Whereas the federal government has committed to meeting the International Biodiversity Targets of protecting 17 of our land and inland waters and 10 of our ocean by 2020 through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures; And whereas a strong provincial parks system provides economic benefits in the forms of good jobs in urban and rural communities, economic impacts through visitor spending, tourism revenue and diversifying the economy, and ecosystem services in the forms of clean air, water, providing critical habitat for species-at-risk, and climate change adaptation: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the provincial government to set aside dedicated funding for purposes of system expansion, ecological monitoring and research, and management planning to meet the quantitative and qualitative measures set out in the 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets for Canada.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy British Columbia is actively involved in the discussions and activities related to the 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets for Canada; in particular Target 1, to protect 17 per cent of our land and inland waters and 10 per cent of our ocean by 2020. B.C. is directly involved in this effort through the National Steering Committee for Target 1, and at the assistant deputy and deputy minister level. B.C. is seen as a leader in parks and protected areas across Canada, having undertaken a dedicated expansion of our system over the course of the last two decades. While B.C. is the closest jurisdiction to attaining the 17 per cent goal, we remain committed to targeted expansion, focusing on community and Indigenous interests, and key areas for ecosystems management, biodiversity and species at risk. We will fund that work as we move forward on Target 1 and our internal planning, monitoring and research needs.