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Kirksland Restoration Society

August 17	Two large canoes and four small ones made up the flotilla of our River Tour. The day started with mist which lifted just after launching to reveal the chalk-white cliffs of the Columbia riverland. Thirty-eight voyageurs paddled serenely along the steady current observing the fantastic clay formations and even wilder birdlife: a battle between an osprey and a Bald Headed eagle over a fish. Lunch and an impromptu pow-wow at Moore's Bridge completed the Kirksland portion of the tour. It will take everything we have to keep this land together, but people are behind us all the way judging from the response to our tours. Thanks to the Kootenay River Runners, Incredible Mountain Tours, the lenders of our fine canoes, Slocan Forest Products for the bus ride home, and Russell Krasniuk for the two huge canoes. A great trip with some wonderful company on a memorable day in the Upper Columbia.
August 26	The Kirksland Restoration Society has been working diligently with Conservation Foundations to find the money necessary to attend the September 4 auction in Calgary. It has been tough to counter the current drive to carve-up the land for profit. There is not much to be said in favour of buying essential habitat land in the protected class and marketing it as real estate. Our protected dryland range is portrayed as "homestead property" to people who have never heard of the ALR or Managed Forest 5-Year Plans. What about road access permits and building permits and domestic water supply? Do customers know there are regulations in B.C. purposefully designed to preserve this type of land in functional condition? Do they ever wonder why was it was inexpensive to buy, and the land taxes so very low? Because this is rangeland.There has been a long-term contract to manage this land for tree production, what does that mean? Low taxes and an obligation to honour the plan! Sure aimless recreation paradises can be profitable, but what about more important things in life, like room for wildlife and cattle, tree farming and healthy recreation? Like room for natural life itself? If we can get the necessary funding, we will be there, if not..... It's been 3 years of work for us in KRS but two generations have put a lifetime into keeping the old flume going, age-old wildlife patterns will be on the block as well. Is this the sort of business appropriate to a valley that treasures its open space and wildlife more than monetary profit ?
August 28	Our work to bring back our funding partners has been occupying all our time lately. There is now a chance that the Conservation Groups will be present at the Auction. We have hope that the important wildlife and community values of this land will be recognised in time to make all our work worthwhile. The news is good, too, on the Luxor Trail. It has passed a couple of the steps required to be reconditioned as functioning corridor for wildlife. Recognition of its archeological importance is forthcoming and should lead to designation as an archeological site. This land is up on the block next weekend, please leave us e-mail or a message if you can help us keep it together! email: kirksland@hotmail.com<
September 2	Bad news on the funding front, it seems our partners have decided not to go to the auction. We had managed to gain quite a bit more funding from some good sources both Province-wide and local, but without a major funder at the core, we cannot see how we can go to market and represent the interests of the Luxor Trail, the wildlife and the friendly folks that make a living from this land. But should we have to purchase the property to protect these things anyway? It IS a challenge - on one hand a countryside best overlooked by development and restored to health, on the other an overheated real-estate market pushing our surroundings under the hammer. Where is the Government in all this? We have all heard many times from all sources that the rules of the market are ascendant, that Government has no place in the equation. This concept can create problems: while you can elect governments, you cannot elect corporations, and the elected are there by choice to help in your intelligent planning and in your defense. This is hard to do with one's hands tied. If you care about the Kirksland, the Hoffert's Property, the privately-owned benchland around, please call your MLA and express your feelings, help loosen the strings binding our governmental hands! Maybe there is still a chance for the Community and the Wildlife to come-out ahead.
