New Ecological Reserve Regulations for B.C. 

As part of our mission to protect the many special natural places across British Columbia, in addition to provincial parks, BC Parks oversees over 150 ecological reserves. Ecological reserves are home to many rare and endangered plants, animals and natural phenomena, and are critical to B.C.’s distinct biological diversity – they are unique, sensitive natural environments that are protected primarily for scientific study and education. Regulations for the use and protection of ecological reserves have been in place since 1975 and needed to be updated. The new regulations now consider new ways to protect reserves from damage or disturbance. Ecological reserves were suffering from impacts and damage from crime, such as firewood theft, unlawful structures and camping, fires, and access by vehicles. 

The changes, introduced in 2023, give park staff the tools they need to protect B.C.’s ecological reserves. They include new bans on dangerous and disruptive activities and address issues like unauthorized drone use and smoking within ecological reserves. They also allow staff to issue violation tickets with financial penalties for illegal activities, and clarify restrictions on the entry and use of ecological reserves, including temporary closure for public safety reasons. Finally, they update the process to issue permits for scientific research and education within ecological reserves. 

BC Parks staff are passionate about British Columbia’s natural beauty and the many special plants and animals that are a part of the unique biological diversity found here. We’re excited to see these new regulations that are ensuring B.C.’s ecological reserves are protected for generations to come.