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EarthCare letter to Gordon Campbell criticizes government rejection of Okanagan-Shuswap Land Use Plan

Premier Gordon Campbell
Room 156
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC
V8V 1X4

May 21, 2004

Dear Premier Campbell,

The Canadian EarthCare Society is extremely disappointed and concerned with the news that you have enacted legislation that does not conform with the consensus agreement of the Okanagan Shuswap Land Use Resource Management Plan (OKSLRMP). As a stakeholder in the land use process we feel betrayed. We have written to you on three occasions regarding this matter. (December 15, 2003, April 8, 2004 and May 8, 2004). You have failed to respond to our concerns and questions all three times.

Given the recent passing of Bill 50 the Parks and Protected Areas Statues Amendment Act 2004, some of our questions have now been answered. It is now clear that your government has broken its ‘New Era’ promise and directly interfered with the Okanagan Shuswap Land Use Resource Management Plan (OKSLRMP). You have also agreed not to move Parks forward to Class A status at the request of the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS). The RDOS’s rationale for this request is the possibility that a National Park may be established in the South Okanagan. As you and your advisors know, the process to establish a National Park is one that takes up to 10 years, if not more. This means that the Parks in the South Okanagan will not be coming into force for some time.

As well, numerous other Parks in the Central Okanagan and North Okanagan regions of the plan area have not moved forward as a result of your government’s actions. Areas designated as Goal 2 areas are completely without any status. They could be considered vacant areas of Crown land. This is unacceptable.

Further to your recent decision we have the following questions:

1. Why were other stakeholders in the plan area not consulted about your intentions?
2. The RDOS represents municipalities in the South Okanagan. Do you know if each individual local government representative informed their City Council of the January 6, 2004 resolution requesting that Parks in the South Okanagan not move forward to Class A status, and that the Goal 2 areas remain with no status whatsoever?
3. Have no staking reserves been established on the Goal 2 areas within the plan?
4. Were local and regional governments in the Central and North Okanagan Shuswap consulted about the fact that numerous Parks would not move forward to Class A, and that the Goal 2 areas in the plan area remain without status? Please provide us with a list of those stakeholders and governments that were consulted.
5. How have you created certainty in the plan areas as a result of your actions?

We consider this matter to be very serious and we request that your office respond to our concerns and questions in a reasonable time frame, and not repeat you previous lack of response.

.
Environmentally yours,

Canadian EarthCare Society

Lloyd Manchester
Director

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