“The B.C. Paleontological Association has pulled out of an agreement signed last year with government to protect a renowned fossil bed near Cache Creek, B.C..
An official with the B.C. government also acknowledged there is no money for oversight at McAbee fossil beds. Monitoring of the site was one of the goals contained in the agreement designed to protect what one researcher called a world-class site now used as a tourist destination.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed last year with the province, B.C. Paleontological Association, Royal B.C. Museum and Thompson Rivers University.
Its goals included mapping and potentially expanding the fossil beds from the Eocene era, 50 to 60 million years ago, as well as monitoring finds and collecting and storing significant fossils at TRU.
“Because government pulled its funding the B.C. Paleontological Alliance has withdrawn from the MOU,” said TRU geology professor Ken Klein.
“Government didn’t do anything it said it would do. It’s unfortunate. There’s no money for anything.”
From the Kamloops Daily News.
