***

The PWPA was recognized at the annual Peachland Civic Awards April 26! More here:

Another event on May 26:

A bit of rain didn’t dampen the spirits of a group of people who gathered for a Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA) rally in support of protecting Old Growth Forests. Similar events were held across the province. They gathered along Highway 97 on the grass in front of the IGA mall, with passing drivers honking and waving.

In the evening, PWPA hosted a town hall meeting at the Historic School.  Taryn Skalbania, a founding member, spoke about the current wildfire situation and showed its connections to current forestry practices.  She made the point that “a diversified forest with aspen, birch, and alders among the evergreens, would help slow down wildfires and make them more manageable.”

Randey Brophy, a current Peachland councillor, newly returned from the UBCM, spoke. “One of the resolutions that we passed was to ask the provincial government for increased funding for fire prevention. It is a mater of time, we’ll have a fire here.  We need to be prepared.”  Discussion followed on the potential nature of a fire break.

Rheanne Krochinsky, PhD Student at UBCO, spoke about governance in community watersheds.  “I hope you’ll come to the first UBCO workshop series on November 17.  Six research teams studying the Peachland Creek Watershed will make presentations and facilitate discussions with the public.”

Jack Gerow, Chair of PWPA, encouraged people to be involved in the protection of watersheds and the forests. Sheila Kerr, a member also associated with the Okanagan Forest Task Force, spoke about garbage in the forests.  PWPA partnered with OKTF in May for a Watershed Cleanup, when 13,000 pounds of garbage was removed.  Sheila described the current project of removing garbage from a spot in the woods at the top of Sanderson Road, where they have removed 14,600 pounds of garbage, and are not yet finished.  “OKTF does this all through the Okanagan, and that spot is the worst we have ever seen.  A big pile of wood remains, and the District of Peachland is going to help by chipping it up and removing it.  We can’t leave that amount of flammable debris in place.”  She also made the point that “people go up there and dump their yard waste.  Besides it being illegal, it helps spread invasive species.”

Alexandra Morrison, award-winning professional photographer, ended the meeting with an invitation to her upcoming iPhone photography clinic on October 22.  This is a PWPA fundraiser, as is the current apple campaign, in partnership with Sun-Oka Fruit Farms in Summerland.  “You can scan the QR code, order online and when the harvest is ready, they will be delivered to Peachland. Check out PWPA’s website.”

Lively conversations filled the room as people enjoyed home baked treats, buttonholed others for more information and gabbed.

Congrats to PWPA founder member and local historian Richard Smith, who won ‘Judges’ Favourite” in the Living Lakes Canada’s biodiversity photo challenge. The organization is devoted to water stewardship – and received more than 600 entries from every province in their annual lakes photo competition. Here’s a link to the winners!

***

This year wasn’t as bad, garbage-wise, said the PWPA afterwards. They attributed that to the early snowfall we got last November – cutting off access to many illegal dumping spots.

An early count had three mattresses, a fridge, dishwasher and stove, two sets of tires, wood stove parts, skeets, abandoned schoolwork, a vehicle exhaust system, and six deer carcasses.

“A huge thank you to our sponsors and partners, OFTF, District of Peachland,Peachland Fire and Rescue Service Regional District of Central Okanagan, ABC Recycling, GFL,Peachland Lions Club, Peachland Rotary,” the PWPA noted in a Facebook post.

The Peachland Lions were there, feeding volunteers. Rotary members helped out too! These photos are from the Lions and PWPA Facebook pages.

People around me were wondering, too: What are they dressed up as / what does this mean?

It’s meant to be ambiguous, says the PWPA’s Judy Wyper. She says the costumes were loaned from a woman in Grindrod.

“They are meant to elicit questions and therefore discussions and speculations.  But, they are blue, and it is World Water Day…”

Some more thoughts from the PWPA on World Water Day:

On the evening of March 23 there was a gathering of people interested in helping to protect the environment.  The Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance presented a free showing of the film, The Memory Of Fish, in the Peachland 50 Plus Centre.

