The following letter was sent to Premier Christy Clark and copied to Coast Reporter.
Why is the government changing the Parks Act? If you have legitimate reasons, why not include the public? Where is your consultation process?
People care about keeping our parks safe and intact and not under threat from development. We need to keep some part of our province pristine and available to the other life forms whose habitat is constantly under siege from development.
I ask that you stop the process of Bill4 and engage the public in meaningful consultation about your plans. If your plans really are good for parks and good for the people of B.C. rather than just the corporations, then meaningful consultation should not be a problem.
B.C.'s parks and protected areas were created for a purpose -to safeguard biodiversity and provide places for people to enjoy the natural wonders of B.C.
Bill 4, the Park Amendment Act, would potentially open up B.C.'s parks and protected areas to industrial development.
B.C. parks and protected areas provide habitat for many rare and at-risk species. They safeguard biodiversity and are essential links for wide-ranging species such as grizzly bear that move from one protected area to another in search of food, habitat and mates.
The B.C. parks system has been 100 years in the making, supported by B.C. taxpayers. Millions of visitors come to B.C. to visit our parks and protected areas, and their contribution to the B.C. economy is significant.
Please safeguard B.C.'s parks and the biodiversity they contain, and take immediate steps to withdraw Bill 4.
D. Lynn Chapman, Roberts Creek
