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conservation

Okanagan-bound boat caught and decontaminated for possible invasive mussel threat

KELOWNA – Conservation officers in Kelowna decontaminated a boat today which came to the Okanagan from an Ontario lake known to be infested with invasive mussels. The boat was purchased by someone in the Okanagan city and transported from Lake Eerie in Windsor, Ont. It was shipped along with another boat bound for Fort McMurray....

Low snowpack prompts Greater Vernon water warning

VERNON - Greater Vernon residents are being advised to go easy on the water in light of a lower than normal snowpack this year. Recent snowpack readings at three monitoring stations near the Duteau Creek Watershed suggest the region could be in for low water levels this summer, water sustainability coordinator Jennifer Miles said in...

Bobcat sightings becoming more common in the North Okanagan

VERNON - North Okanagan residents spotted an increasing number of bobcats in recent years. Conservation officer Mike Richardson says there have already been 16 bobcat reports since April of 2014. That’s not out of line with the last few years—14 last year and 18 the year before. But it’s a lot more than it used...

Water board has money to give away

KELOWNA – There is another $300,000 up for grabs for those who need money to fund a project to save water or improve its quality in the Okanagan in 2015. The Okanagan Basin Water Board is back with its Water Conservation and Quality Improvement grant program. It’s the ninth year for the program. The cash...

I spy: Have you seen these endangered species of the South Okanagan?

PENTICTON - The South Okanagan is a vast land full of rare, strange and interesting creatures. And it is known as one of the most at risk regions in all of Canada, according to the South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program. Most at-risk species can be divided into four categories: Wetlands, grasslands, forests and riparian areas. Here’s...

Return to the wild: Okanagan bear doesn’t look back

VERNON - From the top of a power pole, to a rehabilitation shelter, Polaris the black bear has had quite a journey in her young life, and now she’ll be continuing her adventures in the wild. The year-and-a-half old black bear found perched on a power pole in Lumby last fall was taken in by...

Local governments team up to save water this summer

OKANAGAN - Okanagan mayors are challenging residents to conserve water this summer as part of the Okanagan WaterWise program. The program is an effort by the Okanagan Basin Water Board, local government and utility partners to encourage outdoor water conservation during the hot and dry summer months. Several mayors and councillors throughout the valley took...

Conservation group rallies for support with video

PENTICTON - A national nature group made a video to support turning Okanagan land into a national park, in order to protect endangered species and grasslands wildlife. There has been controversy in the last few months around the Okanagan grasslands and how to keep them protected. Earlier this spring, the Nature Trust of British Columbia,...

Sheep-eating cougar killed in East Kelowna

KELOWNA – A male cougar was destroyed by Conservation officers after an East Kelowna resident complained it killed three of his sheep. Officers attending the June Springs property decided the cat could not be relocated and were forced to shoot the animal in the interest of public safety. It is the policy of the Ministry...

Found amongst the damage; beaver poached at Headwaters bush party

"WE USUALLY FIND SOME GARBAGE BUT THIS SITE WAS PRETTY DISTURBING." SUMMERLAND – A weekend party at Headwaters in Summerland caused thousands of dollars in damage and may result in poaching charges if the culprits are caught. South Okanagan Conservation officer Sgt. Jim Beck says he received several complaints of gunfire and damage over the...