spare empty

This is a more complete description of "About me".

I moved here 20 years ago to get away from the cold winters and limited growing season in Prince George. I wanted to have a nice garden and begin an orchard along the line of permaculture as described by Bill Mollison and Masanobu Fukuoka. Now, even after all this time these are still my goals but, unfortunately, I remain am a long way away from any orchard and am still struggling to get a garden.

Local environmental/conservation issues have taken a lot of my time. I did not go looking for these but, when they presented themselves, I did not ignore them either. All of this was volunteer work, sometimes with others and sometimes alone. All of these issues are related to trying to get protection for water. I made a list which is below. I am surprised when I read this. I never imagined when I moved here there would be so many problems and that it would take so much of my time. Maybe this is why I am still a long way off from having a decent garden and a permaculture food forest.

All of this began just a few months after I moved here when my neighbour came over and said, “You have to write a letter. Salmon Arm is trying to take our water.” I had a water licence on the creek so I started to gather information. I met with the administrator in Salmon Arm, exchanges letters, and on and on and went through 4 hearings with Water Management, 3 written and 1 oral. I sent my submissions by fax from the feed store at Sure Crop Feeds. I made presentations to Salmon Arm Council. I wrote letters to the editor in the local newspapers. And more, and more, and more. It continues.

ISSUES	WHEN
Planned dam in the Larch Hills above the Mara Meadows Ecological Reserve and over top of many ski trails. Four hearings with Water Management and Salmon Arm. http://www.eab.gov.bc.ca/water/98wat10a.pdf Request for costs report http://www.eab.gov.bc.ca/water/98wat10b.htm Initiated restoration of Violet Creek from illegal diversion.	1995 -1998
Boating restrictions for the Shuswap River, applications and appeal to Canadian Coast Guard.	1994 -1995
The first BC Rivers’s Day on the Shuswap River and assistance with future ones – river inhabitant survey, raffle for BC Heritage River posters, posters and display table of water and wildlife information.	September 1994
Incineration plan for all the old latex paint at North Enderby Timber mill. Complaint to Ombudsman about public notification of test burn.	1994?
Regulations needed for steep slope logging on private land, presentation to Regional District, article in newspaper and letter to editor.	1995 summer
Land and Resource Management Plan for Shuswap Okanagan table member for conservation. Violet Creek Provincial Park established.	1995 - 1999
Complaint to the Forest Practices Board for protection of water from logging next to the Mara Meadows Ecological Reserve. Full report http://www.fpb.gov.bc.ca/IRC96_Approval_of_Harvesting_near_Mara_Meadows_Ecological_Reserve_near_Salmon_Arm.pdf summary http://www.fpb.gov.bc.ca/publications.aspx?id=2956&terms=mara+meadows	1996
Fish rescue on Violet Creek with help from student volunteers.	1998
Stream restoration on Violet Creek, planting and new culvert.	1998
Logging road moved that went through the closed Mara Meadows Ecological Reserve. http://www.ecoreserves.bc.ca/newsletters/LOG0504.pdf	1998?
Animal parts (possible mad cow contaminated meat “waste) composting and incineration plan proposed by Ministry of Agriculture.	2009 - ongoing