The B.C. Wildlife Federation and Kootenays fish & game clubs are co-hosting Town Hall Meetings in anticipation of this year’s provincial general election.
MLAs and candidates for office are invited to meet with voters to discuss the state of wildlife management in British Columbia.
The BCWF is hosting 24 Town Hall meetings across B.C. to ensure candidates hear the concerns of ordinary British Columbians.
Many of British Columbia’s fish and wildlife populations are in decline. Species such as steelhead and caribou are at risk of extinction. Action is needed to keep species such as moose, mule deer and mountain sheep from the same fate. Key watersheds and habitats are in peril.
Funding for wildlife has been in decline for decades. As a proportion of the provincial budget, funding for renewable resource management is just a fraction of its historical level, declining by 75 per cent between 1993 and today.
This must change before we have any chance to reverse the damage.
The conservation community is demanding key changes to provincial wildlife management:
· Wildlife management must be conducted by an agency independent of government influence.
· Funding dedicated to fish and wildlife should be increased and driven by legislated objectives.
· Public access to public resources must be enshrined in law.
Host: Revelstoke Rod & Gun Club
Location: Castle Hall, 201 3rd Street West
When: Thursday, October 3, 2024, 7 pm