September 3	And the news isn't much better from the Government Institutions, who have just heard of us in the last two weeks although we have been working for this land-save for 3 years now. What does it take to get the ear of government in B.C.? We certainly had support from the people who value habitat, and from the Trusts. But it is surprising to compare the Alberta approach to the B.C.. People across the border are surprised that B.C. Authorities would not have taken the situation in hand during those three years. It is surprising, too, to find that B.C. land has no protection from being bought and sold elsewhere with no input from the people who live around that land in B.C. There is a surprise among our Victoria bureaucrats about the situation. It seems they didn't realize that there was a problem until our group spent four days on the phone explaining the situation. There has been some excellent help, but not enough to excuse the potential loss of this benchland, the flume, the Luxor Trail and the game corridor/habitat. What could have been so important that everybody forgot that many rural people and all wildlife live off the land, without it...? It is unfortunate that some misguided bureaucrat one hundred years ago parceled all this land up. But that was the sensibility of one hundred years ago. In the interim, no one has lived on this land for long, it has always reverted to common range and treefarm. In fact, that appears to have been the system set up by Columbia Valley Ranches before 1920 - that anybody with irrigated land would have the opportunity to move their stock to graze or (later-on) Christmas tree farm on what is now the Kirksland, ... who knows what tomorrow. (history of Edgewater tapes and notes) The Auction tomorrow night at 7 pm at the Round-up Center at the Stampede Grounds: It would be well if somebody observed the questions and answers on this property, particularly those to do with access. Access on the bush roads can be difficult in the winter and spring, approvals take time for a gravelled easement road in this type of land class. All season access is a important feature to someone wishing to buy or sell land. Best of luck. Some of us will be there to mark the breaking-up of an era - a peaceful, productive time that saw people share the land with wildlife!
September 11	Marketing and Promotion were the key factors in the Kirksland auction. After months of a media blitz extending, I am told, from Terrace to New Zealand, and huge billboards out here, the actual sale was set-up as a social event with important dignitaries being introduced. Not once was the Kirksland Restoration Society (KRS) mentioned at any time, there or in the Calgary Press - the city being headlong into self-indulgence at our expense. Tables set with wine bottles, trees projected onto the walls and a continuous movie showing the Christmas tree farm were not enough to get the 285-odd crowd in the mood for a feeding frenzy. As the only Kirksland member present, though perforce only as a private citizen, I was looking for various infractions of the real-estate code at the auction as well as marking the breakdown of this historic land set aside for pasture 87 years previous. Most obvious of the marketing techniques were the ommissions: in the various “spiels”, the value of subdivided lots with water and power and all-season roads was compared to the bidding price for raw land with none of these. Although an invitation was put out to the new owners to allow treeing and grazing leases to continue, no mention was made of the land being vital to the agricultural community, wildlife was mentioned only as an asset to the property, the Luxor Trail (possibly the aboriginal “Vermillion Trail” mentioned by Palliser) was also overlooked. However, much was made of the scenic values of the rough land and the recreational potential of the riverland - waterskiing on the Columbia (a protected wetlands) being brought-up as an enjoyment to those fortunate enough to own some riverbank. A map on the walls showed the 50 foot easements running into the back parcels and a large powerline grid running over to the railway tracks. It did not show the “Trail to the Vermillion”, or the Game Corridors. Access to the river for the locals was not addressed by the plans, neither was the issue of a ccess to the crown-land beyond the new parcels. Many of these issues would have been better addressed if the approving authority had been sent the references from KRS and the B.C.Government Agencies. The sale should not have been allowed to go ahead as it was prepared - entirely in Alberta. There was absolutely no sign that the land had received the sort of in-depth, thoughtful study that the land towards Radium had enjoyed. There, wildlife corridors were identified and marked, a “density transfer” option was entertained that would see a development exchanged for protection of much of the range-land. On the other hand, the Edgewater-north parcel contains the corridor of three major drainages plus access to the low pass to the Kootenay Valley. If animals are harrassed at this point, there is less point in the corridors planned for