Conservationists are welcoming a years-in-the-making strategic plan that would prioritize the health and biodiversity of ecosystems in B.C. in provincial legislation. On Wednesday, the province publicly announced its draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework, which, once finalized, would provide direction to ensure the province delivers on a promise made in 2021 to maintain and enhance biodiversity and ecological integrity. The strategy will also help the province meet its reconciliation goals it enshrined in law in 2019 to legally implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). A biodiversity plan was part of 14 recommendations… from the so-called Old Growth Strategic Report. …Ministers of Forests Bruce Ralston said, “This new framework is another step to enhance our forests and natural systems for the generations to come.” The province will now consult with First Nations, industry and other stakeholders over the draft to complete a final version in early 2024.