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WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015
$1.10 (includes tax)
VOL 118 NO. 27
Welcome to museum Page A3
Homes on alert as fires rage
FREE PROPERTY EVALUATION!
AMAZING VALUE! 3 bdrm, 2 bath 1,500 sq ft home w/new roof, insulated detached garage/shop w/200 amp service, ¼ acre lot. Asking $149,000. MLS® 2399362
CRAIG LINDSAY
Grand Forks Gazette Gayle Holmes
250.442.7516 gayleholmes1@gmail.com
Hot times at the GFI as Studs win The Seattle Studs held off a late rally from the Everett Merchants in the GFI championship game Sunday to capture the crown 12-11. There was plenty of fun and strong competition at the tournament although the heat kept attendance down. See story and photos on pages A16-17. Craig Lindsay photo
FREE RING Fence goes up on Nature Trust land with your purchase of any two pandora rings*
July 2 - 12 *see in store for details.
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CRAIG LINDSAY
Grand Forks Gazette
Some people may be on the fence as far as ranching versus conservation but Barry Brandow stands firm as he takes the cow by the horns. The long-time activist for nature rights has spearheaded the building of a large fence in the Nature Trust land area east of Grand Forks. Nature Trust was established in 1971 by the federal government as a non-profit land conservation organization. The mandate for the organization is to protect B.C.’s natural diversity of wildlife and plants and their critical habitats through the acquisition and management of ecologically significant land. The 195-hectare area in Grand Forks, in fact, is the first land purchase made by the trust back in 1973. Brandow feels that the Nature Trust organization is not fulfilling their part of the deal in keeping the land secure. To that note, Brandow and some friends in the Committee for Enhanced Management of the Gilpin Grasslands have built fences in the area over the years to keep livestock out of sensitive areas such as ponds and lagoons. Most recently, Brandow and his group have built a fence on the lower section of the Nature Trust land. “Nature Trust owns 68 hectares in the Overton Creek watershed and we fenced approximately 2.5 hectares of their land,” he said. “We fenced it to exclude cows. That would be consistent with the lease agreement. Unfortunately, the lease agreement, which was signed in 1974 with the Fish and Wildlife Branch for 99 years, has come to absolutely nothing. As a consequence the cows have seriously compromised the native grasses, important shrubs Grand Forks Gazette is announ
cing its First Annual
for wintering wildlife, and caused a major erosion problem.” Brandow added that all the watering holes in the area have become “barnyard sites.” “The other thing that has my attention is that there is a number of people who recreate up there,” he said. “They do their nature walk but when the cow owns every watering hole it’s not nearly the recreation area it should be if the lease meant anything.” Brandow said there have been about a dozen work days starting in April where he and a couple of others of the Committee for Enhanced Management of Gilpin Grasslands such as Al Grant from Rock Creek have gone out and worked on the fencing. The work mostly wrapped up in June. Brandow said they had an agreement with Nature Trust to donate labour and the group would pay for the materials. “We would have had to have charged all the material to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations’ (MFLNRO) tab, which would mean we would do all the work and the ministry could say they were involved,” he said. “Arguably, Nature Trust was going to pay for it but since it was connected to the ministry, we walked away.” Brandow estimates the cost of the material for the fencing to be around $3,000, which he paid for all himself. Brandow and friends completed the fence with the permission of Nature Trust but not any financial help. “The big kicker here is that Nature Trust has done nothing to manage their land since purchasing it in 1973,” he said. “We want to move forward. We want more help to exclude the cows totally from the Nature Trust property to oblige the lease agreement.”
Several fires in the Kootenay and Boundary area continue to rage out of control causing several homes to be on evacuation alert. On the north shore of Kootenay Lake near Nelson, there is a 380-hectare blaze between Sitkum and Duhamel Creeks. The fire is lightning-caused. “The majority of the fire’s growth occurred due to high temperatures and erratic winds when it was discovered on Saturday afternoon through to Saturday night,” said Jordan Turner, fire information officer for the Southeast Fire Centre. The Regional District of the Central Kootenay has issued an evacuation alert for the area, which affects approximately 350 residents. The BC Wildfire Service has 49 firefighters, three helicopters, four pieces of heavy equipment and two water tenders on scene. These resources are supported by helicopters and multiple airtanker groups, including four Air Tractor “Fire Boss” amphibious airtankers, which are scooping water from Kootenay Lake. • See FIRES RAGE page A7
Happy birthday! Mayor Frank Konrad waves as he rides on the fire department’s vintage 1929 Chevy fire engine during the Canada Day parade. See photos on page A32. Craig Lindsay photo
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Summer Book your space today and contact Dyan Stoochnoff at 250.442.2191 or advertising@grandforksgazette.ca Join us in this fun and interactive advertising promotion this summer to encourage locals to spend time in our local businesses. Participants will visit local Grand Forks businesses to find clues that will ultimately decode a secret message.
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