the southern parcel. The first serious buyers bid the price up to $2900/acre, this fell to $2000, then to $1850, for land just north of Edgewater. Apparently, none of the representations of KRS had been referred to the approving authority in Calgary - the Real Estate Council of Alberta, so the constraints of the Agricultural Land Reserve and of the lack of water did not dampen the value of the property as one would have thought. These values are about 6 times the present assessments on neighbouring properties and will likely result in much higher taxes for local owners of local lands, owners who understand and accept the limitations of the ALR. After this go-around, the hooting and hollering started again with the remainder of the property. The price fell some more to $1150 and $1000 and acre then to $700. An Asian buyer got most the best flat production land for this low price. The property under the flume went to three new owners, while the Luxor Trail got split-up some more. There are now 9 owners at an average price of $1077/acre for a total of $6,099,00 for 5900-odd acres of the north parcel. Schickedanz paid either $3 Million or $10 Million for all Kirksland (11,500 Acres) depending on whether one takes the declaration to the BC Assessment Authority or the quotation to Beautiful B.C. Magazine. KRS had no backers by the time the auction rolled around. The consortium of trusts had asked questions of the auction company, received confusing answers and decided against attending. Even opening night, there were still a number of errors to be corrected on the property descriptions. KRS was left without a central bidder around whom to group the local support, which did start to come in after the radio interview on the CBC Morning Show. It was an unfortunate situation for all concerned but I doubt the conservationists would have bid as high as land speculators and would-be developers. Still, a KRS presence would have been helpful at the auction. We have to hope the ALR continues to represent the rural people who actually farm here, that it enjoys strong support and defense from all. The KRS reportedly got the ear of government in Victoria during the last days of the telephone campaign. We apparently have some people pulling for us. I think it would be wise to pursue the goals of the KRS especially now that attention has now been gained and attempt to have the Luxor Trail, the Game Corridors, and the Flume protected by covenant, showing the respect that these features should rightfully enjoy from all the citizens of B.C. and giving them protection from the agressive marketing methods now invading our valley. Some revisions have to be made to the Real Estate regulations so that the representations made by public societies have a positive effect on protecting public values during these massive breakdowns of protected land in the ALR and Managed Forest catagories. Decisions should not be made in Calgary on BC affairs, especially without representation from the people here. The breakdown of Kirksland could be fair-warning: valley supporters are urged to write or phone to our MLA Hon. Jim Doyle, at 342 4428, the B.C. Realty Council at 1 800 663 7867, or 604 660 2947 and to visit this website for updates as the situation develops...
September 15	Bill Gillespie reports for CBC Radio UN study warns complacency biggest threat to environment WebPosted Wed Sep 15 22:01:50 1999 TORONTO - An extensive study by the United Nations is warning the world will be a drier, hotter and thirstier place in the new millennium. Titled "Global Environment Outlook 2000", the report contains input from 850 experts in 30 environmental institutes around the world. Climate change .. can only get worse It concludes the rate at which the world is depleting the Earth's resources and abusing the ecosystem is unsustainable. And the report's authors say postponing corrective action is no longer an option. The UN report paints a picture of world headed for crisis sooner rather than later. The global water supply, for example. Already water shortages have reached critical levels in the Middle East and much of Africa. Half the cities in Europe are now overexploiting their water supplies. Even more ominous, the water tables in India and China are dropping. The report blames population growth, more intensive agriculture and industrialization. Canadian environmentalist Robert Hornung says despite efforts made by governments over the last 20 or 30 years the degradation of our planet is accelerating. "What this UN report is pointing out is that we can see the crisis looming on the horizon. Climate change has begun and it can only get worse. Water shortages have begun, they are only going to get worse." Next to water shortages the report ranks global warming as the most immediate environmental crisis. It's authors point out that since World War II, the number of carbon-spewing vehicles on the world's roads has risen from 40 million to 680 million. Catastrophic natural disasters are now eight times more frequent than they were in the 1960s. The report suggests however, that the most serious crisis facing the environment is a lack of political