Grand Forks Town Hall Meeting Puts a Spotlight on Provincial Wildlife Policy
By Boundary Sentinel
Saturday March 2, 2024, MLAs and candidates for office are invited to meet with the people of Grand Forks and discuss the state of wildlife management in British Columbia.
The BCWF is hosting a series of Town Hall meetings across B.C. to ensure candidates listen to the concerns of ordinary British Columbians.
Many of British Columbia’s fish and wildlife populations are in decline. Species such as steelhead and caribou are at risk of extinction. Action is needed to keep species such as moose, mule deer and mountain sheep from the same fate. Key watersheds and habitats are in peril.
Funding for wildlife has been in decline for decades. As a proportion of the provincial budget, funding for renewable resource management is just a fraction of its historical level, declining by 75 per cent between 1993 and today.
This must change before we have any chance to reverse the damage.
The conservation community is demanding key changes to provincial wildlife management:
- Wildlife management must be conducted by an agency independent of government influence.
- Funding dedicated to fish and wildlife should be increased and driven by legislated objectives.
- Public access to public resources must be enshrined in law.
Meeting information:
- Where: Grand Forks Curling Club, 7230 21st St., Grand Forks
- When: Saturday, March 2nd, 2024 – 10 a.m. to noon
Contact information:
- BCWF Advocacy Coordinator Steve Hamilton, advocacy@bcwf.bc.ca
- GFWA President Jeff Gailey, jdlogger@hotmail.com
About the B.C. Wildlife Federation:
The B.C. Wildlife Federation is British Columbia’s leading conservation organization. As a province-wide member-driven charitable organization, with over 43,000 members and more than 100 member clubs, our organization represents the interests of all British Columbians who aim to protect, enhance and promote the wise use of the environment for the benefit of present and future generations.
