British Columbians who value the provinces wildlife resource have been forced to bear witness to a catastrophic collapse of wildlife populations!
Hunting seasons, bag limits and limited entry hunting authorizations do not represent fair chase. A sorry rebuttal of a gallant 1991 effort by B.C. director of wildlife Jim Walker and provincial government biologists; British Columbia's Environment, Planning for the Future, Managing Wildlife to 2001.
Securing our wildlife heritage and maintaining those values will not be easy. But the challenge is infinitely worthwhile – one we can meet through strong and responsible stewardship.
Across North America wildlife agencies do not have enough funding and staff to obtain adequate inventory information on populations and habitats – the cornerstone of all wildlife management programs.
1982 – Guidelines for Wildlife Policy in Canada
Preface: Wildlife is a great heritage, yet too little has been done to ensure that it always will be.
Wildlife Conservation in Canada is and should remain a close partnership between citizens and their governments.
Economics apart, the enjoyment of wildlife is widespread and greatly valued. Therefore, Canadians wish to ensure that wildlife will always exist in something like its present diversity and distribution.
Wise management of Canada's wildlife and wildlife habitat is essential if this is to be so if the resource is to survive and the nation to prosper economically and spirituality.
Guiding Principles
Canadians are the temporary custodians, not the owners of their wildlife heritage. Increase the benefits from wildlife while ensuring its wise and responsible use. The taking of wildlife, or activities that disturb wildlife, must be carefully regulated. The legal commitments to native people must be honoured while maintaining viable wildlife populations for the benefit of all Canadians.
Choices and Consequences
Historically, B.C. NDP governments have had a significant environmental footprint on the B.C. land base.
The 1972 NDP Dave Barrett government initiated the ALR, Agriculture Land Reserve. Important agriculture land was being purchased by business interests, a point made by the print media especially in the Delta municipality and adjacent to the Vancouver International Airport.
The 1991 Mike Harcourt NDP government initiated four Commission on Resources and Environment agendas. The West Kootenay Boundary CORE table, resulted in three Class A provincial parks in the Boundary: Granby and Gladstone wilderness parks and eventually the Gilpin Grassland park.
NDP Premier John Horgan government elected June 29, 2017 gave the green light to Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development drafted two reports: Together for Wildlife - Improving Wildlife Stewardship and Habitat Conservation in British Columbia, August 2020 and A Proposal Pathway for Improving Wildlife Management and Habitat Conservation in British Columbia, November 2019.
Powerful, insightful quotes from NDP Minister Doug Donaldson showcase a dismal performance by the David Eby government.
Together for Wildlife – A Proposal Pathway for Improving Wildlife Management and Habitat Conservation in British Columbia November 2019.
The Province began an unprecedented conversation with the First Nations and British Columbians to improve wildlife management and habitat conservation in B.C. The culmination of that engagement resulted in a strategy to guide the Province for the next 10 years.
Given declining numbers in wildlife, disappearing wildlife habitat and climate change impacts, British Columbians must work together on shared priorities with the right tools and sufficient funding to achieve better outcomes for wildlife.
Together for Wildlife - Improving Wildlife Stewardship and Habitat Conservation in British Columbia, August 2020
It is a great pleasure for me to share British Columbia's Together for Wildlife Strategy which sets on a path to improve wildlife and habitat stewardship in this province.
The issues facing wildlife and habitat in the province are complex and can only be resolved through reconciliation with indigenous peoples and ongoing collaboration with industry, stakeholders and the public. British Columbians must work together on shared priorities with the right tools an sufficient funding to achieve better outcomes for wildlife.
British Columbia's biodiversity is globally significant: we are home to the broadest diversity of wildlife and ecosystems of any province or territory in Canada, including some species not found anywhere else on earth.
The Together for Wildlife file went to great length and measure to describe the many salient facts necessary to secure vibrant healthy wildlife populations in British Columbia.
Unfortunately the David Eby NDP government has made no attempt to bring British Columbians together and instead is pursuing a divisive partisan agenda on the provinces land base that has no connection to the hallmark of good governance: transparency and accountability!
Wise council/advice is a tough sell when politicians have their back facing the future.
“There is a price to pay when a society ignores its role as a Steward of the environment.” Alex Rose, Who Killed the Grand Banks.
Barry Brandow Sr.
Grand Forks.
