Whereas British Columbia and Canada have committed to protecting and restoring biological diversity, including in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Together for Wildlife Strategy; And whereas protecting and restoring biological diversity contributes toward more resilient and healthy local communities, as well as ecosystem health, while helping to contain emergency management and infrastructure costs in the context of climate change: Therefore be it resolved that the Province work with local governments and First Nations to support the protection and restoration of biological diversity in local communities by establishing a Local Natural Areas Protection Fund and other legislative and promotional measures to support local efforts to acquire land for biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship WLRS is working closely with the Ministry of Forests FOR to implement all 14 recommendations of the 2020 strategic review report A New Future for Old Forests. A key component of this work is leading the collaborative development of a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework the Framework with First Nations. The Framework will set policy intent and serve as a catalyst for a paradigm shift in the way we think about biodiversity, helping to ensure our ecosystems and communities remain healthy and resilient in light of climate change and other threats. The Framework will create a vision and tools to support the prioritization of ecosystem health and the conservation of biodiversity. It will help align ongoing initiatives that support ecosystem health e.g., Together for Wildlife Strategy, Watershed Security Strategy and the commitment to achieving the goal of 30 protection of BCs land base by 2030. The draft Framework includes a commitment to co-developing with First Nations new legislation and updates to existing legislation. It also includes a commitment to work with local governments and British Columbians as part of a whole of society approach, to support the conservation and restoration of biodiversity including looking at potential financial incentives. The draft framework was released on November 15, 2023. Consultation with First Nations and engagement with industry, local governments, and Non-Government Organizations was conducted via virtual webinars between November 15, 2023, and January 31, 2024. These included two local government specific sessions. The Framework will be finalized in spring 2024, followed by co-development of the related legislation.