Complete go to Foreshore page August 2011

Environmental Initiatives Program Interim Report.

FIELD WORK

Work commenced in August 2010 with biologists from Department of Fisheries (DFO), Ministry of Environment (MoE) and Canadiaqn Columbia River Inter-tribal Commission (CCRIFC) moving around the lake recording the nature of the foreshore and riparian areas. Underwater studies were also completed to gain a knowledge of the wildlife and its habitat in the lake. These records were then tabulated as an inventory and standardised to compare the nature of the ecosystems seen against those other local lakes similarly studied.

CONSULTANT WORK

In December a request for proposals was sent out to three environmental consultants for costs to produce a report on the standardised results of the Foreshore Inventory Mapping excersize completed in September 2010. This report to include an aquatic habitat index and lake specific foreshore development and management guidelines.

In late December Ecoscape Environmental Consultants were selected on the basis of merit and cost to do the necessary work and to produce a draft report in March 2011. All available information on the lake was sent to the consultant in the course of January, including the recently completed Jimsmith Lake Baseline Assessment.,

At the time of writing this work is proceeding apace with the expectation of a first draft in March. After some publicity in the newspaper there will be a public meeting to discuss the ramifications of the proposed guidelines. A second draft will incorporate suggestions from the public meeting and then the final copy is scheduled for June 2011. Members of EKILMP will attend the public meeting.

BUDGET

Payment of outside consultants and printing of hardcopy reports will use the entire CBT grant of $12450. All other costs in the budget are in kind contributions