‘The money that’s needed’: B.C. announces $300-million Indigenous conservation fund to protect old-growth forests

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 06:16:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-old-growth-indigenous-conservation-funding/

"The British Columbia government took a significant step towards protecting
old-growth forests and creating new protected areas today with the announcement
of a $300-million fund for Indigenous conservation.

Speaking at a press conference in Victoria’s Beacon Hill Park, Premier David
Eby said the fund will “speed up our efforts to protect vital ecosystems, to
protect beautiful and rare forests, to conserve critical habitat and to protect
our province against the effects of climate change.”

“I have an emotional attachment, like all British Columbians do, to the big,
old trees that are precious to all of us,” Eby said. “And I also have huge
respect for Indigenous leadership on these important issues and our need to
work in partnership.”

The provincial government will provide $150 million for the conservation
financing fund while the BC Parks Foundation, the official charitable partner
of BC Parks, will furnish the rest. The fund, managed by the foundation, will
finance ecosystem protections, including Indigenous stewardship and guardian
programs, capacity building and unspecified low-carbon economic opportunities.
It will be augmented with individual and private sector donations.

Conservation financing can provide economic opportunities for communities
dependent on logging. Instead of cutting down old-growth, funds like the one
announced today can provide money to start local businesses such as cultural
and eco-tourism ventures, value-added second-growth forestry and non-timber
forest product harvesting. In B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest, conservation
finance programs are credited with creating more than 100 businesses and 1,000
permanent jobs in ventures ranging from ecotourism to a sustainable scallop
fishery."

Via Future Crunch:
<https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-women-rights-france-ntds-africa-bears-europe/>

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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