bridger
11-22-2009, 06:55 PM
Storm clouds gathering over the environment ministry
By Judie Steeves
Kelowna Capital News
November 20, 2009
http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/kelownacapitalnews/opinion/70602472.html (http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/kelownacapitalnews/opinion/70602472.html)
There’s a storm brewing amongst outdoors people in the province’s ‘heartlands.’
And, it’s threatening to blow the provincial government off the map.
It’s not about any one thing. Instead it’s been mounting gradually, beginning with a little tempest in one part of the province about one issue; then a squall in another corner about another issue.
However, it’s coalescing into a raging windstorm now as the various sectors begin to realize there’s hardly anyone home in the environment ministry, and those remaining have obviously been told to just shutter the windows in the event of a gale, when what’s needed is to get someone in to shore up the foundation and make some repairs to the structure.
You can only ignore environmental issues so long.
This government is focussed solely on urban environmental issues like greenhouse gases and carbon footprints and climate change.
That’s left the rural issues—like proper management of fish and wildlife resources and the habitat, the natural environment they require for life—to just hang out in the wind and get battered to bits by the blizzard and opportunistic predators.
Be warned: It takes awhile for people who are rooted to the land to get riled up about an issue, but when they do, they don’t let go of it easily, until it’s fixed.
And, right now, they’re getting riled up.
They’re incensed about the lack of consultation with them about changes to open seasons for hunting and about the apparent lack of science in some of those decisions.
They’re furious about slashed funding for monitoring the environment and about cuts in staff for enforcing legislation governing degradation of the environment.
They’re incredulous at the total lack of a voice on behalf of fish and wildlife from the environment ministry whenever referrals come from other ministries to pave over, build on or mine the natural environment.
For instance, the response from the environment ministry to the referral from the mines ministry regarding a permit for a very large gravel pit at the confluence of Pearson and Mission Creeks simply pointed out that both are fish-bearing streams and “best management practices” should be followed.
Instead, it should have said simply this would not be an appropriate place in which to mine gravel.
Naively, I have assumed that the environment ministry protects the environment from situations where there is the potential for environmental damage—particularly where it’s asked for comment about applications such as this.
However, even applications to build docks over fish spawning grounds are not simply denied at the environment ministry level, as they should be.
Data is being gathered to show how many hundreds of millions of dollars are contributed to the economy and to government coffers by anglers and hunters, and questions will be asked about why so little of that goes back into protection of the environment, instead of going into general revenue.
Those in government who might not be able to weather the storm had better take shelter elsewhere—or take steps to make some repairs.
Judie
By Judie Steeves
Kelowna Capital News
November 20, 2009
http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/kelownacapitalnews/opinion/70602472.html (http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/kelownacapitalnews/opinion/70602472.html)
There’s a storm brewing amongst outdoors people in the province’s ‘heartlands.’
And, it’s threatening to blow the provincial government off the map.
It’s not about any one thing. Instead it’s been mounting gradually, beginning with a little tempest in one part of the province about one issue; then a squall in another corner about another issue.
However, it’s coalescing into a raging windstorm now as the various sectors begin to realize there’s hardly anyone home in the environment ministry, and those remaining have obviously been told to just shutter the windows in the event of a gale, when what’s needed is to get someone in to shore up the foundation and make some repairs to the structure.
You can only ignore environmental issues so long.
This government is focussed solely on urban environmental issues like greenhouse gases and carbon footprints and climate change.
That’s left the rural issues—like proper management of fish and wildlife resources and the habitat, the natural environment they require for life—to just hang out in the wind and get battered to bits by the blizzard and opportunistic predators.
Be warned: It takes awhile for people who are rooted to the land to get riled up about an issue, but when they do, they don’t let go of it easily, until it’s fixed.
And, right now, they’re getting riled up.
They’re incensed about the lack of consultation with them about changes to open seasons for hunting and about the apparent lack of science in some of those decisions.
They’re furious about slashed funding for monitoring the environment and about cuts in staff for enforcing legislation governing degradation of the environment.
They’re incredulous at the total lack of a voice on behalf of fish and wildlife from the environment ministry whenever referrals come from other ministries to pave over, build on or mine the natural environment.
For instance, the response from the environment ministry to the referral from the mines ministry regarding a permit for a very large gravel pit at the confluence of Pearson and Mission Creeks simply pointed out that both are fish-bearing streams and “best management practices” should be followed.
Instead, it should have said simply this would not be an appropriate place in which to mine gravel.
Naively, I have assumed that the environment ministry protects the environment from situations where there is the potential for environmental damage—particularly where it’s asked for comment about applications such as this.
However, even applications to build docks over fish spawning grounds are not simply denied at the environment ministry level, as they should be.
Data is being gathered to show how many hundreds of millions of dollars are contributed to the economy and to government coffers by anglers and hunters, and questions will be asked about why so little of that goes back into protection of the environment, instead of going into general revenue.
Those in government who might not be able to weather the storm had better take shelter elsewhere—or take steps to make some repairs.
Judie