring due to concerns with understaffing and overcrowding.
“Spending time outdoors has been a consistent public health recommendation during the pandemic, and we’re encouraged that the BC government is taking measures to ensure there are safe, well-managed places for people to get outside,” says Ball.
“As people invest in outdoor gear for the long-haul, we hope to see more long-term investments and programs of this kind coming down the pipe to support the vast and diverse nature and recreation systems in BC,” she adds.
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For interviews, contact:
Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter tori@cpawsbc.org (604) 685-7445 x24
As a part of the Stronger BC Future Leaders Program, the BC government is investing in youth conservation jobs to accommodate and support growing demand for outdoor recreation:
The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development will invest more than $11 million for over 220 jobs in the Natural Resource Youth Employment program and the Recreation Sites and Trails program.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy will invest $4.6 million to create 37 positions with BC Parks and 46 positions with the Conservation Officer Service, to work in a variety of fields to gain experience and help protect the environment.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy is creating opportunities for up to 180 young people to help tackle marine debris and plastic pollution in coastal communities. An investment of $5 million in the Clean Coast, Clean Waters program is aimed at youth employment, including youth in Indigenous communities.
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is part of one of Canada’s oldest non-profit conservation groups. We protect wilderness in every corner of BC and deep into the ocean. We have been defending BC since 1978, and are dedicated to keeping BC’s natural environment thriving forever. Nature is BC’s best hope.
New Visitor Use Strategy for Joffre Lakes Provincial Park
BC Parks just released a new Visitor Use Management Strategy that was jointly created with Lílwat Nation and N’Quatqua and other key provincial ministries. Help us make sure BC Parks gets it right.
A surge in visitation to Joffre Lakes Provincial Park over the past decade is often blamed on only one force: social media. While social media offers easy access to information on stunning places to hike, camp and snowshoe, it does not deserve the entire burden of the public’s blame.
Joffre Lakes has seen a 222 percent increase in visitation since 2010, with close to 200,000 visitors in 2019 – the last year it was open to the public. This coincides with upgrades of the park’s 5km long trail which altered the route from being a challenging boulder-field to a steep but fairly smooth, and easy-to-navigate trail. It is not surprising that a trail that is perceived to be relatively safe, boasting stunning vistas, and just a few hours up the highway from Metro Vancouver, would attract massive crowds.
A sharp rise in demand for outdoor recreation in BC and across the globe has also contributed to the challenges which plague Joffre Lakes. The park was closed to the public throughout the pandemic to protect local communities from increased COVID risks. According to a 2014 Destination BC report, commercial outdoor adventures grew by 24 percent between 2001 and 2005. Within a decade, BC Parks saw nearly an additional 5 million, or 23 percent, rise in annual visitors between 2014 and 2019.
All this is underscored by a critical fact: BC Parks has been dramatically underfunded for two decades. This lack of funding has generated numerous challenges for parks managers and visitors alike. A lack of resources stalls the creating and updating of management plans to and cuts out environmental monitoring within the parks. Staff shortages remain rampant, leaving rangers and planners overworked. Low budgets mean that infrastructure upgrades and expansion plans are nowhere in sight
What’s in the strategy?
Increase presence of Lílwat Nation and N’Quatqua within the park through a Stewards program, interpretive signage that includes local Indigenous culture and history, and exploration for joint monitoring, economic opportunities, and collaborative management.
Support Lílwat Nation and N’Quatqua traditional uses by protecting harvest areas, installing restoration barriers, and supporting community access.
Mitigate impacts on vegetation and wildlife through visitor education and enforcement of restrictions, trail rehabilitation, creating viewing platforms at lookouts, gathering baseline data and monitoring changes, and exploring recreation monitoring and environmental projects through partnerships.
Address illegal parking with the Ministry of Transportation and enforcement by the RCMP, encouraging carpooling, sharing shuttle information when/if arranged by third parties ,such as Parkbus, increasing the parking lot from 250 to 350 spaces and improving the parking lot layout “as needed.”
