Posted:
May 12, 2021
B.C. not effectively managing Conservation Lands Program
The Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia May 11 released a new audit report: Management of the Conservation Lands Program.
The audit examined whether the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has effectively managed the Conservation Lands Program to conserve important habitats for significant fish and wildlife species, such as species at risk and migratory birds.
Overall, the audit concluded that the ministry has not effectively managed the program.
“We found the program lacked strategic direction, and most plans for wildlife management areas were not current or approved,” said Michael Pickup, auditor general. “We also noted that regional staff had limited strategies to resolve the unauthorized use of conservation lands and hadn’t assessed which lands were most at risk from this use. We found that between 2009 and 2020, hundreds of unauthorized activities had occurred on conservation lands.”