Response to the Proposed Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework
From: BFWSS Board of Directors
Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society
The Provincial government of British Columbia can be commended for bringing forth a program to protect the biodiversity and endangered ecosystems of this province. It is a proposal that is long overdue and we anticipate that it will be allowed to develop into real government legislation that can have impact and introduce much needed change into how resources are currently managed. We understand and hope that this is a mere starting point and once put in motion with full government support it will rapidly evolve and develop into a system of management with real oversight and with the ability and courage to challenge and change the status quo.
While this is our hope, the proposal as it is laid out, solicits many unanswered questions and we fear that it is only more smoke and mirrors to deflect the eye of the general public while once more the forests disappear before our very eyes. Too long have industrial forestry interests and resource extraction concerns dominated the governments management of these critical resources with their biased assessments far outweighing the voices of environmental watchdogs and concerned citizen groups. Independent oversight, coming from a broad range of scientific and academic bodies as well as interested public and community groups must be allowed to participate in this process in a more transparent manner to determine appropriate actions.
The government has long neglected or handed off the important task of watchdog to self serving interests. Increasingly rapid environmental changes have now made these issues the hot button topic for not only today but the foreseeable future. It is now imperative that the government not only be seen echoing public concern but to be acting decisively to mitigate this disastrous situation where it has the power to do it. What is not needed is another vague open ended study that sounds like it is a call for action but has no real teeth and will once more quietly fade away while the populace is diverted by the next emerging crisis and the murmurs of “Talk & Log”, are a fading echo in the political back rooms of the provincial legislature.