Wildlife management
I’m not a publicly spoken person. But for some time I have had a deep concern for our local wildlife and its management. Now I feel its time to speak out and question who is responsible for the demise of our wildlife populations in the province.
Maybe Mr Bill Bennett can respond to who really makes decisions. Is it ICBC? Is it no one? Or are our biologists idiots? Or are they not allowed to manage?
This winter’s record snowfall has put my worst fears into reality. Our ungulate populations are at an all-time low, and with severe winter conditions upon us, it could be the end, for a very long time, of reaching proper numbers.
The question I have is, why wait for so long to react? Why are Moose still on LEH? Why are whitetail does still open? Where are all the elk? Why are our bighorn sheep disappearing — for example, the Premier Ridge herd? And yet we are still hunting them. I believe wolves were planted in Montana and in B.C. now we have an epidemic with no sound management agendas.
Seems the only voice being heard is from the Lower Mainland claiming our grizzlies are threatened and wolves should be protected! When, I think, their population is at an all-time high.
The logging from Kimberley to Skookumchuck and all of Lost Dog, with no access closures, meant the demise of those moose and elk populations. Very poor management!
Not managing populations for severe winter die-offs is another poor management practice!
An article of special interest to me was written by Dave Quinn in K.M.C winter edition 2016/17. I suggest everyone read this article called the “Kill Zone,” about the cost and claims of wildlife collisions to the province. When it appears the cost is effective to build safe wildlife corridors, why are we not doing this? We cry out when on the news we see a dog being mistreated but turn a blind eye to a maimed elk or deer suffering from being struck by a vehicle and left to die.
I ask all East Kootenay wildlife lovers the general public and hunters to make your voices heard. Before there is nothing left to hunt or enjoy viewing when in the outdoors. I believe that our Liberal Government does not want to fund sound wildlife management!
Barry Vandaelle/Kimberley
Wrongly accused
Quite the “fake news” story Christy Clark tried to peddle last week when she wrongly accused John Horgan and the NDP of hacking their Liberal web site.
It’s typical of Clark and the BC Liberals to try dodging a bad news story, i.e. last Monday’s Child Welfare Watchdog report on the death of Alex Gervais (a child in care), but surely BC voters will view this blatant “fake news” tactic as going much too far!
Without even a shred of evidence to implicate the NDP, Clark decided to smear the NDP with the hacking allegation. Then as it turns out, it was their own Liberal staff who had failed to protect, what should have been, the private information on their web site.
During the 2013 provincial election campaign Clark fabricated the notion that LNG would create huge prosperity, if only the Liberals were re-elected. That too turned out to be “fake news”.
Hopefully in the up-coming provincial election, B.C voters will be more attuned with the blatant lack of credibility of Christy Clark and the BC Liberal Party.
Gary Werk/Cranbrook
