VANCOUVER – Joyce Murray, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra and former BC Environment Minister, made the following statement on the expansion of the Fraser River Delta Ramsar site to include Burns Bog and 20,000 other hectares of wetland:
“It is with great pleasure that I offer my congratulations to all parties involved in the successful bid to add over 20,000 hectares of wetland, and the 3000 hectares of Burns Bog, to the Fraser River Delta Ramsar Site. Burns Bog will now, as it should, fall under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty to preserve wetlands of international importance,” said Ms Murray.
As the BC Environment Minister from 2001-2004, Ms Murray was proud to have spearheaded years of negotiations and strategic partnerships between four levels of government, that secured over $70 million to purchase and protect Burns Bog in 2004 and create the Burns Bog Environmental Conservation Area.
Ms Murray continued: “I am delighted that there has been a sustained and effective effort to enhance the protection of the Lower Mainland’s vital wetlands, and congratulate all those involved in achieving this important step in wetlands protection. I would like to particularly acknowledge the efforts of Eliza Olson and the Burns Bog Conservation Society, who have been vocally advocating for the inclusion of the Bog in the Ramsar Site since 1995.”
Burns Bog is often referred to as the “lungs of the Lower Mainland”, providing natural air quality regulation, as well as water quality protection with natural filtration. The Bog is a vital ecosystem that also supports a diverse array of animals and plants, including migratory water birds and salmon.
Murray added, “This is an encouraging step of international importance for wetland preservation. However, it’s important that the federal government follow through in enforcing the Ramsar Convention.”
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Contact:
Office of Joyce Murray
604-664-9220
613-992-2430
