From the Pacific Stream Keepers Federation:
"Some rather disturbing new was just sent in
I just wanted to let people know, before they hear it elsewhere, that we have just officially heard today that the Resource Restoration Unit (RRU) program, along with the Education and Community Support Program (Stream to Sea or S2S), both part of the DFO Salmonid Enhancement Program, are being cut and all the RRU positions will be eliminated under federal workforce adjustment. All RRU staff have today received a letter notifying them that they are “affected,” the first step in the process. We’ll continue to operate for the rest of this fiscal, until the end of March 2018, but with a reduced operating budget (meaning reduced purchases of equipment and supplies as well as reduced travel). Some staff will find jobs in other parts of the department that are expanding and they may leave RRU prior to the end of March. The total (staff & operating) budget will be ˝ next year and will go to 0 the following year. So, we’ll need to complete any short-term obligations and wind up current ongoing and long-term activities and not get involved in any new ongoing activities or commitments. More details will be forthcoming in the next few days and weeks."
I know most of us live in the LML and this will hit the Interior of the province for now, where do you think the bulk of the salmon in the Spawn! The Skeena, the Adams River and Stuart Lake sockeye runs, the Thompson, all of the smaller rivers that have been destroyed! Does anyone honestly think that the Government is going to put funding towards restoring them directly? No! What is worse is that the small community groups who do restore them must first get approval from Biologists, surveyors and other DFO employees! In other words, they must get approval from those employed in the soon to be closed down RRU! No more help deciding what the best practices would be, no more training streamkeepers, no one allowed to conduct restoration projects. No more salmon.
But that is ok, because they also pulled all funding for salmon in the classrooms! Once us old timers go there will be no need for volunteers. People get involved in what they know about, what they can see, what they can touch. Take salmon away from the children and the children will not care about the salmon!
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Topic: SEP Funding - RRU, School programs, more (Read 2831 times)