The BC Liberals are continuing with their parks privatization agenda by soliciting bids for the development of lodges and resorts in 12 provincial parks. The move is the latest business friendly policy for BC's parks system, with previous changes including the introduction of parking meters and the redrawing of the South-Chilcotin Park boundary to accommodate mining interests.

Like the issue of parking meters, there will be a great deal of differing opinion about whether or not private development within parks boundaries is a good idea. At present, the real issue is one of values and goals. Are BC's parks being managed for the sake of ecological integrity and the preservation of nature for future generations? Or are they being managed as a private business opportunity? Our answers to those questions will define the future of our parks system.

As history has shown, the needs of nature and the goals of business are in large part mutually exclusive, and to date the BC Government has failed to provide any overarching parks policy that guarantees the continued preservation of ecological integrity of BC's parks system. Given the threat that development poses to wilderness throughout the world, that should be the first and most basic element in place before allowing any development of provincial parks.

Here is a complete list of the twelve parks slated for development:

- Mount Robson (Robson Pass) - Omineca Region
- Elk Lakes - Kootenay Region
- Wells Gray (Stevens Lake) - Cariboo Region
- Cape Scott - northern Vancouver Island
- Mount Assiniboine - Kootenay Region
- Fintry - Okanagan Region
- Silver Star (Sovereign Lake) - Okanagan Region
- Myra Bellevue - Okanagan Region
- Nancy Greene - Kootenay Region
- Maxhamish Lake - Peace Region
- Foch-Giltoyees - Skeena Region
- Golden Ears - Lower Mainland