THE ISSUE

While forestry generates substantial revenue and employment for the province, it can also mean considerable disruption to endangered species living in the forests. Most recently, a spotted owls were threatened by logging in Lillooet. But as the government owns 95 percent of British Columbia's land, they have a great power to manage the effect of foresting on wildlife.

Of course, it's complicated

Conservation groups say the government does not have a clear stand-alone act to adequately protect the habitats of endangered species. They say the province is relying on "a patchwork of weak legislation and voluntary measures that are not doing the job."

The bottom line

Is the current legislation protecting endangered species strong enough? If not, what measures will your government take to ensure the protection of B.C.'s endangered species? How will your government balance the protection of endangered species with the needs of the forestry industry?

THE ANSWERS

Green Party of BC

Current legislation is pathetic. The Green Party of BC will enact B.C. Species at Risk legislation to protect species and habitat. We will expand the Ecological Reserve to encompass 1 percent of B.C.'s land base. We will place an immediate moratorium on all logging, road building, and industrial development in critically endangered species' habitats. We will replace the Ministry of Water, Air, and Land Protection with a Ministry of Environment and Conservation and increase funding for this ministry to pre-1991 levels. Forestry can be done in an environmentally sustainable way and small community based forestry companies all over B.C. are doing so. The new Ministry of Environment and Conservation will ensure that all companies comply with the proposed legislation.

BC Liberals

The Liberals do not list any promises with regard to endangered species, except to point out that it passed legislation to protect species at risk for the first time in B.C. Bill Barisoff, the province's Water, Land, and Air Protection Minister, outlines on the Liberal website how the B.C. Liberal government has created hundreds of protected areas for wildlife while the previous NDP government only created four such areas. But the Vancouver Sun noted that the new Forest and Range Practices Act prevents the government from intervening on behalf of water quality and endangered species "unless it first determines that the action is consistent with 'maintaining or enhancing an economically valuable supply of commercial timber.'" In an article from the Campbell River Courier-Islander, North Island Liberal candidate Rod Visser defended the Liberal policies against criticism from the Sierra Club and the West Coast Environmental Law group. The Liberal strategy for protecting the environment gives power to professional associations like biologists, he said. Their professional training will help them craft creative responses to environmental problems and ensure that the environment stays at the forefront of the government's agenda. "We have a pretty clear response," he said. "Because you [the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations] do things differently, it doesn't mean that things are done badly. One should not confuse the two."

NDP

The NDP platform lists no intentions with regard to endangered species. In a Vancouver Sun article, Vancouver-Fairview NDP candidate Gregor Robertson (who the Sun called "the strongest environmentalist in the NDP lineup") explained that this was because the NDP platform outlines the priorities that they felt could be achieved in the short-term. He said he would personally push for stronger policy to protect endangered species. The NDP under Mike Harcourt was noted for enacting public policies that protected the environment, such as the Protected Areas Strategy, the Clean Air strategy, and the Water Stewardship program. But there have also been some big failures - in 2000, an environmental coalition handed the B.C. government an "F" in its handling of endangered species. The B.C. government refused to introduce a stand-alone endangered species act. A Vancouver Sun article from 1999 also pointed out that the NDP government approved logging of the Brand Valley, known to be the primary habitat of the marble murrelet, an endangered species of bird. A memo showed that the NDP were well aware of the dangers of logging the murrelet's habitat, but went ahead anyway because the government had invested $400,000 in engineering and development in the endeavour.

Democratic Reform BC Answer is pending.