Breaking News!
The Government of BC has just taken major action on conservation by protecting 30% of lands by 2030 and advancing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs).
This crucial direction was set through the mandate letter from the Premier to the new Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Nathan Cullen, and makes BC the second province in Canada to make this commitment.
It’s important that government knows that members of the public support these steps to protect our environment. The SCCA invites you to send a “thank you” letter to the Minister using this convenient tool provided by the BC Chapter of CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society). It only takes a few moments.
Send a Quick Thank You to the Minister
Background
As Canada hosts delegates from around the world at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the heat is on for Canada and BC, to step up to the plate.
On the day COP15 launched in Montreal, our new Premier David Eby, announced his new Cabinet and issued mandate letters for the Ministers and Parliamenry Secretaries.
Of note, the Minister of Lands Waters Natural Resource Stewardship new mandate includes direction to the Minister to:
Partner with the federal government, industry, and communities, and working with Indigenous Peoples, lead the work to achieve the Nature Agreement’s goals of 30% protection of BC’s land base by 2030, including Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.
Lead B.C.’s work on water, watersheds, and our coast, including work to:
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- Co-develop, complete, and launch the Watershed Security Strategy and Fund and the Coastal Marine Strategy, and
- Continue implementation of the Wild Salmon Strategy; and
- Develop and deliver a long-term vision for the Clean Coast, Clean Waters program.
Protect wildlife and species at risk, and work collaboratively with First Nations, other ministries, and the federal government to protect and enhance B.C.’s biodiversity through implementing recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review, and the Together for Wildlife Strategy.
“The Conference of the Parties (COP) is expected to adopt a new strategic plan to transform society’s relationship with biodiversity and ensure that by 2050, we live in harmony with nature.
For IUCN, this means protect what we still have, restore degraded ecosystems, and address direct threats to biodiversity to avoid further damage. But also, there is a need to change the way we consume and the way we produce. Making this plan work will need everyone to be involved, not just Parties to the Convention, and we need to allocate sufficient resources – both financial and non-financial.”