Trends in Renewable Resource Management in British Columbia

摘要

We examined trends in legal responsibilities, budgets, and staffing, primarily for the British Columbia government's renewable resource ministries (forests, fish, wildlife, and parks). Legal responsibilities (complexity) of forest management expandedsubstantially from 1912 to 2011, almost tripling in the last 25 years. Government expenditures on renewable resources increased steadily from 1975 to 1997, but decreased by approximately half since then. Budgets for the other sectors of government, however, have more than doubled since 1997. The number of professional foresters employed in both government and industry has declined in recent years, more so in industry. Although the total number of professional biologists in the province increased steadily since 1980, the Ministry of Environment has lost nearly 30 of its biologists since 2002. These decreases in funding and staffing weaken key management functions, place the province's renewable natural resources at increasing risk, and jeopardize future social and economic opportunities.