will. It says as long as the environment remains an add-on to the main political agenda, degradation of the earth will continue until it is too late to repair. UN study warns complacency biggest threat to environment Copyright © 1999 CBC All Rights Reserved Press Release UNEP/47 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNEP LAUNCHES DEFINITIVE STUDY OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS 19990915 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAIROBI, 15 September (UNEP) - Today, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launches its Global Environment Outlook 2000 (GEO-2000) report -- the most authoritative assessment ever of the environmental crisis facing humanity in the new millennium. Based on contributions from United Nations agencies, 850 individuals and more than 30 environmental institutes, GEO-2000 outlines progress in tackling existing problems and points to serious new threats. It concludes by setting out recommendations for immediate, integrated action. GEO-2000 analyses both global and regional issues. Its key finding is that: "The continued poverty of the majority of the planet's inhabitants and excessive consumption by the minority are the two major causes of environmental degradation. The present course is unsustainable and postponing action is no longer an option." "Despite successes on various fronts, time for a rational, well- planned transition to a sustainable system is running out fast", said Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director. "In some areas, it has already run out. In others, new problems are emerging which compound already difficult situations. UNEP welcomes the trend towards increased public concern for the environment. Until recently, few individuals cared about or even knew of the environmental issues facing the planet. Today, popular movements in many countries are forcing authorities to make changes". According to GEO-2000, full-scale emergencies now exist in a number of fields. The world water cycle seems unlikely to be able to cope with demands in the coming decades, land degradation has negated many advances made by increased agricultural productivity, air pollution is at crisis point in many major cities and global warming now seems inevitable. Tropical forests and marine fisheries have been over- exploited while numerous plant and animal species, and extensive stretches of coral reefs will be lost forever, due to inadequate policy responses. In a survey conducted by the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment for GEO-2000, 200 scientists in 50 countries identified water shortage and global warming as the two most worrying problems for the new millennium. Desertification and deforestation at national and regional levels was also a frequently cited concern. While most issues raised by the survey are well-known, GEO-2000 also identifies new threats such as: nitrogen’s harmful impact on ecosystems; increased severity of natural disasters; species invasion as a result of globalization; increased environmental pressures caused by urbanization; decline in the quality of governance in some countries; new wars which impact on both the immediate environment and neighbouring States; and the impact of refugees on the natural environment. At the core of GEO-2000’s recommendations is a reinforcement of the Earth Summit Agenda 21’s call for environmental integration. The report states that: “The environment remains largely outside the mainstream of everyday human consciousness and is still considered an add-on to the fabric of life.” Institutions such as treasuries, central banks, planning departments and trade bodies frequently ignore sustainability questions in favour of short-term economic options. “Integration of environmental thinking into the mainstream of decision-making relating to agriculture, trade, investment, research and development, infrastructure and finance is now the best chance for effective action”, says the report. National governments, international organizations, the private sector, community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and ordinary citizens all have a role to play in putting the environment at the forefront of the political agenda. “Environmental education, like mathematics, (should be) part of the standard educational curriculum”, says the report, adding that “we must encourage the media to devote as much attention to environmental issues as they do to crime, politics, sport and finance”. GEO-2000 was edited by Robin Clarke and published by Earthscan Publications on behalf of UNEP. E-mail earthinfo@earthscan.co.uk Telephone: +44-171 2780433; Fax: +44-171 2781142. It is available from Earthscan at a cost of $40. It is also accessible on Note to journalists: For more information, please contact: Marion Cheatle, Officer-in-Charge, State of the Environment Assessment Unit, Division of Environmental Information, Assessment & Early Warning (DEIA&EW), UNEP, Nairobi, Tel.: (254-2) 62-3520, Fax: (254-2) 623944; E-mail: geo@unep.org; or Jim Sniffen, UNEP Information Officer, New York, Tel: (1-212) 963-8094; Fax: 963-7341, E-mail: . * *** * .