Blue People were milling about.  Popcorn was being crunched, handcrafted owls and quilts by PWPA member Susan Gotfried were being examined, people were connecting, and then K̓ninm̓tm̓ taʔ n̓q̓ʷic̓tn̓s Wilfred “Grouse” Barnes of Westbank First Nation, was introduced.  Grouse is a gentle person but his words pack a punch.  He speaks from the heart, and advised us to “never lose your sense of humour, go with the flow.”  A suitable water image.  “Slow down and analyze and you’ll find the solution.”

Grouse said in his mind there are two kinds of people:  ones who hoard their knowledge, and those who share what they know.  In that light, and being a syilx language keeper, he instructed us in the pronunciation of the syilx name for the monster that lives in Lake Okanagan.  This is n ̓x̌ax̌aitkʷ — pronounced “n-ha-ha-it-koo” — meaning “sacred being of the water.” He then joked and said there’d be a test later.

Grouse encouraged the PWPA by saying he was with us “100% over this water thing.  It boils down to money and big corporations.”

The documentary told the story of Dick Goin, a man who fished and walked the Elhwa River in the Olympic Peninsula and kept copious journals of fish caught, and the declining condition of the river from 1911 when two dams were erected.  There were gasps and cheers several times as his story was told, with old photos of giant king salmon, then evidence of declining fish numbers and river health. In time, the two dams on the river were no longer in use, they had prevented the historical salmon run from proceeding up the Elhwa, and many people were advocating for the Elhwa’s health.  In 2011the preliminary groundwork to remove the relic dams began. In 2014 they were blown up. (The audience cheered.) It took only two weeks for the fish to return.  (More cheers) That’s the memory of fish.

During the post-movie talk, Grouse Barnes spoke of the salmon restoration being done at the Penticton hatchery, where the band schools have projects of growing fingerlings and water ceremonies for the releases.  He expressed “hope for what can be undone” and reminded us that the syilx are “people of the river”, the Columbia River, into which Okanagan Lake drains.  We were also reminded that the syilx water declaration (which the PWPA had posted in the room) gives Okanagan Lake personhood.

Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance is 100% volunteer run, donation supported, and science-based.  We are in the syilx territory and advocate on behalf of water and wildlife in central Okanagan, BC. Peachlandwpa.org

***

The evening of February 23 was a remarkable night in Peachland. Over 90 people attended a screening of Before They Fall at the 50 Plus, sponsored by the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance. We used every chair in the building.The film was produced by Ecologyst, an independent film production company based in Victoria, BC. The topic was ancient BC forests, and focussed on the Fairy Creek protests against logging this last unprotected, intact valley on southern Vancouver Island, on unceded Pacheedaht Territory. Individuals from the ancestral homelands of the Ma’amtagila, Pacheedaht, Ditidaht, Songhees and Esquimalt Peoples spoke of their identification with ancient forests and how their cultures are at one with the land.

Ravaged landscapes following clearcuts were interspersed with scenes of lush west coast rainforests. There was a compelling clip of an indigenous elder confronting a flank of grim RCMP officers. He states that his chief wants to go onto the land and bring his friends with him. What I found so captivating was his patient determination and deliberate choice of wording. We saw protests at the BC legislature, speeches on the steps, people marching and drumming through the forest, others being dragged away by police.

TJ Watt, Dr. Suzanne Simard, Rande Cook, Rainbow Eyes, and Land Defenders at Fairy Creek are featured, and each gives dimension to the issues of protection of the land, the need to preserve ancient ecosystems and biodiversity, and the cultural value of these places.

Cori Derrickson

After the film there was question and answer time with guests Cori Derrickson (Syilx Environmentalist, Artist), Genevieve Daniel (Old Growth Okanagan), Dave Gill (Manager, Ntityx Resources, WFN), with Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance’s Taryn Skalbania as Moderator. It was a gripping evening.

Thanks to the Peachland Ambassadors who worked the kitchen and popcorn machine! Also, thanks to the Peachland Arts Council who loaned us art easels for our visuals, and Susan Gotfried, our member who designed a nature quilt to be our mascot. And lastly, thanks to Dennis Craig our fire chief, who loaned us their projector. It was a community effort.   

