Ministry of Environment
VICTORIA – Environment Minister Mary Polak has released the following statement around British Columbia's boundary adjustment policy and recent amendments to the Park Act.
"I want to be absolutely clear, the Park Amendment Act does not allow, promote or otherwise enable industrial projects in provincial parks and protected areas. Suggestions that future industrial operations will be allowed in parks are simply not true. There will be no drilling, no mining, no forestry, no transmission lines and no gas wells in our parks.
"What the Park Amendment Act does is formally authorize low-impact research activities to take place so that we can gain a better of understanding of potential impacts to parks. Research permits are only issued for low-impact activities like soil sampling or installing gauges.
"Recent amendments to the Park Act are separate from the boundary adjustment policy. If proponents could simply accomplish what they wished by only using a park use permit they would, but that is not the case. Proponents seeking to move park boundaries have to go through the rigorous boundary adjustment policy and process. There is no change to this policy – nothing has changed that will make it easier to adjust the boundaries of our parks and protected areas.
"In the case of the Khutzeymateen for example, Trans Canada conducted their research and then as a result of that research decided they would not seek any boundary adjustment.
"There is a rigorous process in place for reviewing boundary adjustments which includes consultations with First Nations, the public and stakeholders. I welcome the participation of organizations such as CPAWS and West Coast Environment Law as we look at our boundary adjustment policy and process to ensure it remains rigorous and transparent.
"British Columbia has the highest percentage of its land base dedicated to protected areas of all provincial Canadian jurisdictions, and is one of the largest protected area systems in North America. This percentage will only continue to increase. In fact, in this spring session alone, more than 55,000 hectares was added to B.C.'s protected area system."