The B.C. government has added almost one million hectares or 10,000 square kilometres, to B.C.’s parks and protected areas with legislation introduced last week.
The Bill 38 includes the Sea to Sky Land and Resource Management Plan, which incorporates First Nations land use plans by the Squamish, Lil’wat and In-SHUCK-ch Nations.
In total, the number of conservancies in the province will double to 135 through the legislation, and 11 new Class A parks are being created, to bring the total to 604.
According to Environment Minister Barry Penner, the Liberals have protected more than 1.8 million hectares of land since 2001 by establishing 57 new parks, 135 conservancies, one ecological reserve and eight protected areas, while also expanding 50 parks and six ecological reserves. In total, 13.5 million hectares of B.C. are now protected, or more than 14 per cent of the land base — more than any other province in Canada.
