Photo: Gwen Barlee

Local wilderness-protection groups are urging Ottawa to create a national park to protect the semi-arid ecosystem in South Okanagan-Similkameen.

The area boasts a hot, desert-like landscape with unique grasslands and animals, including bighorn sheep, scorpions and Western Bluebirds.

But that ecosystem is fast disappearing under "tremendous development pressure," says Gwen Barlee, policy director for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.

Between 1971 and 2001, the population in the area exploded with a 200 per cent increase, a 600-per-cent increase in golf courses and a 580-per-cent increase in wineries, she says. "We need to protect this gem and if we can get enough people to email or call the government, maybe this ecosystem can be saved," Barlee said.

Parks Canada approached locals near the town of Oliver to complete a feasibility study -- but Chloe O'Loughlin of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness says "the government is taking is taking its own sweet time and time is something this park just doesn't have. They are seven years into a process that was supposed to take two years, and there is no other park that we are more worried about."

Ottawa's goal is to represent all 39 distinct natural regions in its national parks, but the Interior Dry Plateau of the South Okanagan is not currently represented.

John Slater, MLA for Boundary-Similkameen, says he has been unable to get any answers from Parks Canada on when the study will be completed or on the dimensions of the proposed park. "I was mayor at the time when they first applied to have this park designation done, and that was almost eight years ago. So yeah, its been a long process," Slater said. "It's unfair to local residents to drag this out for so long.

"I think most local people are waiting to see what is the scope of the park, how big is it, what are the rules going to be before they make any determination whether they are for or against it."