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Another important layer of protection
The BC Ministry of the Environment and Wildsight have jointly asked the federal government for a 20 horsepower limit for boats on the main channel of the upper Columbia River and its tributaries, from Fairmont Hot Springs to Donald (excluding Lake Windermere).
This boating restriction, the final part of a three-part regulation, aims to minimize threats to the Columbia Wetland ecosystem and enhance public safety.
The first two parts of the regulation were passed in 2009, banning motor vessels from the wetland portion of the Columbia Wetland Wildlife Management Area and eliminating waterskiing and wake-boarding from the main channel of the upper Columbia River.
“This represents 16 years of effort from a broad spectrum of stakeholders. We are so gratified that this final regulation will be brought into force for one of Canada’s great ecological treasures,” said Ellen Zimmerman, Wildsight’s Columbia Wetlands program manager for over 20 years.
The Columbia Wetlands are the source of the largest river flowing into the Pacific Ocean in North America—the mighty Columbia. The rich ecosystem forms the life support system for hundreds of thousands of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Without regulation, there would likely be habitat degradation and negative impacts on nesting waterfowl, like the great blue heron, species extremely sensitive to even minor disturbance.
“This regulation will add another important layer of long-term protection for the Columbia Wetlands ecosystem,” said Robyn Duncan, Executive Director of Wildsight. “We must act now to keep this wild legacy intact into the future. We encourage everyone who cherishes the upper Columbia River and Wetlands to send in their comments in support of this regulation.”
Details about the regulation, as well as a thorough analysis of the issues and background, can be found in the Canada Gazette.
More information about the Columbia Wetlands and the public comment opportunity can be found at wildsight.ca/columbiawetlands.
Lead image: Columbia River Wetlands north of Invermere. Photo by Pat Morrow
Wildsight
