Photo by Dianne Bersea
Civil Lawsuit Filed in Penticton Law Courts – Edwards Pond Land Damage
SILT has filed a civil lawsuit in the Penticton Law Courts for a motorized vehicle trespass and the destruction of a wildlife tree on SILT’s Edwards Pond conservation property near Grand Forks.
Read the full story on Castanet:
Land trusts are not in the business of confrontation, but they have a responsibility to protect lands which the public have donated funds to purchase for conservation of wildlife habitat.
Protecting habitat for conservation is a public promise that extends well beyond the simple purchase of the land. SILT commits to defending biodiversity forever but needs your help to safeguard the properties and their values for all time. Conserving biodiversity is not a liability, it is a responsibility we all share. Your donations will help SILT to better protect the lands we hold, and to purchase more lands so we may all enjoy wildlife, and all living things, forever.
Land earmarked for donation during ecological bus tour near Osoyoos
A neighbour plans to donate 14-acre parcel beside Southern Interior Land Trust’s Bourguiba Spring property
A six-hectare (14-acre) parcel of pristine sage and bunchgrass hillside near Osoyoos has been committed to the Southern Interior Land Trust (SILT) while on their first ever bus tour of the land trust properties on Saturday, Oct. 14.
One of the three stops during the bus tour was at the 16.6-hectare (41-acre) Bourguiba Spring property, purchased just last year with the support of dozens of donors from around the province. It was at this stop that Steinar Johnsen, owner of an adjacent property announced the commitment of land.
The Bourguiba Spring property on Highway 3, is three kilometres southeast of Osoyoos.
Johnsen explained that he has always turned to nature to “recharge his batteries” and he hopes his four new neighbours on the property he just subdivided and is building his home on, will feel as passionately as he about conservation of natural areas.
SILT president Judie Steeves thanked Johnsen for the donation of land.
“It takes a commitment from each of us to ensure habitat for wildlife is conserved for all time. Everyone needs to give what they can, whether it be time and energy, financial support, or gifts of skills or natural land features. Otherwise, our children’s children won’t know the wildflowers and creatures which have brought us joy during our lives,” said Steeves.
From bighorn sheep to endangered bird and insect species, the property is considered very good quality habitat confirms biologist Jason Jones of EcoLogic Consultants. He has been working on a University of Guelph invertebrates study on the Bourguiba Spring property this past summer. He figures he collected six million insects from the property for the survey.
During his time there he says one day he counted 27 rattlesnakes in just a 15-minute hike and there are more than 80 bird species and three dozen butterfly species, including the endangered Behr’s Hairstreak butterfly, which relies entirely on Antelope Brush for its existence.
Ecologist Don Gayton, who provided interpretive information for the tour guests, noted that the bluebunch wheatgrass that populates the rocky hillsides of the property are a great carbon capture mechanism due to their vast network of roots.
Those along on the day-long bus tour included representatives of the B.C. Conservation Foundation, the RDOS, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, local naturalists’ clubs, and other donors to SILT’s work.
The first stop was to the R.E. Taylor property in Olalla, a 4.9-hectare (12-acre) intact wetland of mature water birch and cottonwoods on Keremeos Creek that is habitat for such endangered species as the Yellow-breasted Chat.
Next was a visit to restoration of Ginty’s Pond in Cawston where B.C. Wildlife Federation staff and volunteers were working with members of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band and SILT to re-vegetate the margins of the pond to enhance the habitat for aquatic species such as the Painted Turtle and a variety of waterfowl. It is a 6.3-hectare (15.5-acre) former oxbow of the Similkameen River.
All of SILT’s properties are open to the public for non-motorized use and enjoyment without endangering natural features.
The tour wound up with a wine-tasting courtesy of Hester Creek Winery where SILT board member and marketing manager for the winery, Bruce Hibbard provided a tour of the crush pad and barrel room.
Grasslands Restoration Begins with Young People
Seeing the patch of black mud is a jolt in a rolling sea of new spring green on the hills north of Grand Forks—the damage caused by a vehicle driving off into the grasslands recently purchased by the Southern Interior Land Trust to conserve habitat.
But on Earth Day, Apr. 22, a group of students from Perley Elementary School accepted seedling trees, a small shovel and detailed instruction from Interfor professionals, then went off into the damaged areas to take on the responsibility of restoration.
Both silviculture supervisor Jamie Hibberson and environment and land use superintendent Randy Waterous of Interfor organized the day and not only helped the students out in their task, but rewarded them with hotdogs for lunch.
Tramping through muddy areas where tires had churned up the budding wildflowers and fresh grasses, the grade six and seven class of Sarah Mace spread out with their shovels and yellow pine seedlings and worked all morning.
In all, they planted nearly 300 seedling trees with the intention of returning often in the future to watch them grow and provide shade for Chocolate Lilies and Arnica, and habitat for the wide variety of birds which call this grassland home. Mature trees, even once they die and begin to decay, provide vital homes, shelter and foraging for more than 70 species of birds and wildlife, insects, fungi, mosses and lichens
“It was an inspiring day, to watch all these young people talking to their little trees and encouraging them to be happy,” commented SILT president Judie Steeves, with a grin, adding, “They really seemed to take their job seriously and realize restoring the land to its natural habitat is important.”
If further vandalism to this land is prevented, the little trees will grow tall and strong and anchor the land from melting snow, which today is flowing down the fresh tire ruts and down the track, eroding the earth and carrying it away down the hill.
In 2020, SILT bought this 109-hectare parcel of open bunchgrass with thickets of aspen and hawthorn, District Lot 492, to conserve it for a herd of bighorn sheep and the deer who are desperate for the late winter flush of green provided here.
It was found that rattlesnakes, gopher snakes, spadefoot toads, tiger salamander and badger also make this home, as well as a great variety of birds, some endangered.
The purchase was a joint effort of the family of the late Walter Mehmal; the B.C. Conservation Foundation Land for Wildlife Fund; the Brandow family; the Wild Sheep Society of B.C., the Grand Forks Wildlife Association and other donors and SILT supporters.
Later that year, an additional 35 hectares of an adjacent property, Lot A of DL 493, also at the end of Morissey Creek Road, was purchased for the same reasons, and with some of the same support, with the addition of Tom and Jeninfer Foss and the Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta, The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund and the Government of Canada through its Natural Heritage Conservation Program.
Both acreages are open to enjoyment by the public, for hiking, birdwatching, picnics, photography and other recreational pursuits, but the use of motorized vehicles on either property is illegal.
“Our hope is that our Grand Forks Grasslands will continue to provide healthy, natural wildlife habitat forever,” Steeves added.
Tuc-el-nuit Lake Shoreline Assessment Reports
Shoreline property owners on Tuc-el-nuit Lake near Oliver can now download their free Love Your Lake shoreline assessment reports, with property-specific suggestions on how to protect water quality and lake health.