To the Editor;
The current health pandemic has shone a light on the cracks in many of our public systems, and BC Parks is no exception. They have been chronically underfunded since the early 2000s, with minimal resources to manage nearly 15 per cent of the land in our province.
This lack of funding has caused many issues. Parks rangers are few and far between, leaving areas with no one to monitor for illegal activity such as wildlife poaching and dumping. There are decades’-worth of maintenance and planning to do,.
As B.C. reopens our communities and greenlights local travel, camping and hiking in provincial parks provide one of the most affordable and spectacular ways to explore the province. To keep these places open safely, we must invest in B.C.’s parks.
Investing in parks means investing in community well-being.
Linda Meyers
Kamloops, B.C.