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Volume 61 No. 01
Hunters buck hunting changes Cameron Orr and Tom Fletcher As B.C. hunters packed rooms to protest regulations giving guide-outfitters and their out-ofprovince clients a larger share of big-game permits, the provincial government argues that the shift is being exaggerated. The latest increase in the share of guide permits to hunt moose, grizzly bear and other restricted animals in limited-entry hunting areas of B.C. totals 618 “hunting opportunities” across the province per year, says a statement from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Based on the success rate of hunts for different species, “this model represents a transfer of approximately 186 animals from residents to guides.” The B.C. Wildlife Federation’s estimate that the wild game allocation policy could result in 5,000 fewer hunting permits for resident hunters under limited entry hunting rules is “not accurate,” the ministry says. Forests Minister Steve Thomson said in an interview he made the decision on the latest allocation after a long consultation where the BCWF and the Guide Outfitters Association of B.C. couldn’t agree. The decision was to provide certainty for guide businesses, but also took away guides’ rights to pool regional game allotments and hunt in vacant guiding territories. “There are arguments over the number, depending on which base you use, and I expect those arguments will continue,” Thomson said. “At the end of the day we all want the same thing, which is healthy wildlife populations.” BCWF hosted hunter meetings in Kelowna and Langley and spokesman Jesse Zeman said hunters were lined up out the door in Langley. He said the latest changes are part of a longer-term shift going back more than a decade that has seen a loss of harvest share for resident hunters. B.C. hunters are concerned that the share reserved for guide-outfitters is now higher than anywhere else in North America. Under the latest policy, that share is 20 per cent for elk, 20 or 25 per cent for moose depending on the restricted region, 35 per cent for mountain goat, and 40 per cent for grizzly bears. Kitimat’s Michael Langegger, who is the chair of the Northwest Fish and Wildlife Conservation Association, has lobbied intensely against these allocation changes. We couldn’t reach Langegger directly by press time but he did provide articles and letters he has sent on the matter to us via e-mail. In one document he writes to the Forests and Lands minister directly, saying proposed allocation changes are “absolutely unacceptable to our members.” Continued on page 9
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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
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1.30 INCLUDES TAX
Even the dog? The annual Polar Bear Swim, these days organized by Trevor Amos for the boat launch at the Kitamaat Village Marina, was done as usual on January 1 at noon. The icy plunge provided a very quick pick-me-up to participants, followed by hot chocolate and hot dogs around a fire.
Road work contracts increased Rod Link The three companies with road and bridge maintenance contracts in the area have received one-time payments and annual increases to meet higher snow clearing standards during the winter months on Hwy16. Nechako Northcoast, which looks after the highways around Terrace, south to Kitimat and north to the Nass Valley, had its annual contract increased by $165,750 in addition to a one-time payment of $400,000. Its increased budget, along with increases for Billabong, an affiliated company with Nechako Northcoast covering highways in the Hazeltons and Smithers and O’Brien Road and Bridge Maintenance, which looks after highways around Prince Rupert and on Haida Gwaii, follows a decision by the provincial government earlier this year to increase maintenance standards on northern highways. Previous standards were determined by traffic volume, meaning that less traffic meant plowing and sanding wasn’t done as often as it was on highways with more traffic. At the time of the January standards increase announcement, the province estimated the extra cost at $2 million to $3 million, a figure it has since confirmed. It now says the increases in annual payments for all six contractors affected in the
north works out to $2,000,533. The increase in standards from Category B to Category A means contractors now have to start clearing when 4cm of snow falls instead of 6cm. In this region, Hwy16 is now a Category A road right from the coast through to Prince George and beyond. Hwy 37 South to Kitimat already had a Category A designation. Contractors are also required to respond faster during winter storms and to have roads cleared faster. Nechako Northcoast’s one-time payment of $400,000 reflected its increased costs to meet the higher standards, said the transportation ministry. “As part of the negotiations with the contractors, the ministry provided a one-time lump sum of $4,110,495 to recognize the significant costs to implement changes to fleet and equipment, labour and materials,” the transportation ministry said in a statement. Nechako, as did the other companies, also received payment for meeting the higher standards from the day they were put into place at the end of February until the winter season ended during the period contact increases hadn’t been established. Continued on page 2
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Local leaders look to 2015 ... page 3