Showing posts with label Activism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activism. Show all posts

Friday 3 January 2020

Have your say on BC Wildlife by Jan 9th at 4pm!


 https://engage.gov.bc.ca/wildlifeandhabitat/

The comment deadline is January 9th at 4:00pm

Vancouver Hunter responded with the following commentary:

1) Deadlines for action to protect habitat and begin restoring fish and wildlife populations are too far in the future, beyond 2021 and some even after 2025.  This pushes the start date to take action until after the next election.  It is not sufficient just to continue to make committees and monitor declines in wildlife and fish populations which are in crisis.

2) Dedicated funding from allocating 100% of hunting licence fees to conservation was a campaign promise by the NDP in the last election and they have not followed through.  I would support a reasonable increase in licence fees once 100% of fees are dedicated to conservation.

3) We need to end the professional reliance model where resource companies get to hire their own experts to sign off on resource extraction.  This is a conflict of interest which leads to wildlife populations suffering.

4) We need quarterly and annual reports with facts and figures, showing objectives and funding, successes and failures, as we try to reverse the declines of wildlife populations.

5) We need per capita funding comparable to US states which are enjoying wildlife population increases due to well managed habitat.  This means finding funding to grow the provincial budget from approximately $34 million to between $150 million and $250 million spent on conservation, habitat improvement, and wildlife management.


B.C.’s diversity of wildlife provides many environmental, cultural, social, and economic benefits to all British Columbians.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has adopted a four-phase engagement process to develop a new and improved wildlife management and habitat conservation strategy for British Columbia. The ministry collaborated with Indigenous peoples, rural communities, wildlife organizations, natural resource development industry stakeholders, and the public to develop the draft strategy, called Together for Wildlife.

The first phase of engagement was held from May 22 to July 31, 2018. We received over 1,100 comments through the website discussion and close to 50 written submissions. You can read the archived public commentswritten submissions, and “what we heard reports” on this site.
The second phase of engagement focused on collaborative policy development from December 2018 to October 2019. During this phase, we worked closely with a newly established B.C.-First Nation Wildlife Forum and stakeholders from a range of sectors to identify priority policy options for the government to consider. This phase of engagement involved monthly meetings with the B.C.-First Nation Wildlife Forum, and a series of webinars and workshops with stakeholders.  You can read more about the results of this engagement on the Phase 2 Engagement page.

During the third phase of engagement, we are checking in with all First Nations in B.C., as well as with stakeholders and the general public, to make sure that the right actions are identified in the draft Together for Wildlife strategy. This phase began with workshops with the B.C.-First Nation Wildlife Forum and stakeholders in October 2019, and is continuing with broader engagement in fall 2019.  You can review the draft strategy and provide input on the Current Engagement page

The fourth and final phase of this initiative will be implementation of the strategy. Although full implementation is targeted for Spring 2020, aspects of the strategy are being implemented throughout all phases of this initiative.

Friday 12 July 2019

Alert: Have your say on Forest Practices in BC in 3 easy steps!

Alert: Have your say on Forest Practices in BC in 3 easy steps!
The government wants to hear from British Columbians about how forests should be managed in BC.  Other environmental and industry groups will certainly be making their voices heard.  This is your opportunity to ensure that lots of hunters and anglers are part of the conversation.  Every comment counts! We need you! The deadline is July 15, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. so don't wait!

What to do:
1) Read the Discussion Paper to learn about the issues.
2) Click on the online feedback form to have your say!
3) Last, take 1 minute to send this form letter to the minister in charge, Doug Donaldson.  Enter your address, postal code, and country on the left and click GO.  Follow the instructions and customize the letter if you have more to add.  Then all you have to do is click SEND.  If you want to write your own letter then you can send it to engagefrpa@gov.bc.ca.
... and you're DONE! That was easy!!!!

If you want a little guidance on what the BCBHA thinks about these issues, here is a cheat sheet.
Region 2 BCBHA Cheat Sheet:
  • "Landscape level management" could be a good thing.
  • Set limits on the combined impact of forestry, mining, oil and gas, roads, etc. on habitat
  • Include measurable objectives to restore habitat and wildlife populations.
  • Enforce the limits and recovery objectives! There are lots of smart scientists and conservation officers who know how to restore habitat and increase wildlife populations.
  • Leave it better than you found it! It shouldn't matter if you are a forestry company, snowmobiler, or hiker.  It should be the law that you leave the backcountry better than you found it.
  • Let's work together on climate change. Everyone needs a voice at the table to make sure our precious backcountry is still around for the next generation.
If you are interested in the detailed and nuanced BCBHA official position, here is some additional reading which may help inform your response. 

