This update is intended to keep you current
on recent BC government actions regarding the environment.

NEW: For March/April 2004, we added information on the following recent
government actions:


(-) Government Accepts US Money For Offshore Oil Tests

The BC government accepted $3 million and the use of a US boat to conduct
seismic testing for oil and gas in the waters of BC. The testing will go
ahead in 2005 regardless of whether a federal moratorium against oil and
gas drilling is still in place. Seismic testing uses powerful sound waves
to find oil and gas deposit. These sound waves have been shown to disrupt
sea life - including whales - and fisheries. The BC government is
aggressively promoting fossil fuel development, contrary to the
international scientific consensus to reduce our use of fossil fuels in
order to slow global warming.


(-) Government Secretly Kills Golden Eagles

In March 2003 it came to light that over the prior two years the
government authorized the killing of six golden eagles, birds protected by
Canadian and international law because they are rare. The government
killed the birds because they are predators of the highly endangered
Vancouver Island marmot. There are efforts underway to breed marmots in
captivity and to release them back into the wild. The government, however,
continues to approve clearcut logging in areas around the marmot, making
their habitat situation worse.


(+) Government Invests in 'Green' Infrastructure

The BC government joined the Canadian government in investing $29 million
each in infrastructure, mainly water treatment projects. Other projects
included sports facilities and road building. The money for the 57
projects around BC came from the Canada-British Columbia Infrastructure
Program.


(-) Government Extends Mining Subsidies

The government extended a tax subsidy to the B.C. mining industry. The
industry has enjoyed a wide range of federal and provincial subsidies for
decades. Despite a promise to end business subsidies, the 2001 B.C. budget
added to these subsidies with both the B.C. Mining Flow Through Share Tax
Credit and the Provincial Sales Tax Exemption for Mining Equipment and
Machinery. The former is a tax break for mining investors, and the latter
allows a sales tax exemption on qualifying machinery used in coal and
mineral exploration. With the extension of the flow through tax credit,
the B.C. government estimates that for every dollar spent on mining
exploration in B.C., taxpayers provide 65 cents.


Go to http://www.bcfacts.org for more and check under "Recent Government
Decisions"

Please encourage friends and colleagues to sign up for updates on our
homepage.

Thanks for the post. Very interesting.