The BC Election and Protecting Nature
As we approach a BC election (October 19th - BC residents please register to vote at: https://elections.bc.ca/), where do the political parties stand on protecting nature? Safeguarding nature is vital for our health and well-being (even breathing in the air in nature is shown by science to boost our immune systems through plant compounds known as “phytoncides”), for the economy (protected areas attract and support a large diversity of industries and skilled labour to surrounding communities), for the climate, and for the diversity of life on Earth.
The BC Conservatives take an extremist, anti-nature protection position. They say:
1. They will “absolutely axe” BC’s goal to protect 30% of the province’s land area by 2030. See: https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-conservatives-rustad-protected-areas/
2. They would guarantee that all unprotected, productive forest lands in BC (22 million hectares) available for logging will be “managed to achieve supply chain stability in BC’s forestry sector”. That is, they will ensure that the forests at the centre of the conservation controversies, with the largest unprotected trees and richest biodiversity, will be turned into “guaranteed logging zones” that will obstruct new, fully-protected areas. See: https://www.conservativebc.ca/backgrounder_saving_bc_forestry_for_workers_communities_and_biodiversity
3. They also state that logging will continue even in areas prioritized for biodiversity conservation, where “sourcing forest products will be a secondary value”, ie. They will have a “log everywhere” policy. See: https://www.conservativebc.ca/backgrounder_saving_bc_forestry_for_workers_communities_and_biodiversity
4. Spread false and grossly misleading information and PR spin about the conservation and geographic extent of forests in BC - such as 30% protection would result in “30% less food production” (false: farming takes place on private lands, not on public lands where the protected areas expansion overwhelmingly occurs) and “two-thirds of BC’s forested landscape will remain in its original forested state” (deceptively failing to mention those are mainly subalpine, rocky and muskeg landscapes with small and stunted trees of low to no timber value). See: https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-conservatives-rustad-protected-areas/ and https://www.conservativebc.ca/backgrounder_saving_bc_forestry_for_workers_communities_and_biodiversity
The BC NDP are taking a strong, pro-protected areas stance and have moved protected areas policies forward on a historically unprecedented scale, although are still missing several key policies:
1. They have committed to essentially double the protected areas system in BC over the next 6 years, from about 16% of the province now to 30% by 2030. https://www.bcndp.ca/actionplan#pillar5
2. They have allocated and secured over $1 billion in federal-provincial funding to help make this happen, for private land acquisition, conservation financing for First Nations, and resource licensee compensation. https://news.gov.bc.ca/stories/government-of-canada-british-columbia-and-the-first-nations-leadership-council-sign-a-historic-tripa
3. They have established several hundred thousand hectares of new protected areas, including 76,000 hectares in Clayoquot Sound, 200,000 hectares at Klinze-sa/Twin Sisters, and 58,000 hectares at the Incommappleux Valley. See: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024FOR0028-000958 and https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024ENV0029-000925 and https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023PREM0005-000087
4. They are in discussion with dozens of First Nations about potential Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) spanning millions of hectares, including in productive old-growth forests and endangered grasslands. See: https://www.endangeredecosystemsalliance.org/news/2024/03/21/media-release-bc-old-growth-policy-update
5. They have thusfar failed to implement ecosystem-based targets, that is, protection targets based on science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for each ecosystem – the “GPS for new protected areas” that would ensure that all ecosystems are adequately protected. This is the most important game-changer left to ensure the protection of endangered ecosystems. They have stated that they will develop “science-based protection” policies and that this may occur via the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework. See: https://www.endangeredecosystemsalliance.org/news/2024/03/21/media-release-bc-old-growth-policy-update
6. They have thusfar failed to close conservation loopholes in designations like Wildlife Habitat Areas where logging can still occur and Old-Growth Management Areas where boundaries can be readily moved around under timber industry pressure. See: https://www.endangeredecosystemsalliance.org/news/2024/03/21/media-release-bc-old-growth-policy-update
The BC Green Party takes a strong, pro-protected areas stance, with some specificity lacking. They:
1. Support protecting 30% by 2030 of BC’s land area including all old-growth forests, by working with Indigenous communities. See: https://bcgreens2024.ca/2024-platform/flourishing-natural-world/
2. Advocate long-term, stable funding for nature-based solutions for environmental protection. See: https://bcgreens2024.ca/2024-platform/flourishing-natural-world/
3. Believe in prioritizing ecosystem-health including by appointing a Chief Ecologist as a counterbalance to the Chief Forester, although do not mention Ecosystem-Based Targets for protection and conservation (the actual key to ecosystem-health). See: https://bcgreens2024.ca/2024-platform/flourishing-natural-world/
Authorized by Endangered Ecosystems Alliance, registered sponsor under the Election Act, info@endangeredecosystemsalliance.org