The Report of the BC Species At Risk Task Force, published in January of this year, is an important document that will help everyone engage more effectively in the urgent task of maintaining biological diversity and ecosystem services in the province British Columbia.
The SCCA has sent a detailed response to the SAR Task Force.
The SCCA very strongly supports the main recommendations of the Task Force. We particularly agree with and want to emphasize:
- Ecosystem- based focus
- A principled approach to engagement with First Nations
- Recognition of the growing human footprint and the consequences of climate change
- Implementation of the Wildlife Act 2004
- Increased use of and reliance on the Conservation Data Center
- Expansion of the role of the Forest Practices Board
- New legislation and increased use of existing legislative opportunities
- Expanded use of the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification scheme.
(The image above is the Blue Dasher dragonfly, a wetland species threatened by loss of wetland and riparian habitat to urban and agricultural development and predation by introduced fish species.)