For immediate release
October 19, 2023
VICTORIA, B.C. – Today, the Province quietly announced the transfer of responsibilities from the Ministry of Forests to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. The B.C. Green Caucus has issued the following statement:
“For its entire history the B.C. government has served the interest of resource industries – from the timber and coal barons of the 19th century to multinational corporations that extract B.C.’s ancient trees, minerals, and fracked gas today,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Green Party and MLA for Cowichan Valley.
“This shift of responsibilities from the Ministry of Forests to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship has the potential of being a turning point in B.C.’s history.
“Water protection is what pulled me into politics. Water connects everything, yet for too long decisions about land use in the province have been made in silos, ignoring the cumulative impacts on watersheds, and putting long-term sustainability of our ecosystems at risk.
“Communities across the province are desperate for watershed protection. This is the table setting, not the main course. We need to see this announcement backed with more resources and funding. Now is the time to build the on-the-ground capacity in every part of the province and for decision-making to move to local communities and Indigenous leaders.”
“This transfer of responsibilities marks the beginning of a long-awaited transition towards better ecological stewardship in B.C.,” said Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands. “In addition to water, the transfer of lands and wildlife responsibilities is an important change to decision making in B.C., clarifying some of the confusing overlaps that existed between ministries. I am hopeful B.C. will see some positive outcomes as a result.”
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Media contact
JoJo Beattie
Press Secretary
B.C. Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | jojo.beattie@leg.bc.ca