Provincialoct2013spareadimebcparks by SPbrm

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ff ho knew? British legislature sporting pithy protest signs f Columbia boasts and circulating petitions. $ the 3rd largesr park system in North kwasn'talwaysthisway.Backinlg65, Eft ffi The second the government of the day passed the W ,America. Y {!'* largest in Canada. first park Act, which mandated the

Vith 1000 parks and governmenrto manageB.C.parks for protected areas, B.C.'s park system future generations. spans more than 13 million hectares, about 32.5 million acres. At the 1992 Earth Summir, Canada An economic powerho.use, B.C.

parks

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generatealmost$400millioninspend- land base as protected areas.ln 1.993, ing by more than 19 million park the NDp government unveiled its visitors every year. protected ,{..", St.ategy, committing to double the protected More than 4,300 full time equivalent :!:-ltout"tt area land base to 12 per cent by 2000' jobs (FTE) ,.. ...r,.d"b) ;l;.fft; visitors and government spending. TL^ r t sovernment met this com$8.42 in visito^p.rdi;^;;;;;;;;"J 'b'" b-".-'*''* lTj mitment and has continued to add ror every oollar the government lnvests

, ln our parKs

system'

ranger staffhas been cut by 60 per cent since 2001.

Each park ranger position is nou responsible for the equivalent of z63,ooo hectares of public land.That's like having one ranger For the entire Yosemite US National Park, or roughly half the size of Prince Edward Island.

parks and protected areas - reaching level of about 14 per cent of lands designated as parks and protected areas'

impressive facts like these, one could assume that g.C. P;.kr ; , top priority for government. Forming a ient.al plank"of a straregy ,o ,pri unfortunately, while park land

,ourir"n"i eco.,omies.

economic development

One could assume that, but one be wrong.

would

has

been expanding, successive govern-

ments have failed to provide the necessary resources to manage our parks in a sustainable way'

The facts speak for themselves. ln 1993 valuable British Columbia claimed 6.3 million economic and environmental asset, hectares of park land and employed B.Cis parks have become a favourite 378 FTE parks staffto manage this valutarget of governments looking for able resource. In 2013, B.C. employs quick ways to cut budgets and tout fis- only 190 FTE parks staff to manage cal prudence.Afterall,bearsanddeer 13.16 million hectares of parks and

Rather than being treated

2001, the B.C. government emplor.'ed 27 full-time park rangers. In 2013 onlv 12 remain, along with only 38 FTE seasonal rangers. Park

ih. .r.r.ri

vith

in B.Cls regional

as a

and birds don't gather in front

ofthe

protected areas.

B.C. Parks'current operating budget of $31 million is $10 million less thar-r in 2001.Since 2009,40 parks vehicles have

been cut, and 45 parks had operating seasons shortened. Park rangers have been advised in some cases to relv on public transit to patrol parks and there is not enough money to properh'sup-

ply toilet paper in provinciallv operated parks.

A 2010 Auditor General report concluded that the provincial government

B.C. Parks:

Bythe Numbers

l0OO

The number of parks and protected areas in British Columbia.

13,158,492

Number of hectares in B.C. Parks system.

- B.C. has second largest parksystem in Canada. 3 - B.C. has third largest park system in North America. 2

5393.9 million - Total spending by 5440.7 million

(2008/0e).

B.C. Parks

visitors (2008/09).

Total spending by B.C. Parks visitors and government

58.42 - Amount of visitor spending generated for every $1.00 invested in B.C.'s parks system.

"is not successfullv meeting" its goal of conserving the ecological integrity of B.C. parks and protected areas.

4,336 - Number of full time equivalent (FTE) jobs created by visitor and B.C. Parks agency spending (2008/09). S25 miltion - Amount of tax revenue generated by BC Parks visitors and parks agency spending.

British Columbia now spends less than any other province on our parks about $2.29 per hectare of B.C. parks

S3I million

- Operational budget for B.C. Parks Servicein2Ol3/"14. SIO million - Amount of B.C. Parks funding cut since 2001.

and protected areas, less than one

St6.98 million - Amount of revenues generated

tenth of Alberta, which invests $25.29 per hectare.

6.3 million

At the same time, park visits

by B.C. Parks recreation

user fees and permits (2011/121.

have

l9O 378

dropped by 25 per cent since 1.998 due in large part to the installation of parking meters that drove away residents and visitors alike. After only bringing in one tenth of projected revenues, the government finally made the right choice and pulled the meters

27-

Number of hectares of B.C. park lands (1993).

Number of FTE B.C. Parks staff (1993). Number of FTE B.C. Parks staff (2013).

Number of fulltime Park Rangers in 2001.

- Numberof fulltime Park Rangers in 2013. 38 - Number of seasonal Park Ranger FTEs in 2013. 13.t6 million - Number of hectares of B.C. park lands (2013). 2631170 - Number of hectares of B.C. Parks for every park ranger FTE. 60 - Percentage funding cut to park ranger staffsince 2001. 4O - Number of B.C. parks vehicles cancelled since 2009. 45 - Number of B.C. parks having operating seasons shortened since 2009. 52.29 - Amount of government spending per hectare in B.C. Parks system. 525.29 - Amount of government spending per hectare in Alberta Parks 12

in 2011. In2012. after realizing the critical lack of park rangers, the B.C. government began pulling forest technicians and science officers from their regular duties and deputizing them as park rangers - often rvith little or no training.

system.

facr

are rvell knorvn. The positive impact of investing in our parks system is clear. It is time the B.C. government

The

stopped being penny wise and pound foolish, and re-invested in our parks.

The first step is to restore funding to 2000 levels, as part ofa broader strategy to double investments in B.C. parks and help restore the economic and social health of our rural communities.

Sl billion

- Amount of B.C. government

subsidies to oil and gas industry

(2006-20r0). I

19.3 million

- the number of visits

in person days to BC Parks in2011/12.

27 - Percentage drop in B.C. Parks attendance following installation of parking meters.

Percentage compliance with parking meter regulations.

52 million

S228,OOO

- Actual parking meter revenue ]n 2005/06.

Estimated annual revenue from parking meters.