Whereas British Columbias forests and protected lands are vital to its natural heritage, supporting diverse wildlife and ecosystems that require sustainable management and conservation effort; And whereas licensed hunters and trappers contribute significantly to BCs economy, generating over 600 million in spending annually and paying approximately 12 million in fees, which currently go into general provincial revenue rather than directly supporting wildlife conservation: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to dedicate all revenues from hunting and trapping licenses, fines, and penalties to wildlife conservation and habitat preservation.
Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship WLRS has initiated a review of the Wildlife Act, under the commitment made in Action 12 of Together for Wildlife. The Wildlife Act and its regulations govern the fees and surcharges paid by hunters, trappers, anglers and other authorized persons under the Act. Base fees collected support administration of the Act and other stewardship work undertaken by the Province, while surcharges on wildlife applications, permits and licences are fully dedicated to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation HCTF. Together for Wildlife identifies dedicated funding for wildlife stewardship as a priority for the Wildlife Act Review. In recognition of this priority, WLRS is proposing amendments to the Wildlife Act regulations to double surcharges associated with wildlife application, permit, and licence fees while leaving the base licence. The revenues from these surcharges are fully dedicated to HCTF and reinvested in conservation initiatives. HCTF invests revenues from wildlife and angling surcharges, natural resource tenures, grants, and donations into projects that support fish, wildlife and habitat conservation across BC. This change is estimated to increase the total amount dedicated to HCTF through surcharges from approximately 2.7 millionyear to 5 millionyear. The recommendation to increase wildlife fees that are fully dedicated to wildlife and habitat stewardship reflects long-standing input from fee-paying parties and wildlife organizations, many of whom have expressed a willingness to contribute more if revenues are exclusively dedicated to wildlife and habitat stewardship. These proposed regulatory changes are informed by feedback from advisory bodies, First Nations, and other stakeholders, while we continue to explore broader legislative reform through the ongoing Wildlife Act Review.