One politician questions preserving the environment if it interferes with the public’s ability to earn a living.
The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee has been updated on a sensitive ecosystem inventory, but BX-Swan Lake director Mike Gavinchuk isn’t convinced it’s necessary.
“How will it improve the lifestyle of people here? How will our lifestyle change if we don’t have a badger or a bird in a tree?” he said.
“If my horse breaks its leg because of a badger (hole), the next time I see that badger, it’s dead.”
For Gavinchuk, there is a need for residents to be able to support themselves and their family.
“Development and this stuff clash automatically. It’s nice to have these frills of ecology, but they must be away from people,” he said.
“Is it the goal of environmentalists to turn B.C. into a park so nobody does anything?”
But Vernon director Buffy Baumbrough disagrees strongly with Gavinchuk, saying that natural ecosystems have positive values for local communities.
“Water management and clean air are provided by intact ecosystems,” she said.
“If we lose our raptor species, we could be overrun with rodents which impacts agriculture.”
Baumbrough is convinced that the North Okanagan Regional District should follow Vernon’s lead and incorporate a sensitive ecosystem inventory into its land use plan.
“There needs to be consistency in the whole North Okanagan,” she said.
Mike Macnabb, BX-Silver Star director, suggests that protecting the environment could bolster tourism.
“I have friends down in Texas looking at birds and they are paying thousands of dollars to do it,” he said.
The goals of the Coldstream/Vernon sensitive ecosystem inventory are to conserve high-quality areas, preserve significant wildlife habitat, ensure the long-term existence of all native species, ensure links between core areas and provide buffer zones.
“We are blessed with a huge diversity of ecosystems and organisms,” said Kristi Iverson, a consultant working on the project.
“The most obvious and biggest threat is from urban development and agriculture.”
Among the threatened and endangered animals that call Greater Vernon home are the Great Basin spadefoot, the western rattlesnake, the gopher snake, the western screech owl, the badger and the yellow-breasted chat.
“We want to ensure all of the species in the North Okanagan can continue to perpetuate themselves,” said Iverson.
“There’s a high level of sensitivity within much of the area. Conservation activities are still required.”
Greater Vernon residents approved borrowing $7 million a few years ago for parkland acquisition and of the $5.4 million remaining, about $1.5 million could go towards ecosystems.
“Preserving the land is the best thing we can do but we don’t have the resources to purchase all of the land outright,” said Patrick Nicol, a Vernon director.
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The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee has been updated on a sensitive ecosystem inventory, but BX-Swan Lake director Mike Gavinchuk isn’t convinced it’s necessary.
“How will it improve the lifestyle of people here? How will our lifestyle change if we don’t have a badger or a bird in a tree?” he said.
“If my horse breaks its leg because of a badger (hole), the next time I see that badger, it’s dead.”
For Gavinchuk, there is a need for residents to be able to support themselves and their family.
“Development and this stuff clash automatically. It’s nice to have these frills of ecology, but they must be away from people,” he said.
“Is it the goal of environmentalists to turn B.C. into a park so nobody does anything?”
But Vernon director Buffy Baumbrough disagrees strongly with Gavinchuk, saying that natural ecosystems have positive values for local communities.
“Water management and clean air are provided by intact ecosystems,” she said.
“If we lose our raptor species, we could be overrun with rodents which impacts agriculture.”
Baumbrough is convinced that the North Okanagan Regional District should follow Vernon’s lead and incorporate a sensitive ecosystem inventory into its land use plan.
“There needs to be consistency in the whole North Okanagan,” she said.
Mike Macnabb, BX-Silver Star director, suggests that protecting the environment could bolster tourism.
“I have friends down in Texas looking at birds and they are paying thousands of dollars to do it,” he said.
The goals of the Coldstream/Vernon sensitive ecosystem inventory are to conserve high-quality areas, preserve significant wildlife habitat, ensure the long-term existence of all native species, ensure links between core areas and provide buffer zones.
“We are blessed with a huge diversity of ecosystems and organisms,” said Kristi Iverson, a consultant working on the project.
“The most obvious and biggest threat is from urban development and agriculture.”
Among the threatened and endangered animals that call Greater Vernon home are the Great Basin spadefoot, the western rattlesnake, the gopher snake, the western screech owl, the badger and the yellow-breasted chat.
“We want to ensure all of the species in the North Okanagan can continue to perpetuate themselves,” said Iverson.
“There’s a high level of sensitivity within much of the area. Conservation activities are still required.”
Greater Vernon residents approved borrowing $7 million a few years ago for parkland acquisition and of the $5.4 million remaining, about $1.5 million could go towards ecosystems.
“Preserving the land is the best thing we can do but we don’t have the resources to purchase all of the land outright,” said Patrick Nicol, a Vernon director.
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It appears some dinosaurs have been preserved in the Okanagan!
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