PWPA has obtained film rights to The Memory of Fish.  This is a film about a man who works to restore salmon to a threatened river.  Join us at the 50 Plus on March 23 from 7-9.  Doors at 6:30, admission by donation. Here’s a link to our website.

***

Thanks to the PWPA’s Judy Wyper for sending this in!

The Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance held a presentation and book signing of Terry Nelson’s Big Trees of the Inland Temperate Forests of British Columbia. This wasat the Peachland Library on February 11. Terry told of being in silent dark mossy forests full of ancient lichen-bestrewed giant trees. Patches of old growth forest surrounded by clearcuts. A solitary veteran tree standing in a clearcut. Inland forests abounding with biodiversity. Open Okanagan forests, and how he can deal with a grizzly easier than a rattlesnake!

Author Terry Nelson with the PWPA’s Taryn Skalbania

 

One of Terry’s messages was the need to protect old growth forests and keep our Big Trees safe. The BC Special Tree Policy is the only protection for individual old growth trees, with only 45 trees on that list.If a giant tree is in a cut block, it can be cut down.People are lobbying to have more species and sizes of trees included in Special Protection legislation, with an online petition. The UBC Forestry Faculty manages a Big Tree Registry. People send GPS co-ordinates, photos, and measurements to nominate trees. This does not protect the tree, but identifies a veteran tree. The BC government refers to this registry, so the more trees submitted to that, the better it is to help enact protection.

To locate interior forest giants, Terry scoured trail maps, guides, online sites, and received word of mouth information.Last summer he visited Peachland’s Ponderosa Pat, a 400 year old giant close to the Gladstone Trail.He also met with Joe and Jessica Klein at The Homestead, property that was settled in the 1890s and has “an aged Rocky Mountain Juniper,” two centenarian American elms, and a giant Douglas fir.

Terry has documented over 750 trees, and 170 of them are in the book along with maps, databases, glossary, colourful photographs, and biogeoclimatic zone descriptions.

The audience was captivated with the photographs he projected as well as his stories about adventuring across the Kootenays and up to Prince George and all around the interior temperate forests of our province. Terry did some book signing and the chatter in the room showed how passionate and interested people are about protecting trees.

–Judy Wyper, Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance

She’s seen baby eagles perched in a nest, a fawn nestled on the forest floor, even a mountain goat – all through her 400mm lens.

Kari Beharrell is a self-taught photographer who has a simple answer when I ask her what she loves most about taking photos.

“I love animals,” she says.

“That’s how I got into wildlife photography. I talk to them when I’m taking their picture. That’s how they start looking at me, I think they like to listen.”

Thanks to countless hikes over the years, Kari has been able to find and photograph all sorts of animals. And now – mostly because of the encouragement of her daughters, she’s put together a calendar. It’s called Peachland Locals 2022 and every animal was photographed in Peachland, and all except one (the mountain goat) were pictures she took this year. 50% of the proceeds from the $25 calendar are going towards the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance and their efforts.

“I figure I might as well try and support someone else – there’s so much going on with our watershed, and they need help,” says Kari.

I take a couple photos of Kari at the Gladstone trailhead, and as we head back to our cars, she mentions this calendar is kind of a baby step in establishing a bit of a business from her work.

“My daughter is always encouraging me to get out there, so this is my first step,” Kari says.

You can follow her on Instagram at @karileephotography, and her website is coming soon.

Do you want to purchase a calendar? Here’s the link.

What else is new?

Here’s a letter from the PWPA’s Taryn Skalbania:

NOTE – this was written shortly after the Nov 14-15 disaster. For the latest in road closures visit DriveBC

I have to ask BC’s Premier and all MLAs why we continue to clear cut our proven first line of defence against mudslides, floods and climate change?  Will the already subsidized forestry industry pitch in for the collateral damages?  Will the rock bottom stumpage we receive from clear cut salvage logging our crown forests pay for externalities?

All highways to Vancouver are closed. Coquihalla, and Fraser Canyon due to slides. Agassiz Highway 7 has two slides with cars trapped between the slides. The Hope Princeton highway now has a slide and a river across the road near the Hope Slide and there is a power outage in Hope to Eastgate in Manning Park. Hwy 1 west of Hope at Popkum and Bridal Falls has slides. Highway to Revelstoke is closed too! Merritt’s entire water system is going down and residents have been told to avoid using water.

