Stein Provincial Park
Park Facts
* BC provincial parks receive just $2.50 per hectare in public funding compared to $15 per
hectare in public funding for Canada’s national parks.
* Parks contribute close to $170 million annually to our provincial tax base.
Stable Funding Needed
Despite its international reputation, ecological significance and substantial revenue generation to local economies, BC’s park system is being starved of funding.
The 2005-06 operating budget for BC Parks was just $28 million, 19% lower than in 1996.(1) Taking into account the smaller size of the protected areas system ten years ago the gap is public funding becomes more acute: in 1996 parks received $4.12 per hectare in operating funds compared to under $2.50 per hectare today.
Under-funding parks doesn’t make any sense. BC parks generate $10 for every $1 the government invests in our protected area system.(2) Overall, parks contribute approximately $170 million annually to our provincial tax base. Unfortunately, most of this money flows back into the government’s “general revenues” and not back into maintaining parks. This has resulted in cuts to rangers, interpretive programs and other important visitor services.
The Wilderness Committee and the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union — the union that includes the staff responsible for caring for parks and protected areas — is calling on the provincial government to double the annual BC Parks operating budget to $56 million. Although this is still short of what is needed to address the current funding shortfall it will go a long ways to ensuring that our provincial park system remains protected and intact for future generations.
