BCWF on new budget

[boxhitch]

Copied from elsewhere

"BC Budget 2020 Lacks Investment in Water and Wildlife

For Immediate Release
Victoria, B.C. – The provincial government has released a budget without enough funding for water, fish and wildlife management. The BCWF position is that it is unacceptable to underfund wildlife management and to cut spending on matters related to fish, wildlife and the environment when parts of the province are facing decreasing fish and wildlife numbers and impacts to habitat caused by a changing climate.
BC Wildlife Federation President Bill Bosch said the budget shows, “government fails to recognize that fish, wildlife and habitat need to be respected.” Bosch said the BCWF is “dismayed that the provincial government has failed to follow through on its election commitment to dedicate all hunting fees to fish and wildlife management and to give wildlife and habitat a priority.”
During the pre-budget hearings, the all-party Budget 2020 committee heard from BC Wildlife Federation representatives around the province. The BCWF asked for adequate funding for collaborative water, fish and wildlife management to address the impacts of climate change.
Vice-president Chuck Zuckerman told the budget committee that the 1.4 percent of the budget for the Ministry of Forests, and .4 percent for the Ministry of Environment, is “not sufficient to improve the viability of landscapes and watersheds that directly impact our way of life and the province’s motto of splendour without diminishment.”
BCWF Wildlife Committee Chair Gerry Paille noted stakeholders are increasingly being asked to pay for core government responsibilities, such as inventory, research, and recovery. For example, the BCWF and its clubs had to cover funding shortfalls to combat chronic wasting disease by raising money for freezers to collect samples. Paille said the BCWF position is, “wildlife management should have funding dedicated through an independent structure that would be able to leverage more funds.”
Neil Fletcher, BCWF Wetlands Manager, noted that climate change is having an increasingly negative impact on watersheds and wetlands. Fletcher is part of a group of provincial water leaders calling for the provincial government to establish an independent water security fund to support collaborative community initiatives to protect and restore wetlands and watersheds impacted by flooding, fire and drought.
The BCWF made four budget recommendations:



Establish a governance and funding model for fish and wildlife.
Embed objectives that are place-based, community-based and preserve the functioning of our landscapes and watersheds in the Forest and Range Practices Act.
Expand the oversight of the Forest Practices Board to look at the cumulative effects of development.
Set up a long-term funding mechanism to support collaborative water sustainability initiatives that address climate change.

BCWF President Bosch said the government should follow the Budget 2020 all-party committee recommendations to invest in the functioning and resilience of our watersheds and landscapes. “We must maintain the natural diversity of our environment to have healthy fish, wildlife and water in our future.”"

[J_T]

I thought this was a good response. Government is letting wildlife down. There were pre-election promises of funding to support wildlife. The "Together for Wildlife" strategy (early in the process) was targeting - within 3 years, an annual budget of approximately $30 million dedicated to wildlife.

The "Together for Wildlife" initiative, became watered down by combining Indigenous reconciliation. Although I can still see the positives working together, for wildlife, with the Indigenous people (co-management, shared-decision making).

Last discussion we had, there was way to much "blah blah blah". And no action. We could be using money NOW, to collect data inventory on wildlife, developing baselines and increasing the number of resources writing wildlife strategies and plans. Looking at regulations, the wildlife act, mines act, forest act. Any act that pertains to or impacts habitat and wildlife.

We 'could' be doing something. When perhaps, we are simply waiting on another election. It's disheartening, to give someone (Government) a chance to do what they say they will. To commit your time and sacrifice what you could be doing and attending these meetings with an open and optimistic mind. Last year I took the budget and did a word search for 'wildlife'. I don't think I got a hit. I'll have to try this years.

[IronNoggin]

While I applaud the Fed's response, methinks you got it right with this line:


... When perhaps, we are simply waiting on another election.

No "perhaps" about it with this crew.
I am quite surprised that anyone is surprised they are not living up to their lies once again.
It's a tradition with them, and especially so when it comes to such resources as wild life & wild lands.
Shameful actually...

Nog

[Ride Red]

We’ve been struggling with underfunding for years and the NDP now have broke their promise too. First they kill our economy and now don’t have the money for any needed projects. How typical when you have elected officials with ZERO financial smarts running our government. Idiots, the lot of them.

[303savage]

caused by a changing climate. The climate is changing all the time. look up the world's climate for the last 2000 years and the earth has been warmer and colder before the industrial age

[boxhitch]

and the inaction is compoounded by the fact nothing moves without Gov't control and intervention.
I someone came up with $10 million $ to spend on habitat, it would take decades to get approvals through
Small scale can work on private and now hopefully can progress on the NewLands within BC