PDF 12MB - Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team

PETITION FOR BC ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
To: Premier Glen Clark and Members of Cabinet
BC Ministry of Environment statistics show that BC currently has 68 species of animals and 224 species of
plants that are endangered or threatened. An additional 451 species are classified as vulnerable, and the
numbers are increasing.
It is already too late for the passenger pigeon and the Dragon Lake Whitefish - they are now extinct. Other
species like the sage grouse and the yellow-billed cuckoo are no longer found in British Columbia. Our rich
biological heritage is at risk.
Unlike four other provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec and New Brunswick), BC has no Endangered
Species Act. Yet last year, BCs Environment Minister signed the National Accordfor the Protection of
Species At Risk in Canada. A key component of the National Accord is the commitment to pass
complementary federal and provincial endangered species legislation. The federal government has tabled its
legislation, the Canada Endangered Species Protection Act, and it is now time for BC to follow suit.
Existing'provincial initiatives like the BC Wildlife Act, the Forest Practices Code and the Protected Areas
Strategy do NOT adequately address the requirements of the National Accord. Separate, comprehensive
BC endangered species legislation is required. We respectfully request that the BC Government honour its
commitments under the National Accord and pass a BC Endangered Species Act.
British Columbia's heritage deserves no less.
Signed:
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