Our wealth is in our water. CodeBlue has a plan to secure it.
British Columbia’s watersheds are the source of our health, well-being and natural wealth. They are the envy of the world. For thousands of years, First Nations have been stewards of our water wealth, the source of their rights and title and a relationship that we have all benefited from.
Rich and abundant watersheds have brought life, health, and prosperity in every corner of our province since time immemorial. Streams, rivers, and lakes are the cornerstone of our local economies, forests, fish and wildlife, food, quality of life, cultural memories, and survival itself.
But today our most precious resource is facing bigger threats than ever before. Decades of big industry abuses on the land and in the water, like rampant clearcutting and toxic mine tailings, poor water management, and a warming climate are taking their toll. Contaminated drinking water, wells running dry, farmers losing crops, creeks filled with dying fish, communities devastated by flood waters—the impacts to our material security are getting more severe year by year.
In an increasingly insecure and chaotic world, we need to act now to make our province a stronghold where clean water and vibrant communities thrive. It’s time to defend our watershed as if our lives depend on them.
Local BC communities know their home watersheds best and have already identified the solutions that will secure fresh water today and for future generations. But local people face major barriers in doing this important work because government has not been doing ITS job to defend our watersheds. It’s time for that to change.
Here’s what will ensure government does its job on water in the next year:
1. Give local people the power to manage and restore their watersheds
Establish Local Watershed Boards where local communities have the power and resources to address threats to their watershed security with real solutions.
2. Establish a permanent source of watershed security funding for BC communities
Build an independently managed $2 billion BC Watershed Security Fund that funds local communities in every region of BC to secure their watersheds. The Fund must be managed with representation from every region of the Province.
3. Get tough on water wasters and polluters
Appoint a new Chief Watershed Security Officer to ensure government does its job and to enforce the rules against corporate malfeasance.
IT'S TIME WE START TREATING OUR WATERSHEDS LIKE OUR LIVES DEPEND ON THEM.
Please do your part today. Take Action.
WANT A DEEPER DIVE?
Read the detailed CodeBlue BC Plan to learn what watershed security looks like in action.