Many areas of the province are already under evacuation orders and alerts, the saturation and atmospheric river continues.

Flooding in Abbotsford so bad that an emergency centre has been opened for evacuees. The Canada Task Force 1 that is sent to countries to help with earthquakes and such is being sent to the Agassiz slide to help.

You know it’s bad when they get sent in.

Peachland endured two massive slides near clear cut logging blocks in 2017 (and many minor ones in 2018), one was substantial enough to prompt the mayor call a state of emergency.

Yet we continue to clear cut and deforest at an alarming rate all our native, built in, free, proven, successful front-line methods of flood and mudslide controls, our forests. We have the science linking forest cover loss to increased hydrological events for some time now.

Maybe time to be more precautionary, climate change is here.

-Taryn Skalbania, Peachland.

***

The PWPA’s annual AGM is taking place Thursday, November 25 from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Little Schoolhouse on Brandon Lane. Guests and new members are welcome, as the previous year is reviewed, committees are formed and a new board is elected. There will also be a guest speaker – Thomas Martin is a BC Wildfire project manager and consultant. There will be a question and answer session, and you can enjoy some coffee and cookies! If you’d like more info, email peachlandwpa@gmail.com, or call (250) 767-6456.

***

Did you make it to the Haunted Pier this Halloween? PWPA volunteers did a great job making their section of pier as scary as possible!

***

On June 24, a socially-distanced group of 35 – and others who joined in a Facebook livestream, learned about the experience of Aaron Sumexhelta. He’s a councillor with the Lower Nicola Indian Band and a lawyer who successfully prevented biosolids processing in Merritt. The PWPA organized the indoor / outdoor meeting at Peachland’s little schoolhouse  to “initiate a community-driven conversation” about the proposal from Brenda Renewables. (You can read about that here.)

I asked the PWPA’s Taryn Skalbania – how did the evening go?

Very well, she said in an email:

“Aaron is a great speaker, we just opened up conversation and dialogue and reminded residents that again the province is dictating what happens in our watershed without any input from us,  and VERY little even to council.”

She said councillor Terry Condon was in attendance, and it’s hoped that the Healthy Watersheds group, which is a committee of council, will be able to hear more from Brenda Renewables, the company behind the project. The PWPA wants in on any future meetings, too.

Skalbania said they had a videographer recording the meeting, and that will be posted soon on the PWPA’s website and Facebook page.

***

Here’s a press release sent before the presentation, from the PWPA:

At its May 25, 2021 Council Meeting, the District of Peachland Mayor and Council must have felt a strong sense of déjà vu.  They were presented with a proposal yet again for the disposal of “bio solids” (sewage treatment plant sludge containing among other things human feces) in Peachland’s watershed.

A similar proposal was brought forward in 2013 and ultimately rejected by Interior Health (IH) who were not convinced Peachland’s drinking water would be unaffected.

Now, the twist in 2021 is that the proponents want to construct a processing facility there, to render the poop slurry into compost first, then spread it on the land around the mine site.

This may be a good idea, or it may be a crappy one. The Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA) is intent on finding out. Since the proponents have provided nothing more than glowing statements of assurance that our drinking water will not be contaminated or polluted, we just don’t know.

In the absence of facts, data, and research to prove the proponent’s assertion that our water and water source are safe from leachate and contamination, are the residents of Peachland expected to just trust the fancy PowerPoint presentations?

PWPA believes Peachland needs more information, including research reports, submissions to the government with respect to environmental licenses, and meaningful community consultation about what exactly is proposed, what are the risks to the drinking water supply, and how those risks will be mitigated.

***

The PWPA hosted a tree planting party on Saturday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Native Ponderosa Pine seedlings were provided by the PWPA .

A few facts about Ponderosas: They secure shade, hold soil, provide homes for local birds and insects – and they can live to be 400 years old!

