Redstreak Mountain prescribed fire, Sep 29

Parks Canada set to begin Redstreak Mountain prescribed fire in Kootenay National Park.

by Parks Canada.

Weather permitting, Parks Canada will begin operational activities for the Redstreak Mountain prescribed fire in Kootenay National Park in the coming days. The burn area, which is 235 hectares in size, is approximately 5 kilometres east of Radium Hot Springs. [Read more]

BC Gov withholds Flathead details

BC Government conceals Flathead documents as World Heritage mission begins.

The BC government is concealing documents related to its approval of Max Resource Corp.’s (TSX.V: MXR) gold mining exploration this fall in the ecologically-sensitive Flathead River Valley, environmental groups said today.

On Friday September 18, Ecojustice and other groups were informed by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources that relevant documents could only be accessed through a Freedom of Information request. The Ministry’s position runs counter to government policy indicating that that such documents should be made immediately available as “routinely releasable”.

“If the BC governme nt can assure us there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to mining exploration in the Flathead River Valley, then why can’t we see the documents associated with the project?” said Randy Christensen, a lawyer with Ecojustice. [Read more]

Little red fish flock to our creeks

If you go down to some of our local creeks, streams and rivers, you may experience an exciting event, the Salmon Run. The unique Kokanee Salmon return to their birthplace every year from September to December to complete their life cycle. The Kokanee Salmon run attracts visitors from all over, including bears and eagles. [Read more]

BC ignores sustainability for Flathead mining

BC government allows new Flathead mining exploration as World Heritage mission will visit next week to investigate threats to adjacent Peace Park.

The BC government, despite repeated assurances that there is no mining in the Flathead River Valley, has given the green light for new gold exploration to begin this fall, three BC conservation groups revealed today. [Read more]

BC pays to pull weeds

Project fights invasive plants, creates jobs.

Workers in more than 20 communities throughout British Columbia will benefit from $1.5 million for a provincewide invasive plant species project, announced Bill Bennett, Minister of Community and Rural Development. The project will create short-term jobs for 50 to 100 unemployed resource workers through the Job Opportunities Program.

“The Job Opportunities Program is about creating immediate employment opportunities for displaced resource workers,” said Bennett. “It’s one of the ways the Province is taking action to support resource-dependent communities at a time when every job counts.” [Read more]

Lakeshore cleanup day

Sept 19, Invermere –

Pitch-in for a healthy Lake Windermere — Lake Windermere Project organizes 14th annual lakeshore cleanup.

Wildsight, a leading force for conservation in Canada’s Columbia and Southern Rocky Mountains, invites area residents to lend a helping hand with this year’s Lake Windermere Shoreline Cleanup. [Read more]

Aquatic plants are not just weeds

To many people, the term aquatic plant is synonymous with “weed”, but nothing could be further from the truth. Aquatic plants are a natural and important part of the aquatic ecosystem, forming the basis of all food webs. [Read more]

Lake stewardship conference

Registration by August 7 –

Love your lake? Don’t miss this upcoming region-wide lakekeepers workshop, a “how-to” for stewards.

People who love lakes will learn how to be good stewards of them at a LakeKeepers workshop this August. Hosted by the Lake Windermere Project and the B.C. Lake Stewardship Society, the workshop will be comprehensive, enjoyable and interesting. It will take place on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, 2009, at Lake Windermere.

“It’s for anyone who wants to form or join a lake stewardship group,” said Heather Leschied, of Wildsight’s Lake Windermere Project. “It’s a ‘how-to’ on water monitoring that will give people the tools to manage their lake’s specific needs, because each lake is different.” [Read more]

Renovate your retaining wall

In the continuing quest to maintain a neat and tidy shoreline, many waterfront owners remove important shoreline vegetation, which inevitably leads to the problem of erosion eating away at their property.

Many people then install a retaining wall.

Retaining walls have long been a fixture on many shorelines in B.C., especially Lake Windermere. The misguided belief is that the wall will solve the erosion problems, while creating more space for lawn. What many property owners don’t realize is that the construction and maintenance of a retaining wall on their shoreline wrecks havoc on the lake’s biological processes and aquatic life. Retaining walls can actually contribute to shoreline erosion and can make problems worse over time. They interfere with natural lake processes by altering currents along the shoreline, causing waves to slam against the vertical wall. [Read more]

Lake Windermere management plan – public consultation

July 20, Windermere –

In an effort to manage the lake to address the public’s concerns, the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) has initiated the Lake Windermere Management Plan. Public consultaton is critical to this process, since a management plan for the lake will be more successful if property owners and lake users support the recommendations.

• “We can’t use the lake the way we used to.”
• “Our family worries about the quality of the lake.”
• “The lake is our asset for the future.”

The comments above are typical of public input regarding Lake Windermere. [Read more]