Years of cutbacks to BC Parks and layoffs of park rangers threatens the integrity of our parks and their value to users, including tourists and local residents, says Kootenay East candidate Troy Sebastian.
“The Campbell government is cutting back the rangers we need to protect our parks and help visitors. We can only speculate on what cuts they have planned after the election, given that our parks are one of Gordon Campbell’s favourite targets for cutbacks,” Troy said.
Environmental groups around BC are criticizing the ranger layoffs, with the Wilderness Committee and Sierra Club saying that the BC Liberal government is trying to conceal the full extent of the layoffs, which are much deeper than announced. The Liberals have also cut Conservation Officers and have recently imposed $24.3 million in cutbacks that will lead to reduced opening times or closure of 45 BC Parks.
“We need rangers to protect our parks and make them friendly and safe places for visitors. The Campbell government must come clean on the real extent of their cutbacks so that voters can render an informed verdict on their priorities,” Sebastian said.
“At a time when Gordon Campbell is spending nearly a billion dollars on a convention centre for Vancouver and giving himself and his aides huge salary hikes, we think it’s wrong to lay off park rangers,” Troy added.
“People in this area place far greater value on our parks than on Gordon Campbell’s megaprojects. Cutting back parks also attacks our local businesses that depend on tourism.”
“When times are tough, we need our parks more than ever for families to enjoy,” Troy said. “Carole James and the NDP are committed to restore funding to BC Parks and establishing an Environmental Youth Corps to do restoration work on our parks.”
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