Five years after the release of the Old Growth Strategic Review, 88 organizations and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs are calling on the provincial government to act on one of the report’s key recommendations: passing a law to protect biodiversity and ecosystem health. These groups are frustrated with BC’s inaction on a law that would prioritize the conservation of ecosystems across all sectors.
In an open letter, the groups warn that the government’s push to fast-track resource development projects without proper ecological safeguards is a dangerous move. They argue that BC’s natural resources, including the tourism sector, could be at risk without clear protections in place. Old-growth forests and other endangered ecosystems continue to be lost, and the groups stress the importance of co-developing the new law with First Nations.
Without a proper framework to protect ecosystems, the groups say the province risks escalating resource conflicts and further environmental degradation. They’re calling for immediate action to finalize the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework and pass a law that ensures a sustainable future for BC’s economy and environment.
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