THE www.keremeosreview.com PM Agreement #40012521
Review Vol.17
Number 34
$1.15 including GST
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage
National park debate reopened Black Press
The provincial government is inviting public feedback on protection options for land in the South Okanagan-Similkameen and is proposing areas to Area 2: Context be considered for a national park. See page 10 to find out where Federal candidates stand on the National Park issue.
²
³
Concept Areas (1-3)
Okanagan Falls
Existing Provincial Parks/Protected Areas Vaseux Bighorn National Wildlife Area- Federal Private Conservation Lands Wildlife Management Areas
Area 3
Private Land Goal 2 Proposed Parks (LRMP) 0
2
4
8
Kilometres
Oliver Mountain
Cawston
Testalinden/ Fairview Ridge
Oliver
Mount Kobau
Note: Areas 1, 2 and 3 contain private land and/or private conservation holdings
North Kilpoola
Area 2 7 y9
Continued on page 10
Concept Areas- Enhanced Protection (South Okanagan)
Hw
Concept Area 2 Existing Provincial Parks/Protected Areas Private Conservation Lands Wildlife Management Areas 0
Spotted Lake
Goal 2 Proposed Parks (LRMP) Testalinden Ridge (View) 1.25
2.5
5
Kilometres
Above: Area 2 is the largest of the three areas. It encompasses the northern portion of the South Okanagan Grasslands Protected Area, capturing existing protected area sites such as North Kilpoola and Mount Kobau, as well as tracts of Crown provincial land that are situated north towards the Testalinden Ridge and the Fairview/ Cawston Road.
Osoyoos Desert Centre
y
3
The province has reopened the debate on a national park in the South Okanagan-Similkameen, albeit with some modifications. On Aug. 13, the B.C. government released an intentions paper and invited public feedback regarding protection options in the South OkanaganSimilkameen. The paper details policies related to three distinct areas in the region. The province is proposing a large area, west of Osoyoos and south of Highway 3 to the U.S., be considered by Parks Canada for inclusion in a South Okanagan National Park Reserve. Likewise, part of the White Lake basin and extending down past Willowbrook, west of Hwy. 97, is also being put forward for national park status. Between them, the two cover several protected areas, including the White Lake Grasslands, Spotted Lake, the Osoyoos Desert Centre and the South Okanagan Grasslands Protected Area sites of East and West Chopaka. A third area, covering west of Oliver towards Cawston, and north of Highway 3 to the southern border of the White Lake Grasslands, is being recommended as a conservancy under the B.C. Park Act. Gwen Barlee, policy director with the Wilderness Committee, is pleased the province is revisiting the national park concept. Parks Canada concluded its own feasibility study in 2011 and recommended the province adopt at a conceptual level the boundaries for a 284-square-kilometre park, but the federal agency shut down its work when the B.C. government walked away from the process in late 2011, giving lack of public support as the reason for withdrawing. “There are still many questions that need to be answered, and the park size is smaller than we’d like, but this development is a very positive step forward,” said Barlee in a press release. “We are thrilled to see that the Minister of Environment Mary Polak recognizes the incredible ecological importance of this region and that the provincial government is exploring ways to protect it through a national park designation.” The release also notes that the arid South Okanagan-Similkameen region is one of the four most endangered ecosystems in Canada, and is home to 30 per cent of B.C.’s endangered species, including badgers, rattlesnakes, bobolinks (a type of bird) and burrowing owls. The announcement kicks off a 60-day period for the public to comment on the intentions paper, closing Oct. 12, 2015. BC Parks will review the feedback and publicly post a consultation report, along
Hw
Area 1
Osoyoos