Save BC Bears
After a successful campaign to ban the trophy hunt on grizzly bears that ran for years, now for the first time in decades the B.C. government is asking for feedback on grizzly bear stewardship. It’s time to get loud: demand meaningful public engagement and planning that puts grizzlies first.
Speak up for grizzly bear stewarship
On July 12, 2023 the B.C government released a draft of the Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework, a 75-page document outlining how grizzly bears in British Columbia are to be managed. The deadline for input is October 6, 2023. This is the first time there has been an update for grizzly conservation in almost 30 years. As outlined in the draft, the purpose of the framework is to provide “structure and guidance for discussion and action to the people and governments in the Province of British Columbia to steward and co-exist with grizzly bears” (p. i).
Please read Valhalla Wilderness Society’s highly informative Action Alert as well as our Key Talking Points for concerns and considerations regarding the draft Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework.
Why is this Important?
We agree with the B.C. government that updating the framework on stewardship is important. It is especially important since so much in our province has changed in the past three decades. The pressures on grizzlies are compounding – especially in the interior, where hundreds of thousands of hectares of prime grizzly habitat have been clearcut, burned by increasing wildfires, or disrupted by development. Decades of science, advocacy, collaboration and passion finally culminated in a full ban on hunting grizzlies in 2017. Now it is time to speak up for grizzlies again.
Six years ago, polling showed that 74% of British Columbians wanted to see an end to the grizzly bear hunt, but now there are fears that this framework might open the door to an reinstatement of the hunt especially since guide outfitters have been working behind the scenes to keep the pressure up, and even launching a class action suit against the NDP government for business losses incurred by the ban. We need to ensure that this proposed stewardship framework includes a continued ban.
What can you do?
Send a pre-written letter of recommendations and a request for extension to Premier David Eby and your MLA. (1 minute)
Write your own letter directly to the government, or a letter to the editor in your local newspaper. (30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how fast you type!)
Give feedback on the framework. Follow the link to see what to expect from the survey, and key points to take into consideration. (1-3 hours)
Ask for an extension until at least December 31, 2023, on the public engagement period. (1 minute)
This petition requires a British Columbia postal code.
donate today to help support Public awareness of the threat to grizzly bears in B.C.
where are things at now?
Pacific Wild, alongside other voices and organizations, has requested an extension on the public engagement period from August 18th to December 31, 2013, as well as asking for other improvements to be made in the survey process.
The petition for an extension gathered over 2000 signatures from B.C. residents in less than a week. Thanks to this pressure, the provincial government granted an extension to October 6, 2023 at 4:00 PM PT, but this is still insufficient for members of the public and those with a vested interest in grizzly bear stewardship, to adequately respond especially since in the summer months bear experts are generally working in the field.
If you represent an organization you can request to become a signatory of this open letter to the B.C. government requesting improvements to the engagement process, and has been already co-signed by over 40 organizations and bear professionals, by emailing info@pacificwild.org.
