Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management

GOVERNMENT APPROVES OKANAGAN SHUSWAP LAND-USE PLAN

KELOWNA - The province's approval of the locally developed Okanagan Shuswap land and resource management plan will bring certainty to future land use in south central B.C., Kamloops MLA Cathy McGregor said today.

"Local residents and members from many sectors of the community have worked tirelessly to develop a plan that balances environmental protection and economic development," said McGregor. "They should be congratulated on the consensus they have achieved, because it will provide the certainty needed for regional and local planning."

Wildlife species within the plan area include deer, moose, cougar, mountain goat, big horn sheep, grizzly and black bears and elk. Fish species are also abundant within the region, with fish present in most lakes and streams, including important salmon spawning streams that support the coast salmon fishery.

"The Okanagan Shuswap plan is part of the province's strategic Land Resource Management Planning, which shows government's commitment to both sound conservation and resource development," said McGregor. "This plan contributes over 120,000 hectares of protected areas to the province's total, taking the province to12.37 per cent."

The following recommendations have been approved for the 2.5 million hectares in the plan area:

  • General resource management standards apply to the entire provincial Crown land base outside of protected areas.
  • Eighteen resource management zones in the plan apply to two specific geographical units and 16 particular attributes wherever they occur. Management in any location must meet the goals of all resource management zones that overlay the location.
  • Forty-nine new protected areas total 122,963 hectares including: Anstey-Hunakwa (7,492 hectares), Myra Bellevue (7,867 hectares), South Okanagan Grasslands (9,678 hectares) and Snowy (26,002 hectares).
  • Special management emphasis is placed on important trail corridors like the Kettle Valley Railway corridor and the Mission Creek trail, and on intensive recreation areas like the Aberdeen Plateau east of Vernon and Mount Ida near Salmon Arm.
  • The Okanagan Shuswap plan area offers some of the most diverse recreation in the province. The plan maintains or enhances this range.

"Close to 350,000 people live in the area, more than any other plan completed in the province," said McGregor. "This plan benefited from the involvement of local government through the regional districts. Because of their involvement, local issues were directly addressed."

First Nations with an interest in the Okanagan Shuswap plan area were invited to take part in the planning process. The Okanagan Nation Alliance and the Little Shuswap band chose instead to have observers at several meetings. A liaison position was created to respond to First Nations concerns and interests during the process, and funds were provided for technical reports. The Land Resource Management Plan will not limit land claim negotiations.

The Okanagan Shuswap plan will be put in place by provincial government agencies. A monitoring table of stakeholders will review plan implementation to ensure its goals and strategies are reflected in the resource management activities, such as timber and mineral development approvals.

The province is acting on the recommendation of the planning table that a higher level plan be developed for the Okanagan Shuswap. A draft higher level plan will soon be released for public review. A higher level plan takes key aspects of an approved Land Resource Management Plan and gives them the force of law under the Forest Practices Code.

As part of the provincial Land Resource Management Planning process, government also announced the beginning of a Land Resource Management Plan for the North Coast area. The North Coast plan will cover the North Coast forest district, including the communities of Prince Rupert, Port Edward, Port Simpson, Kitkatla, Hartley Bay and Metlakatla. However, it will exclude Princess Royal Island, which is being covered in the Central Coast plan. The North Coast plan covers about 1.8 million hectares.

Land and resource management plans are the product of integrated resource planning processes that balance a broad range of uses and values for public land and natural resources in each region of the province. They support B.C.'s goal of social, environmental and economic sustainability. To date, 82.5 per cent of the province is covered by Land Resource Management Plans that are completed or under way. These plans include broad land-use zones, and management goals and strategies for a broad range of values and activities.

-30-

Editors note: Backgrounders are available upon request.

For Immediate Release

RMD01-02

Jan. 18, 2001