Limit the number of people who can access the park during peak months by implementing a day-use permit, encouraging people to visit in less busy times, limiting commercial groups, and enforcing backcountry reservations.
Educate visitors and the general public as to proper park etiquette, trip planning and preparedness, while monitoring activities through trail counters, visitor surveys and external partner data.
Overall, what do we think about the draft strategy?
We are extremely happy with two aspects. First, we applaud the overdue inclusion of the original stewards of this area, Lílwat Nation and N’Quatqua, as critical planning partners. Secondly, we are pleased that BC Parks is undertaking this intensity of planning to improve park safety, visitor experience and meet conservation goals.
We are disappointed in the lack of detail that the strategy offers. The plan has been in development for two years and we had hoped . However, we have spent some time unpacking the strategy to offer recommendations. We hope our insights help BC Parks make the necessary strategy improvements.
Here are our detailed recommendations to further improve this strategy to create more equitable access, conserve the local natural and cultural values, and increase safety for visitors and staff alike.
CPAWS-BC Recommendations:
Full CPAWS-BC Consultation Feedback: Joffre Lakes Visitor Use Management Strategy here.
We encourage you, the park community, to submit your own feedback by using the BC Parks short survey link while the consultation continues until 4 pm on April 4, 2021.
MP Alistair Macgregor Introduces Bill To Address Freighter Anchorages In The Salish Sea
October 29, 2020
Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – This week, NDP MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford Alistair MacGregor introduced a Private Member’s Bill to prohibit the anchoring of freighters in the Southern Strait of Georgia. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is supporting this amendment to the Canada Shipping Act, along with partners including First Nations, local government, and community activist groups.
For years, Southern Strait of Georgia residents have been sounding the alarm over the damage anchored ships do to coastal waters in BC. This overflow parking lot for the Port of Vancouver scars the seafloor habitat of clams, oysters and prawns. Noise, light and chemical pollution from these ships damages the critical habitat of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
Transport Canada’s 2018 Interim Protocol for the Use of Southern B.C. Anchorages did not adequately address this problem. These measures were voluntary and not enforced. The citizens and wildlife of the region deserve stronger protections.
World-renowned ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau called for the Southern Strait of Georgia’s protection in 1970. Parks Canada has been working on creating a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) for the area since 2003. Almost two decades later, these waters are still not protected.
“An NMCAR would not only protect these waters from anchorages, but will manage commercial and recreational fishing and other human activities with a conservation-first approach,” says Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC. An NMCAR will ensure that this natural jewel remains healthy and prosperous for generations to come.
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For interviews, please contact:
Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager ross@cpawsbc.org 778-953-2372
Resources:
Alistair MacGregor, NDP. [October 26, 2020]. MP Alistair MacGregor Introduces Bill to Address Freighter Anchorages in the Salish Sea. Retrieved from https://alistairmacgregor.ndp.ca/news
IMPAC5, the 5th International Marine Protected Congress, is coming to Vancouver, BC in February. Scientists, knowledge holders, decision makers and community leaders from around the world will be discussing how to create a healthier ocean. And we want you to join in the ocean conservation enthusiasm by submitting your ocean photos into a contest.
How to Enter
Post your ocean photo from the last 12 months on Instagram. Photos must be public so we can see them!
In your caption, tell us why you love the ocean or why ocean conservation matters to you
Tag and follow @CPAWSBC, @IMPAC5 and use the hashtag #IMPAC5OceanFest on Instagram
Make sure that your profile is public so that we can see it. Posts must be put in a feed, unfortunately Instagram stories will not be eligible to win.
Prizes
Over $100 in prizes, including a stunning photography print of rockfish and glass sponge reef by Jeff Wilson.
Contest closes on Friday, February 10, 2023. Find the full contest rules here.
