Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Wood Waste Disposal Continues and other items

Free Wood Waste Disposal at the Gold Bridge Transfer StationThe Bridge River Valley Firesmart committee has given the appropriate disposal of wood waste top prioritiy. 

There are two ways to properly dispose of wood waste from your property:   1) dispose of it on your property or now 2) take it to the Transfer Station on Sunday November 11.

Taking your wood waste and putting it on piles around Gun Lake, or along roadsides, or on piles at Gold Bridge or any other place other than the Transfer Station, aside from being illegal, is creating a fire hazard.
Additional fire hazards like this our area Does Not Need!!!  There is noone going to come along behind You to take care of these piles of wood.  So please either dispose of the wood waste on your property or take it to the Transfer Station - free.  This Sunday will complete the Pilot Project and the SLRD will assess for continuance next year.

In partnership with the SLRD and MOF, the piles that have been created everywhere will be burnt this one time only and signs and other forms of protection will be installed.

Please respect this important priority and help keep our properties safe from wildfire.

CanBio to hold workshop on bioenergy for rural and remote communities

 

The Canadian Bioenergy Assocation (CanBio) will be presenting a workshop entitled Energy Independence for Rural and Remote Communities, in partnership with the University of Northern British Columbia. The workshop will take place from 1 – 4:30 pm on November 27, 2012 in Vancouver BC.

This would be a very possible direction for Area A.  As I have a budget meeting I cannot attend.  I am looking for someone who is also interested in the topic who could attend and relay back - in detail - what they learn.  I will find funding for the registration fee and travel (if necessary).  Please let me know if you are interested and can attend.

Remote and rural Canadian communities face immense challenges when it comes to meeting their energy needs. “Energy security is perhaps the most critical issue facing rural, remote, and in particular Aboriginal communities in Canada,” explains JP Gladu, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. With natural gas service being virtually non-existent, the vast-majority of these communities are dependent on dirtier and more expensive fossil fuels such as diesel and propane, at a huge cost to local residents and Canadian taxpayers, not to mention the environment. In fact, many communities have to have diesel flown in when supplies run short and are under constant pressure to ensure stocks remain available.

Meanwhile, a clean, sustainable, and readily available source of energy and economic growth sits largely unused in the backyards of many rural and remote communities across the country. “Biomass can play a key role in dealing with the energy issue, but it can also be a source of significant economic growth for these communities,” explains Gladu, who will speak at the workshop about the economic development potential of sustainable biomass utilization.

Other topics that will be covered include: the advantages of biomass utilization; system design, implementation, and maintenance; feedstock and supply chain issues; and food security. Relevant case studies will also be presented.

Communities and other key stakeholders are encouraged to attend Energy Independence for Rural and Remote Communities, which is being held as part of CanBio’s 2012 Annual National Conference and Trade Show, taking place on November 27-28 in Vancouver BC. For more information, including details on how to register, visit http://www.canbio.ca/article/2012-annual-national-conference-and-trade-show-355.asp.

Our favorite topic:  The Hurley :-)
I have been in steady communication with the Ministry official responsible for the Hurley Road on the Pemberton side of the summit. 

As many of you may have notice the road from the Lillooet FSR up to the bridge where the Squamish Forest District sign is was graded shortly after Thanksgiving.  They put a much larger and slightly different machine on it with an experienced operator.  You can definitely see and FEEL (yahoo) the difference.

Unfortunately,  the piece from that bridge, up around the corner where the Tenquile Lake/Old Hurley joins and up the next piece towards the summit is nasty.  When I saw it had not been graded (again) I gave the official a call and it seems as if there is some confusion as to where their piece ends and this is why it hasn't been done.  He is going to liase with MOT to get this clarified.   The change over is actually at km21 from junction with Lillooet FSR.    If any of you are coming up that way in the next day or so can you take a picture where the yellow ribbons are on the right hand side, looking down and email it to me at demare87@gmail.com.

The official is now saying that the road should be graded 3 times next year and might I tell him appropriate dates:-)  I won't have any problem with that!!!!!  

Hopefully we are making some progress, through steady and pleasant (lol) communication, at least on that piece of the Hurley Rd.

Woodstove Exchange Program Extended

Just wanted to write to let you all know that the Wood Stove Exchange Program for Area A and B has been extended until February 28th, 2013.