The Government of British Columbia has announced a Level 4 drought rating for the Coldwater River watershed and a Level 3 drought rating for the Salmon River watershed.

Two volunteers maintaining hundreds of kilometres of trail in the South Fraser; a group responsible for the creation of the Ancient Forest Provincial Park; a First Nations elder protecting the Stein Valley; and groups working to enhance the Myra Canyon trestles; and to clean up debris along the coast of Vancouver Island. What do they have in common? They are all recipients of the 2016 BC Parks Volunteer Awards.

With streams and rivers in the Middle Fraser, Similkameen, Coldwater, Nicola and Kettle watersheds experiencing very low flows, and weather conditions expected to remain dry, residents of the Cariboo and Thompson-Okanagan regions are urged to reduce their water consumption.

An independent, respected national water and governance expert has been commissioned to support the review of the pollution in the Hullcar Aquifer, recently announced by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy George Heyman.

Due to recent rainfall and cooler temperatures — and in consultation with the BC Wildfire Service — BC Parks reopened portions of Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park for public use on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017.

Effective Nov. 30, 2017, the British Columbia government will end grizzly bear trophy hunting throughout the province and stop all hunting of grizzlies in the Great Bear Rainforest, Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Minister Doug Donaldson announced today.

The provincial government is taking initial action on its commitment to protect British Columbia's interests in the face of the proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline and increased tanker traffic.

BC Parks, in co-ordination with the BC Wildfire Service and Recreation Sites and Trails BC, will close backcountry access to specific areas of Wells Gray Provincial Park effective at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. This step is being taken to help protect public safety.

With a long weekend ahead, visitors to popular Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park are reminded to park their vehicles in designated parking stalls or risk being towed.

With B.C. Day around the corner, everyone has a role to play in helping to prevent wildfires and having a safe, healthy long weekend.