Plans for a park reserve in southern B.C. revived by First Nations, B.C., Ottawa
OSOYOOS, B.C. — The federal and British Columbia governments as well as members of the Okanagan Nation have agreed to resume work to establish a new national park reserve in the south Okanagan.
Plans for the park have been under discussion for almost 15 years but little has been done since 2012 when members of the Osoyoos and Lower Similkameen bands completed a feasibility study and issued a final report.
Joe Foy, national campaign director of the Wilderness Committee, says in a news release his members are “celebrating wildly” after federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said there is the political will to protect the region.
Parks Canada, B.C.’s Environment Ministry and the Syilx/Okanagan Nation say the proposed park reserve could cover a region ranging from near desert to forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir.