As the provincial election approaches, an organization concerned about wildlife and related issues is holding election town halls to make sure their concerns are heard.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation has already held nine election town halls across B.C. and plans to hold 15 more, says Randy Shore, BCWF's public relations and communications specialist. Three town halls are scheduled for the Okanagan in the coming weeks, followed by four more on Vancouver Island, with Metro Vancouver hosting four town halls in September.
"We want to ensure that voters and our elected officials have a chance to discuss wildlife management without the noise that comes with the general election period," Shore said. "Also, it takes time for parties to build their election platforms. We want to make sure they are considering wildlife management during that process."
Subjects to be covered at town halls include habitat management against the backdrop of wildfires, with BCWF concerned about commercial intrusion and motorized access to fire-damaged areas, and the related issue of access to the back country. Shore said specific asks from the conservation community include the creation of an independent agency to manage wildlife; more dedicated funding to fish and wildlife preservation; and enshrinement of public access to public resources through law.
Looming behind these broader issues are specific questions about the future of the legislation governing 95 per cent of provincial land.
The B.C. NDP Government earlier this year pressed pause on plans to amend the Land Act. The decision came after widespread concern from legal scholars, political opposition, interest groups and private citizens about the consultation process, which had opened in early January 2024 and would have concluded on March 31. Several voices accused government of secrecy.
"Changes to the Land Act could affect the way that Crown lands and natural resources are managed in perpetuity," Shore said. "Every British Columbian in urban and rural communities has a stake in how shared resources are managed. If there are changes to the way that lands and resources are managed, we believe that process should be public and transparent."
Experts predict that the election will be decided around questions such the availability of housing, the state of health care and general affordability. But if questions around conservation and land use might be less topical, they are no less consequential.
"British Columbia is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth," Shore said. "If we don’t take action now to properly manage our wildlife for sustainable abundance and our lands and waters to be healthy and resilient, our natural gifts could be lost to future generations."
He noted that people are genuinely concerned when they learn that spending on natural resource management has been declining as a proportion of the provincial budget for 50 years.
"They can see with their own eyes that some wildlife populations are in decline and that not enough is being done to support them," he said. "In rural communities where the outdoors are such a big part of everyday life, our events are packed with concerned citizens."
That could well be the case when the South Okanagan community of Oliver hosts a BCWF town hall on Aug. 16. Experts consider the region to be one of the most ecologically sensitive regions in all of Canada, but also a hot spot for land-use conflicts, as evident by the various controversies around plans to establish a national park reserve in the area, as well as pressures from growth.
