A new national park in BC? Yes please!
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- Published on Wednesday, 19 August 2015 17:15
- Written by editor
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Hi PAOV,
Last week something remarkable happened.
The BC government announced they are considering a national park designation in the South Okanagan-Similkameen, and they have launched a 60-day public consultation period.
This is great news and cause for celebration!
For over 10 years, the Wilderness Committee and our members have been working to have a portion of this highly endangered ecosystem protected in a national park reserve.
The arid South Okanagan-Similkameen region is one of the four most endangered ecosystems in Canada, and is home to 30 per cent of BC's endangered species – including badgers, rattlesnakes and charismatic burrowing owls.
The BC government's proposed protection framework includes three areas to be protected, two of which are proposed as part of a national park reserve and the third as a provincial conservancy under the BC Park Act.
The majority of people living in the region support a national park.
Independent polling has shown strong and growing support for the park, with the most recent poll conducted in March of 2015 showing over 3:1 local support. That support includes 79 per cent of farming or ranching families and 67 per cent of households who participate in snowmobile and ATV riding.
As with any government announcement, the devil is in the details. Are the proposed protected areas in the South Okanagan Similkameen large enough? Will there be adequate habitat set aside to recover species at risk? Is there enough connectivity between the three designated areas?
We will be examining these questions very closely over the next two weeks. Once we have completed our analysis, we will contact you in early September to let you know how best to participate in the public consultation process and provide recommendations on how we can make this national park proposal the best it can be.
In the meantime, let’s celebrate the prospect of a new national park reserve that protects one of the most unique – and threatened – wild places in Canada!
For the wild,
Gwen Barlee | Policy Director
Wilderness Committee
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