The Official BCBHA Position
BCBHA supports changes to FRPA proposed in the provincial Discussion Paper that will improve conservation and environmental stewardship. In particular, BCBHA wants to see FRPA improvement include the following key points:
  • Revise FRPA to provide clear, enforceable legislation that guides landscape level management for forests and grasslands. 
  • Include measurable objectives for the management of cumulative effects from industry, forestry, recreation and development
  • Landscape level management requires integration between FRPA and other legislation and ministries. Wildlife, habitat, and access management need to be incorporated into landscape level planning.
  • Require resource and recreation users to have net-positive impact on biodiversity, water quality and critical wildlife habitat.
  • Improve collaboration in planning by developing stakeholder groups that meet with government officials and industry.

Join BCBHA in commenting on the FPRA Improvement Initiative. Public feedback will be collected by the provincial government until July 15, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. Participate by completing the online feedback form.  BCBHA has detailed our thoughts on how FRPA should be improved in this comment guide to help you answer the questions. Or, if you are short on time, send this letter to Minister Donaldson letting him know you support the improvement of FRPA for the benefit of ecosystems and wildlife.

Yours in conservation,

Saturday 30 June 2018

Response from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development



Yesterday I received the following response from a registered professional Biologist from the Ministry responsible for hunting issues, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development.  I am not going to post the contact information or the name of the biologist so that I can start to develop a rapport with them on issues, but it just goes to show that if you are persistent, you will be heard.

Dear Alex,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding wildlife and habitat engagement. I’m currently working on the initiative to improve wildlife management and habitat conservation, and have been asked to respond.

Our government is committed to improving wildlife management and habitat conservation in BC, and will be developing policy options starting this fall to deliver on this mandate. This initiative is one of the top priorities for our Minister for this year.

As you know, our government committed to increasing funding for the Provincial Wildlife Management Strategy. Although the allocation is modest this year ($1M), there is a commitment to increase funds over the next two years ($3M for 2019/20 and $10M for 2020/21). However we recognize that even this commitment will likely not be sufficient to meet the expectations of British Columbians for substantial on the ground change. Hence we are exploring many of the opportunities you recommend for generating additional funding. I will send your excellent list of suggestions to the team that is currently exploring funding models.

Please continue to visit our website to share your thoughtful comments and ideas. Your input will contribute to the success of a new strategy moving forward.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX, MSc, RPBio
Wildlife and Habitat Branch
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development
Phone: XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX@gov.bc.ca

From: Alex Johnson [mailto:XXXXXXXXXX@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 7:31 AM
To: OfficeofthePremier, Office PREM:EX; Executive Division Office, FLNR:EX; Minister, FLNR FLNR:EX; Minister, ENV ENV:EX
Subject: 239966 Wildlife and Habitat Engagement

Alex Johnson
XXXXXXXX
New Westminster, BC
XXXXXX
(XXX) XXX-XXXX
June 6, 2018

Dear Premier Horgan, Minister Donaldson, and Minister Heyman

Re: Wildlife and Habitat Engagement

I am writing this letter to ask you to continue to ensure habitat and wildlife issues are a priority for this government and to support addressing all 8 of the challenges, and the associated objectives, discussed in the “Wildlife and Habitat Engagement” which is being undertaken by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. As a hunter, I fully support the efforts to address all 8 challenges and I support the direction that the provincial government and the ministry are taking regarding these issues. 

Similarly, I appreciate, and I fully support, the Provincial Caribou Recovery program. The action taken so far to engage the public and raise awareness is a critical first step. I have attached some infographics from the BCWF as well as some photos of the caribou that are blinking out of existence in BC. Caribou in BC are in crisis and urgent action is needed. 

Both initiatives as well as the modest funding increase in the last budget show that this government is willing to take action on critical matters of habitat protection and restoration in order to save species which are in crisis in BC. Thank you.

Now is the time to redouble the effort on these issues to achieve real lasting success. BC’s plants and animals depend on it. I fear these issues will run out of steam after the consultation is finished, like so many initiatives did with the previous government. I hope desperately that this government will be the first in in my lifetime to make real progress in restoring habitat and wildlife population numbers. 

This can only happen with the necessary funding. There are numerous methods other jurisdictions use to secure stable and sufficient funding to implement meaningful action on habitat and wildlife issues. 

These include, fees or funds from resource extraction, fees on tourism activities such as whale and bear viewing, ski passes, park and trail access fees, hunting and angling license fees, excise taxes on the sale of outdoor and sporting equipment including skis, snowboards, mountain and dirt bikes, ATVs, boats, and snowmobiles. Please fulfill both the NDP campaign promise to earmark 100% of license fees for conservation as well as implement some or all additional funding sources available. Neighbouring jurisdictions are able to reach hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from these sources.

Please continue to keep habitat and wildlife a priority for this government.

Sincerely,

Alex Johnson