Aubrey G. White – Vice President
Osoyoos Wildlife Federation
Letter to the Editor:
The Province of British Columbia is again reviewing the possibility of a National Park in the South Okanagan. They are asking residents to comment on the proposal. The following are some of the issues we must consider. If our Provincial Government approves the South Okanagan National Park Reserve the following will happen;
•Parks Canada now has full control and local input will be ignored. Ask those who live in Banff or Jasper.
•1st Nations will been given management control of this National Park as they have in other National Parks. If that happens they will be allowed special access to the Park that non-1st Nations people will not have. The following is a current proposal by 1st Nations; “Areas dedicated to the National Park would be managed in partnership with the Sylix People under a consensus-based cooperative stewardship regime (similar to the successful model used in Gwaii Haanas), including the use of traditional ecological knowledge to meaningfully inform and guide park management and decision-making”
•Both the Federal Government and 1st Nations have now gained full control of our Park-lands which means our local wants and needs are irrelevant. The Province has given away our Park and we will never get it back.
Provincial Parks currently provide protection and management of the wildlife and wilderness areas while restricting commercial development. The Provincial Parks are well managed and most local stakeholders are satisfied. We are on a very slippery slope, which may allow Parks Canada, 1st Nations and other special interest groups to control our public lands. To abandon control to Federal agencies and local special interests is a very bad idea. With few exceptions Wildlife and Wilderness in the South Okanagan are not endangered but our control of this beautiful part of the World is in serious danger and may be lost forever. Our lifestyle is slipping away. Interference by the Federal Government and special interest groups are not in our best interests. Remember, the Federal Government is big enough to give you a National Park and strong enough to ignore your advice. We hope the Province of British Columbia will listen to our concerns, keep our Provincial Parks intact, and make them work for everyone.
Time is getting very short but we still have time to write letters asking Provincial officials not to reopen negotiations with Parks Canada. It’s time for the silent majority to speak up and say we are happy with how our lands and wildlife are now protected and a Federal Park is not required. Numbers count with politicians and the proponents have written many letters in favour of a National Park. This is why they are reconsidering their options with Parks Canada. Those of us who do not believe a National Park is a good idea thought the battle had been won when the Province ended negotiations with Parks Canada but the war drums are beating again. Wake up people, they must hear from all of us to make good decisions on your behalf.
Those of us who speak up run the world. It only takes a few minutes to write the following Provincial representatives. Please write today.
MLA LINDA LARSON – PO Box 998, Oliver, BC. V0H 1T0
Email; Linda.Larson.MLA@leg.bc.ca
MARY POLAK – Minister of Environment, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, BC., V8V 1X4
Email; ENV.Minister@gov.bc.ca