It would seem some have difficulties comprehending just where this is coming from.
Fair enough, not everyone has been "in the loop" with those who worked so long & hard on our behalf to bring this to reality.
A dedicated, stand alone funding model for wildliufe & habitat is something the BCWF and GOABC have been lobbying for for years.
It has taken a LOT of effort to get us to where we stand today, and those that made it so rightfully deserve a rounding pat on the back!
The model as described will accomplish many positives. Foremost among those are directly increasing the funding envelope for habitat / wildlife management by about $ 10 million per annum (tag & LEH sales). That will be a very significant boost to the levels of today, and opens the door for future matching fund leverage (already several NGO's are signaling their willingness to climb aboard with funding and efforts). Secondly, it will move the management of the resources from under the government umbrella to a stand alone agency - which will go a long ways towards removing the politics from said management. Separating government from such contentious issues such as wolf control and grizzly management can not be a bad idea IMO.
As we know, there are no current set population objectives for fish, wildlife and habitat. The new governance model will set specific measurable objectives to recover and increase habitat sustainability, as well as fish and wildlife populations.
This is overall a positive step in actually creating a platform to address wildlife and habitat needs.
It represents the first step towards addressing the big picture, something that has been somewhat lacking historically here.
It will obviously have growing pains and bumps along the way, but this is a win and a great start to reestablishing wildlife numbers in BC.
As such, it's value to conservation and stewardship is potentially staggering in nature, and has great potential to positively effect these critical aspects of management far beyond what most realize today.
"More hunting opportunities & success?" Give it a little time to be implemented, and for the effects of it's work to begin to be realized. While the new system will provide eventual increases in habitat and wildlife numbers overall, it is your children (and their children) that will likely benefit the most. At last we see the opportunity to leave them a Legacy representative of just what this Province can be!
All that said, it should also be noted this is no time to become complacent! We, together, still need to stand for wildlife and wild lands, to keep being involved, and to keep pushing those who have influence to make the right decisions in their management.
Many Thanks to those who worked so hard, for so long, to bring this to fruition!
Cheers,
Nog