***

Dozens of volunteers cleaned up cars, bullet casings and all kinds of junk up in the woods above Peachland. On May 8, The PWPA, the Peachland Sportsmen’s Association, the District of Peachland, Westbank First Nation, the RDCO and others participated in a big community cleanup. Here’s some of what they found:

Here’s a bit from the press release:

A continual problem throughout the Okanagan, illegal dumping is especially frustrating for Peachland because the creeks in the ravines that illicit dumpers prefer for disposing of their vehicles and junk, are the source of the community’s drinking water. Gasoline, motor oil, and other hazardous materials leaking from dumped vehicles and other trash can easily end up in the water supply.

“Despite this area being designated as a community watershed, the area is outside the jurisdiction of the District of Peachland. The result is little can be done to prevent illegal dumping or to catch the offenders,” says Jack Gerow , PWPA Chair.

“A community cleanup can mobilize a significant number of motivated volunteers who can get a lot done in a short amount of time. It’s not the best solution, but for now it’s all we have available to protect our watershed. A big shout-out goes to all the volunteers who gave their time to this worthwhile effort.”

By the end of the day, volunteers, with help from by BC Conservation Officer Service, GFL Waste, Tolko, and ACE Recycling, collected 8.3 tonnes of scrap metal in the form of abandoned vehicles, and filled a 40 cu. yd. dumpster. It may sound like a lot of trash was collected, but sadly the volunteers located more dumped vehicles and garbage than the containers could hold. PWPA, along with Kane Blake of OFTF and Andre Bohemier of ABC Recycling are planning a fall cleanup with all our community partners to continue the efforts to clean up the watershed.

****

With more than 30 years’ experience in the forestry industry, Herb Hammond had lots to share on Earth Day, April 22. He’s a registered professional forester and ecologist and on Zoom, he spoke about Peachland’s watershed – and its decline.

***

The demonstration, just getting underway March 19.

Socially-distanced supporters of all ages waved, beat drums and walked with signs during Peachland’s Forest March. A few words from PWPA communications chairperson Alex Morrison, on the March 19 walk to demand more equal and sustainable forestry management in BC:

“Peachland’s fresh water supply is under threat by numerous industrial activities including clear-cut logging in the watershed. And with spring floods on Okanagan lake becoming a regular event as a result of these logging practices, PWPA is demonstrating to our provincial government that they are failing Peachland and other similar communities across BC,” Morrison says. A total of 29 communities took part in the event, whether it was a walk, or virtually.

March 19 is considered a day of action where people across the province will unite in support of reforming BC’s forestry legislation. The province-wide action is intended to show solidarity across communities who are demanding for equitable and sustainable forest management in BC.  

Forest March BC in its third year, is the movement responsible for coordinating this effort across BC. “Our goal is to unite communities across BC to push for equitable, nature-based, and community-first approaches to forestry management with a primary goal of driving long-term sustainable value for both communities and the land,” says Forest March BC spokesperson Hania Peper.

***

The PWPA Board of Directors wrote this March 8 in response to a recent media release from the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB).

It seems to suggest that the OBWB has lost confidence in the ‘control nature’ worldview and is now advocating a ‘work with nature’ worldview in the floodplain of the Okanagan Valley.

The video accompanying their media release also appears to say the traditional engineering solution of constraining meandering streams into straight channels is no longer working.

This change in direction is also needed for “managing” forests in the watersheds of the Valley, to help control flooding, especially in this time climate change.

Yet, there is not a word in OBWB’s statement, about the hydrological effects of clear-cut logging in the higher Okanagan snow zone.  More frequent, longer, and more severe flooding, extreme run-off, boil water advisories and ensuing droughts have all been attributed to clear-cuts.

Registered Professional Forester (RPF) and ecologist, Herb Hammond who has studied Peachland’s watershed extensively, says that preserving the forest-cover of Okanagan watersheds is integral to mitigating spring floods. “It’s even more critical, in those kinds of watersheds, to maintain cover to maintain late season flow, otherwise you go from spring floods to fall droughts and that’s becoming an increasing occurrence” says Hammond.

