The provincial parks of British Columbia have endured varying degress of
resource exploitation since the creation of the first provincial park in B.C.,
Strathcona Park in 1911. B.C. Parks, the government agency which manages
B.C.'s parks, administers the Park Act (R.S.B.C. 1979 C.309) and derives its
dual goals for recreation and conservation from the Act. In addition to the
Park Act, there are several levels of policy for B.C. Parks which guide decisions
regarding resource use in parks, including "Striking the Balance - B.C. Parks
Policy Statement," occasional policy statements in News Releases, and some
conditions in resource use permits.
This thesis examines the levels of policy which guide decisions regarding mining
in parks in British Columbia and the consistency of the commitment to the goals
of B.C. Parks through the policy levels. The approach to policy analysis taken
is that a policy is both an output of the level above, and an input to the level
below. Three criteria are derived from the definitions of policy in the literature.
They are that policy should be clear and a guide to decision-making, that it
should be forward-looking, and that it should be enforceable. The fourth criterion
says that the goals of B.C. Parks stated in the Park Act should be traceable
through the policy levels.
Since 1973, there have been five policies regarding mining in B.C.'s parks which
stand out as significantly altering the commitment of B.C. Parks to its goals.
In two of these policies the recreation and conservation goals of B.C. Parks are
apparent, while the goals are not apparent in three of the policies.
Foreseeable decisions for mining in parks are examined, and the ability of the
present policies to guide the decisions is tested. B.C. Parks retains little
decision-making authority with respect to mining in parks. On a mineral claim
in a recreation area, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources has
jurisdiction. Off a mineral claim in a recreation area, B.C. Parks has limited
authority over mining activities. The fundamental decisions which rests with
B.C. Parks is whether or not the recreational values of the area are sufficiently
impaired by mining to delete it from the park system.
Surprises can occur when the results are different from what was expected,
either because the cause is different, the behaviours are not what was
anticipated, or an action produces the opposite result from what was intended
(Holling 1986: p.294). Several surprises with regard to mining in Parks are
imagined and the challenge to the goals of B.C. Parks through the policy levels
is examined. A strong commitment to the goals at the upper levels of parks
policy, and reflected through the levels is proposed to ensure that B.C.'s parks
survive challenges from mining and from other sources. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/42025 |
| Date | January 1989 |
| Creators | Wilson, Norma J. |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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