2003.11.18 - BC Government opens parks to resorts and oil and gas development

Press Release

November 18, 2003

BC Government opens parks to resorts and oil and gas development

VANCOUVER – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – BC Chapter is deeply concerned with legislative changes being made to the Parks and Protected Areas Act. The changes will open BC's world class parks system to resort development and directional drilling for oil and gas. "This is a dark day for BC’s provincial parks," stated Eva Riccius, Ecosystem Specialist for CPAWS-BC. "These changes will have a permanent effect on nature that is supposedly protected in BC's park system."

Provincial parks are not just for recreation. In most cases they have been set aside for other values such as protecting wildlife, spectacular scenery, cultural features, and for future generations to experience and learn about nature. Intensive uses such as resort development have a profound effect on nature and should be located outside park boundaries.

"Placing resorts and tourism development in communities near parks has a positive economic effect on those communities while still drawing people to parks. We are very supportive of placing such developments in gateway communities to boost and diversify local economies around the province," noted Riccius. "We need to ensure that the parks system remains the 'SuperNatural' product that visitors come to experience from around the world. Intensive resort development will only jeopardize that product."

Government is also throwing the doors open to the oil and gas industry by allowing directional drilling under all of BC's parks and protected areas. "While this may not seem like a big deal, the long term effects of directional drilling are unknown. There could easily be impacts on groundwater resources, springs and other geological and subsurface features that may manifest themselves on the surface," stated Riccius. "It's just too early for a blanket permission for the oil and gas industry to extract resources from underneath parks. This government is so desperate to please industry, that it is throwing important social values, like provincial parks to the wind."

CPAWS is a national non-profit conservation group dedicated to protecting Canada's wilderness and parks. CPAWS has 12 chapters across the country plus a national office, and represents approximately 20,000 members and supporters.

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For further information:

Eva Riccius
Ecosystem Specialist
CPAWS-BC
Tel: 604 685 7445