Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Proposed Motorized Vehicle Closures - Shulaps (and more).

Proposed Motorized Vehicle Closures - Shulaps

 UPDATE: Public Engagement Websites Now Live:

 Shulaps:


Cayoosh:

http://apps.nrs.gov.bc.ca/pub/ahte/hunting/cayoosh-alpine-motor-vehicle-closure


UPDATE - November 20.  Bridge River Lillooet News Article -Click Here: Ministry Criticized


      UPDATE - November 18.  I have followed up with the Ministry and the public engagement for these proposed closure is not yet ready, although it sounds like it is getting closer.  I have this "bookmarked" folks and will follow up again in a week or so.

UPDATE - October 26.  Thanks to the MLA's office & the Ministry officials, the process here I think a bit clearer.  Apparently there will be a public engagement website up by November 15.
      Which means a November 1 deadline really isn't applicable.   The Ministry had send out notifications to stakeholders (clubs etc) first.  I have provided my suggestions that it might be better to establish the public website first and then send out letters to stakeholders.  I have also suggested going forward, the Ministry may want to use the Regional Districts as a sustainable, up to date way to get in touch with local areas such as ours. By necessity their contacts are generally up to date and at a minimum they can forward to Electoral Area Directors & Municipalities.   I will stay in touch everyone.

UPDATE:  The Ministry has extended the timeframe for comments to November 1.  They are working on a weblink however for now comment may be emailed to Frances.Iredale@gov.bc.ca.

     The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is seeking input  with respect to proposed Alpine Motor Vehicle Wildlife Act closures within the Cayoosh and Shulaps Mountain Range. These closures will apply to all motorized vehicles. Under the Wildlife Act Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation a motor vehicle is defined as:
     motor vehicle" means a device in, on or by which a person or thing is being or may be transported or drawn, and which is designed to be self-propelled, and includes an atv or snowmobile, but does not include
     (a) a device designed to be moved by human, animal or wind power,
     (b) a device designed to be used exclusively on stationary rails or stationary tracks, or
     (c) a boat propelled by motorized power;

     These closures will apply year round at the 1,920 meter elevation (approximately 6,300 feet). These closures are identical to adjacent existing closures under the Wildlife Act such as Nine Mile, Hogback Mountain.

     More information on existing closures under the Wildlife Act Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation can be found here: http://www.bclaws.ca/Recon/document/ID/freeside/474756515

     These closures are required to protect and conserve important alpine habitat and regionally important wildlife. Please refer to the table below that outlines wildlife values these closures will conserve and protect.

Species or Habitat
Conservation Status
Value
Wildlife Act Closure
Grizzly Bear
Threatened Population
Spring Habitat, Whitebark pine
Shulaps , Cayoosh
Mountain Goat
Species of concern
Winter and Kidding Habitats
Cayoosh, Shulaps
California Sheep
Species of concern
Alpine Winter Habitat
Shulaps
Whitebark Pine
Threatened species of concern
Important fall food for Grizzly bear
Shulaps, Cayoosh
Mule Deer
Secure not at risk
Summer foraging habitat
Shulaps, Cayoosh
Wolverine
Species of concern
Denning habitat
Shulaps, Cayoosh

      The map below can be used as reference that will assist you with respect to providing any comments that you may have. 

     You have to Friday October 23rd, 2015. For your respective club members you can also comment through the hunting and trapping public advisory website: http://apps.nrs.gov.bc.ca/pub/ahte/  Proposed regulations will be posted here shortly.

     You can also email saldemare@gmail.com comments (he is the BRVCA Trails Committee chair) or myself.






























Interesting Bridge River Valley Statistics

Bridge River Valley Only
     Full-time residents - 224 per 2011 census

     Estimated part-time residents - 1,783 (#of residential folios with a non-BRV mailing address x         average family size in BC per census)

     Ratio of part-time property owners: full-time residents: 8:1

Bridge River Valley vs. Entire SLRD
The BRV has less than 1% of the full-time resident population of the SLRD

But has 36% of the total number of property folios and 28% of all folio value

Expenses allocated to the BRV represent 4.2% of the SLRD budget


2016 Fire Smart Program

The 2016  FireSmart grant program provides funding to local governments and First Nations in BC to support residents to undertake FireSmart planning activities for private lands, as identified by Partners in Protection through the FireSmart Communities Program, and/or to develop or advance local planning efforts to mitigate risk from wildfire on private lands in the wildland urban interface.

The intent of the 2016 FireSmart grant program is to enable First Nations or resident or community groups within a local government to take the required actions in order to achieve and/or maintain FireSmart Community Recognition status from Partners in Protection.

The SLRD has access to a grant of $10,000 total and we are applying for it for 2016.  The four electoral areas have not yet figured out how to divide this up between us.  I am asking you as property owners to put your thinking caps on and let me know how this funding should be used to assist in getting our private properties Fire Smarted.

What is the Fire Smart Program:  https://www.firesmartcanada.ca/what-is-firesmart

What are your ideas for how best to utilize these funds?  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LS3PLLF