Town Hall Meeting Courtenay 2024
From CDFGPA
To all members, families and friends. If you care about the decline of wildlife and habitat, come out to the Town Hall meeting on 24 Aug 2024 at the Association main hall.
From BCWF
Many of British Columbia’s fish and wildlife populations are in decline. Key watersheds and habitats are in peril. The B.C. Wildlife Federation is offering the next provincial government recommendations built on decades of collaboration, on-the[1]ground experience, and support for science-based decision-making.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation is 41,000-strong. In addition, B.C. is home to more than 110,000 licensed hunters, 300,000 licensed freshwater anglers, and 275,000 licensed saltwater anglers.
To halt the decline and restore wildlife and habitat, The BCWF is asking parties to commit to the following:
Wildlife management should be conducted by an agency independent of government.
Funding for fish and wildlife management should be dedicated, increased, and driven by legislated objectives.
Public access to public lands and public resources must be enshrined in law.
Management decisions must be based on science and evidence, and other knowledge systems.
Are you prepared to engage with the B.C. Wildlife Federation on wildlife management and science- based management?
Hunting and angling opportunities for B.C. residents are being bargained away behind closed doors. Moose and caribou harvests have been curtailed without the BCWF being at the table. The grizzly hunt was halted across B.C. with no science[1]based rationale. Wild sheep harvests have been reduced for licensed resident hunters. All appropriate management levers must be utilized instead of focusing on regulating resident hunters and anglers, a solution that has failed time after time.
Are you prepared to commit to dedicated funding for habitat, fish, and wildlife?
Funding for wildlife management in British Columbia as a proportion of the provincial budget has been declining for 50 years. Relative to our size and natural diversity, B.C. spends a much smaller proportion of its budget on wildlife management compared to neighbouring provinces, territories, and states. Nearly every jurisdiction in North America has a dedicated funding model, except B.C. Dedicated funding of $200 million a year should not only be derived from hunting license fees and charges, but also from any activity that impacts wildlife and its habitat such as forestry, oil and gas extraction, mining, wildlife viewing, ecotourism and backcountry recreational activities.
Are you prepared to support British Columbians rights to hunt, fish, sports shoot and engage in outdoor recreation?
Alaska has enshrined protections for resident hunters and wildlife management into its constitution. Wildlife management and hunting policies must always clearly favor resource sustainability, resident hunters, and resident anglers. B.C. can make wildlife a priority with dedicated funding, legislated objectives, and resident priority.
Will you commit to Wildlife Priority natural resource management?
VOTE FOR WILDLIFE AND A WAY OF LIFE
As a charitable organization, we are non-partisan and will not support specific candidates or political parties. Instead, we urge you to vote for candidates who demonstrably share our values. Invite candidates to speak at your local fish and game club. Ask questions and seek assurances that they support science-based wildlife management and fair access to fish and game for resident hunters and anglers. Offer solutions instead of just complaining about the current state.
If you are concerned that your way of life is slipping away, you are not wrong. You are also not helpless. We can influence this election candidate by candidate, vote by vote. Plan to attend campaign stops and events and ask questions of all the candidates. It is vital that they hear our concerns everywhere they go.
That's all for now,
CDFGPA
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