Peace Region Moose and Northern Cariboo

[IronNoggin]

What are thoughts on engaging the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation , Murray Rankin ?
He is supposed to be working on harmony for all the people, right?

3 or 4 thousand messages from concerned BC'ers might give him something to loose sleep over?

That simply cannot hurt. I will add him to the list when I post up a suggested letter template - most likely tomorrow as I am literally swamped today...

Cheers

[IronNoggin]

Their form of "consultation" is now up and running.
Log in with your BC FWID, scroll to the bottom and hit the OPPOSE Button.

https://apps.nrs.gov.bc.ca/ahte/cont...ts-region-wide

This is nothing but the government using us as pawns and selling us out in order to continue, and actually escalate the industrial environmental damage being done in this area. Note there is zero mention of the increase in industrial permits these actions have and will allow going down the road, simply a focus on us - the low hanging fruit as it were. Also note than when the Province walked away with the related tentative agreement in hand, they immediately granted 193 more Industrial Permits within the area in question.

Hunting was not even mentioned in the court's proceedings and findings whatsoever.

Not acceptable.

Nog

[Harvest the Land]

Please engage!

[Deadshot]

I'm in Abbotsford South and have Bruce Banman giving me a call back tomorrow. He's been in Victoria sitting I understand.
If you're in this riding, call and request the same.
If there's enough of us, I'm down with a face to face.

[whitlers]

Registered an opposed motion and left a comment. Sent the link to a number of my friends. I will be writing a letter this weekend. This is getting stupid

[IronNoggin]

Many Thanks to those whose words inspired and helped create this, You know who you are...

A draft template letter to note your concerns.

I STRONGLY suggest every single one of us send this message to our MLA's with the appropriate cc's as noted:

Date

To:

I am writing to express my extreme concerns regarding your Government’s response to losing the Yahey vs BC (Blueberry River FN decision) wherein the Supreme Court of BC found that the Blueberry River First Nation’s treaty rights to hunt, trap and fish in their territory have been breached by allowing industrial development in Blueberry’s territory at an extensive scale.

Instead of focusing on wildlife management and habitat restoration in the region, and addressing the impacts of industrial activities while providing support for on-the-ground actions that benefit wildlife and habitat in Treaty 8 territory, your government decided to engage in secret backroom deals with the intent of punishing hunters & other recreational users of the area in question.

There is nothing in the court proceedings, findings and decision that specified that resident hunters are or were a problem whatsoever.

The proposed outcome of those secret dealings is to reduce moose hunting opportunities by fifty percent in Region 7b, make most of the area a Limited Entry Hunting Zone, and to completely eliminate all caribou hunting with the Region. Additionally they propose to increase the Guide Outfitter’s share of the remaining quota up to twenty-five percent from the stand nine percent in BC, representing a drastic increase in their allocation and further reducing resident hunting opportunities. This represents wildlife management by social decree, and about as far from scientific management as you can possibly get.

Note that the Peace region has the highest density moose populations in the province. The province’s own data indicates hunting is sustainable and that licensed hunter harvest is extremely low. Caribou populations in the area are also noted as “stable or expanding”. There is no conservation rationale for your government’s approach. It has now become obvious that your Government is willing to negotiate licensed BC hunters’ and recreationists’ opportunities away in favor of Site C, logging, and oil and gas.

This is a an extremely unsettling move by your government, using hunters as pawns and selling them out in order to continue, and actually escalate the very kind of industrial environmental degradation and damage that was the heart of the court case itself. The fact that your party is willing to sacrifice our access and ability to feed our families simply so business can proceed as “normal” is unacceptable. It has come to my attention that after the tentative agreement was in hand, the NDP Government immediately granted over one hundred and ninety industrial permits within the area in question. That I consider both disingenuous and intolerable.

Given your Government’s stated drive to harmonize hunting seasons and numbers in all of Northern BC, we are expecting this same type of secret dealings will occur in Region Six and elsewhere. In fact the Tahltan have already stated they will make sure of that. They also noted the desire of government to harmonize the seasons for moose and caribou in Northern BC, suggesting they will also soon seek a cessation of caribou hunting and a gross reduction of moose harvests by resident hunters.

The Yahey vs BC (Blueberry River FN decision) was about industrial activity, not hunting, and it is extremely inappropriate to punish hunters for the cumulative effects of industrial activity.

The type of division these types of deals create will not help with your stated goals regarding Reconciliation, but rather further fan the flames of distrust and anger between Indigenous and Non Indigenous groups.

Reducing or stopping hunting will not restore fish, wildlife and habitat resources. That takes money and political will, not regulation changes.

The historical BC wildlife / habitat funding graph line is flat as it moves right, and has been for too many years. When adjusted for inflation and growth it actually represents a significant decline in available resources dedicated to properly managing these resources. That level of funding is beyond inadequate, and very much represents the fact we are “managing to zero” in this province.

As a British Columbian, I am deeply concerned that the province is negotiating away opportunities for sustainable hunting instead of confronting the cumulative effects of unsustainable resource extraction.

I am writing you today to directly pose this question: Will you please confirm that you and your Government will act now to protect resident hunter access in Region Seven and beyond from this serious infringement? Further, I directly request an answer to this pressing query.

I am looking forward to your timely response

Yours sincerely,

CC:

Premier John Horgan
( premier@gov.bc.ca )
PO BOX 9041 STN PROV GOVT VICTORIA, BC V8W 9E1

Katrine Conroy Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
( FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca )
Room 248 Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Mike Farnworth Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General
(PSSG.Minister@gov.bc.ca )
PO Box 9282 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria BC V8W 9J7

Murray Rankin Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
(IRR.Minister@gov.bc.ca)
Room 323 Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

[IronNoggin]

Ti find your MLA click here: https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members

[CheesyLimper]

Thanks Nog, I used that template for emails (forwarded to everyone I know for their use too) and I also urge everyone to write physical letters as well.

[Deadshot]

Spoke with my MLA yesterday and he was fully aware of what's been proposed. The lib's are figuring out the best approach with John Rustad being the point man on the file. Maybe make Rustad as important for calls and letters about the issue.
He mentioned that the NDP would use the race card at the drop of a hat.
Other than the science, what else do we have?

[high horse Hal]

I really like to stress how this is Gov't building a wedge between BC citizens, whne they are always bragging about inclusion with no discrimination
Gov't building a construct of Us vs Them is no better than talking about 'those people'

Thanks for that template, so easy to forward and share