By neglecting to identify the role of clear-cut logging in watersheds, the OBWB is asking the Government of BC to remedy only the symptoms of poor ecological management. They are not demanding ways to tackle the root causes of flooding in the Okanagan Valley. Climate change will make things worse but lowering lake levels is just a band-aid for the larger issue.  If the OBWB is sincere in requesting a review of how the Ministry of Forests Lands Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development manages Okanagan lake levels, they should start by addressing the volume of clear-cut logging operations permitted throughout the basin.

PWPA believes it’s time the OBWB champions source water protection in a meaningful way. There is no such thing as sustainable clear cut logging in a community watershed. This is why Vancouver and Victoria have worked to keep their watersheds protected against all industrial activities.

-Board of Directors, The Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance.

***

The PWPA recently announced one of its own has been appointed to the District of Peachland’s Healthy Watersheds Committee (HWC). Here’s a press release from PWPA communications chair Alex Morrison:

“Taryn brings deep subject matter knowledge to the HWC. Her connections to the grassroots watershed protection community in BC, coupled with experience working with logging licensees, Indigenous communities and provincial government representatives, make her the clear choice to represent PWPA as an advocate for Peachland’s watershed.

The HWC mission is to provide advice and support to Council and staff on matters affecting the water quality and quantity in the Peachland Creek and Trepanier Creek watersheds. It is an important mandate, as Peachland watersheds are recognized across in the Okanagan Valley and beyond as being highly impacted by industrial and commercial activities such as clear-cut logging, mining, and range cattle. PWPA welcomes the District’s initiative in striking this committee. PWPA values its new role as an advisor and supporter of the District’s water protection mandate.

“I am honoured to represent PWPA at our District’s watershed table,” says Taryn Skalbania. ”As a grass roots organization, our momentum comes from the people in our community. Now with our participation on the HWC, the voice of the District of Peachland will be amplified by the additional support of our members and provincial networks in protecting our watersheds.”

“Our watershed is a life-sustaining foundation for this community,” says Jack Gerow, PWPA Chair. “Without safe and sufficient water there would be no Peachland. But it’s not just water quality that’s affected. It is also the amount of water available and the timing of the flow to replenish the reservoirs for drinking water, as well as irrigation for our orchards, vineyards and farms. An informed and active HWC is a vital component in the struggle to protect our watersheds.”

Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA) is a non-profit grassroots community organization with a mission to protect Peachland’s watersheds. Organized in 2016 by a group of Peachland residents who were dismayed by the repeated boil water advisories, loss of forest habitat and recreational opportunities caused by extractive industries in the watershed. PWPA has grown as water impacts have increased, and the community bears the costs of mitigating the effects of industrial and commercial degradation of the land.”

***

There was a scavenger hunt and there was bingo, but first there was the business of the PWPA’s annual AGM and it was a productive one. 2020 wasn’t the most active year, but all 21 attendees at the Jan 28 Zoom meeting agreed on the importance of keeping everyone engaged. Thanks to Alison Moore for running such a well-organized meeting. The 2021 budget was passed and members also voted in a new board of directors. Here they are!

Chairperson: Jack Gerow

Treasurer: Val McGillivray

Secretary: Virginia Schmidt

Other board members are Patricia Dunn, Lee Humphries, Alex Morrison, Taryn Skalbania, Dora Stewart and Cory Sutton.

***

A couple upcoming events..

On Feb 25, Michelle Connolly, a scientist from Conservation North will host a free online presentation on mapping technology. What does this mean for the watershed? She has a background in communicating conservation policy, so it should be an informative session!

Did you know March 21 is the International Day of Forests? Stay tuned for more info on that. You can also check out the PWPA website or email peachlandwpa@gmail.com

A little more about the PWPA:

From clean-up activities and watershed field trips, educational opportunities and advocacy, the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance is a volunteer-driven group concerned about logging, unregulated recreation activities and other threats to the environment that’s home to our drinking water. One of their aims is to bring more attention to the lack of influence smaller communities have over those activities in their surrounding watersheds.  

According to their website, the alliance “encourages the adaption of site sensitive, ecologically-based forestry practices in the public forests located in Peachland’s watersheds.”

There’s resources and other info on the PWPA website, or you can check them out on Facebook or Instagram

Related stories:

Peachland’s water treatment plant – a series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3