Wetlands are among the most biologically diverse, productive, and important life support systems on Earth. Valued not only for providing habitat to some 600 wildlife species, these ecosystems are critical to the environmental, social and economic health of B.C.’s towns, cities, and wild spaces.
However, wetlands are at risk due to increasing pressures such as urban and commercial development, climate change and resource industry expansion. Accounting for less than 6% of the province’s total land base, in some areas up to 85% of wetlands have been lost.
The Wetland Stewardship Partnership (WSP) is a multi-agency group dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and other sensitive ecosystems in British Columbia.
The WSP vision is to work together in an effort to ensure that British Columbia is a province where the functions and values of wetlands and the larger watersheds of which they are a part are appreciated, conserved, restored and appropriately managed for present and future generations.
Surrey, B.C., July 27, 2009 – Efforts to conserve B.C.’s wetlands took a major step forward today as government and several non-governmental organizations jointly formed the Wetland Stewardship Partnership (WSP).