From George Abbott:
http://www.georgeabbott.ca/category/news-releases/With one week left until the February 26th leadership vote, I wanted to take the opportunity to share an exciting announcement I made yesterday regarding our provincial parks, heritage and outdoor recreation.
This year marks the 100-year anniversary of BC Parks. As the one-year anniversary of the 2010 Winter and Paralympic Games turns our thoughts to the legacy of sport in British Columbia, it is easy to overlook our natural and historical legacies in the form of parks and protected areas, local and provincial heritage sites, and our outdoor recreational opportunities.
I believe that we need to do more to support these legacies and their value to families, while profiling our province’s assets and supporting our growing tourism industry.
Therefore, yesterday I announced a number of commitments to protect and enhance these assets for our residents and our visitors, including:
· Implementing a 10 percent increase to the Parks and Protected Areas budget for 2011/12 over the current anticipated budget;
· Eliminating day-use parking fees in all major provincial parks so that B.C.’s families can enjoy short-term recreation and activities free of charge;
· Tripling the Heritage Legacy Fund endowment to $15 million to support more grants to local heritage as well as provide stable funding for Heritage BC;
· Establishing a strategy to ensure the ongoing integrity and sustainability of devolved Provincial Heritage Properties across the province, such as Fort Steele, Barkerville, and Emily Carr House.
· Returning 100 percent of angling license revenues to Freshwater Fishing BC, the non-profit society responsible for enhancing recreational fishing in B.C., to further maintain and enhance our fisheries;
· Establishing a new Junior Fishing License designation to provide a lower priced fishing license for anglers aged 16 to 18;
· Providing additional funding for fisheries and wildlife inventories to support responsible, science-based fish and wildlife management;
· Improving fisheries and wildlife conservation and enforcement activities to ensure that outdoor activities are supported and lawfully conducted; and
· Restoring eligibility for direct access gaming grants to environmental and wildlife organizations that were previously ineligible.
I believe that through these investments, we can continue to make British Columbia’s parks, heritage and outdoors the envy of the world.