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Author Topic: Letter from Barry Penner  (Read 7871 times)

Geff_t

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Letter from Barry Penner
« on: January 22, 2009, 12:11:21 PM »

Recieved this e-mail from Barry Penner this morning in response of an e-mail I sent to him back in September regarding the clay slide at the old ranger run.

Reference:  100676

January 21, 2009



Dear

Thank you for your email of September 12, 2008 regarding the clay bank silt problem on the Chilliwack/Vedder River.  I apologize for the delay in responding.

I appreciate your concern regarding the effects of this discoloration on angling opportunities within the Chilliwack/Vedder system and the effect of the suspended clay particles on fish eggs in the river ecosystem.  The clay bank, which I’ve visited many times, are a natural glacial deposit from the last ice age that was deposited approximately 9,500 years ago.  It is one of several similar natural sediment sources in the watershed.  I appreciate the dedicated efforts by local stewardship groups in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to reduce sedimentation to the river.  As you may be aware, stabilizing slides of this magnitude are technically challenging and very expensive.  Some people believe these natural slide events cannot be avoided, but I think it is worth trying.

Given the number of sediment sources in the watershed, perhaps the best approach may be for concerned groups and individuals to work with the ministry to identify priorities based on the relative impacts to fish and fish habitat, as well as cost and technical ability for remediation.   This planning step would greatly assist understanding of the overall impact of any one slide and its overall contribution to sediment input to the river.   It would also provide key information to funding agencies and could bring together more partners to help resolve these challenging issues.

The Living Rivers Trust Fund has transferred approximately $10 million to the Fraser Salmon and Watersheds Program, a program jointly administered by the Fraser Basin Council and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.  For 2009, this program has allocated $3,625,000 to fund projects in four priority areas: 


education and engagement;
integrated planning and governance;
habitat & water restoration & stewardship; and
sustainable integrated fisheries management

This program could be a good source for partnership funding to support both sediment source prioritization and remediation.  However, I understand that the call for preliminary proposals closed in early September.  There may be another call for proposals next year.  For further information on the program please visit:  http://www.thinksalmon.com/fswp_notice/.


The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation may be another source of partnership funding. They have invested significant funds over the past several years to build an engineered berm at the base of the clay banks on the Chilliwack River to reduce water discolouration and smothering of salmonid eggs in the river. 

In either case, I recommend you contact Mr. Greg Wilson, at the Ministry of Environment’s lower mainland office at  604 582-5365 to assist with planning and proposal development as he has been leading the ministry’s habitat restoration initiatives in this area as part of the
Greater Georgia Basin Steelhead Recovery Plan.


Thank you again for your interest in the on-going restoration of the Chilliwack/Vedder river system.


Sincerely,

“Original Signed By”


Barry Penner

Minister
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DionJL

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Re: Letter from Barry Penner
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2009, 12:15:14 PM »

LOL I got the same "word for word" response from Mr. Penner this morning too.
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Geff_t

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Re: Letter from Barry Penner
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2009, 12:20:24 PM »

LOL I got the same "word for word" response from Mr. Penner this morning too.

 LOL I wonder how many other people recieved the exact same e-mail from them. I guess it is more lip service from a liberal government.
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searun17

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Re: Letter from Barry Penner
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2009, 12:41:29 PM »

Like it or not unfortunately this how governments and most municipalities work ,if you want something done the gov likes to see private groups taking the ball and running with it,meanwhile the groups in order to get things done they must go through the process mentioned by M r Penner to obtain the scientific info needed and then the application process to receive funding for said projects,which is what i believe CRAC has done to secure funding to start work on the clay problem this coming summer,there are mechanisms in place but the gov doesn't make it easy to get things done in a timely fashion or without the commitment of groups such as CRAC.
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Sam Salmon

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Re: Letter from Barry Penner
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2009, 03:15:14 PM »

Quote
Some people believe these natural slide events cannot be avoided, but I think it is worth trying.
Personally I don't I think it's not worth the money spent.

Let nature take it's course, it's already a seriously degraded hatchery augmented river-enough is enough.
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brood dude

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Re: Letter from Barry Penner
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2009, 05:56:56 PM »

Quote
Some people believe these natural slide events cannot be avoided, but I think it is worth trying.
Personally I don't I think it's not worth the money spent.

Let nature take it's course, it's already a seriously degraded hatchery augmented river-enough is enough.

i agree that cash could go towards a lot of different projects.
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chris gadsden

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Re: Letter from Barry Penner
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2009, 09:33:02 PM »

From what I have read in the past, clay and such that enter into a water course are not good for fish, fish habitat, spawning grounds and other aquatic life.

chris gadsden

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Re: Letter from Barry Penner
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2009, 09:39:46 PM »

Most of what Penner mentined in his letter has been done by the Chilliwack River Action Committee since 1997. The present government have in my mind not done all they could to assist this group, talk is cheap. If it was not for the dedication of David Lamson and his directors nothing would have been done at all.

I have been very disappointed to say the least.