24 September 1999	SPECIES AT RISK LIST The following list of species at national risk in Canada is determined by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), of which the Canadian Nature Federation is a founding member. COSEWIC considers scientific status reports of species and then evaluates their status as extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened, vulnerable - all of which are categories of risk - or as “indeterminate” or “not at risk”. COSEWIC is a national scientific body. There are other, provincial and territorial bodies across Canada which perform a similar function in assessing the status of species within a province. A species can be at risk within one province but have healthy populations in other provinces. Thus not all species at risk provincially will be found on the national “Species at Risk” list. Please contact the CNF if you need hard copies of the national list of Species at Risk, or if you would like a copy of the status report for any species on the list. (Please note that status reports are detailed scientific documents, not fact sheets.) We also have available in print a set of 25 fact sheets on nationally endangered species written for youth. For copies, email Marc Johnson. Another version of the following list, offering the scientific name of each species and the date of consideration by COSEWIC, is available on the COSEWIC web site. 1999 Species at Risk MAMMALS EXTINCT Woodland Caribou - Queen Charlotte Isl. pop. Sea Mink EXTIRPATED Atlantic Walrus - NW Atlantic pop. Black-footed Ferret (AB, MB, SK) Gray Whale - Atlantic pop. Grizzly Bear - prairie pop. (AB, MB, SK) ENDANGERED Beluga Whale - SE Baffin Island pop. (NT, NU) Beluga Whale - St. Lawrence River pop.(QC) Beluga Whale - Ungava Bay pop. (NT, NU) Bowhead Whale - Eastern Arctic pop. Bowhead Whale - Western Arctic pop. Marten - Nfld pop. Peary Caribou - High Arctic pop. (NT, NU) Peary Caribou - Banks Isl. pop. (NT, NU) Right Whale (Atlantic and Pacific) Swift Fox (AB, SK) Vancouver Island Marmot (BC) Wolverine - Eastern pop. (QC, NF) THREATENED Beluga Whale - Eastern Hudson Bay pop. Harbour Porpoise - NW Atlantic pop. Humpback Whale - North Pacific pop. Killer Whale - “resident” North Pacific pop.* Pacific Water Shrew (BC) Peary Caribou - Low Arctic (NT, NU) Sea Otter (BC) Townsend’s Mole (BC) Wood Bison (YT, NT, BC, AB, NU) Woodland Caribou - Gaspé (QC) VULNERABLE Beluga Whale - E.High Arctic/Baffin pop. Black-tailed Prairie Dog (SK) Blue Whale (Atlantic and Pacific) Eastern Mole (ON) Ermine-Queen Charlotte Island pop. (BC) Fin Whale (Atlantic and Pacific) Fringed Myotis Bat (BC) Gaspé Shrew (QC, NB, NS) Grey Fox (AB, MB, ON, QC) Grizzly Bear (YT, NT, BC, AB, NU)Harbour Seal - Lac des Loups Marins pop. (QC) Humpback Whale - NW Atlantic pop. Keen’s Long-eared Bat (BC) Killer Whale - Transient Pacific pop.* Mountain Beaver (BC)* Nuttall’s Cottontail - BC pop. (BC) Northern Bottlenose Whale-Gull (Atl. pop) Ord’s Kangaroo Rat (AB, SK) Pallid Bat (BC) Polar Bear (NT, MB, ON, QC, NF, NU) Southern Flying Squirrel (ON,QC,NB,NS) Sowerby’s Beaked Whale (Atl. pop) Spotted Bat (BC) Western Harvest Mouse - BC pop. (BC) Wolverine (YT, NT, BC, AB, SK, MB,ON) Woodland Caribou - Western pop. (NT, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON , NU) Woodland Vole (ON, QC) BIRDS EXTINCT Great Auk (NB, NF, NS, QC) Labrador Duck (NB, NF, NS, QC) Passenger Pigeon (MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK) EXTIRPATED Greater Prairie Chicken (AB, MB, ON, SK) Sage Grouse - BC pop.(BC) ENDANGERED Acadian Flycatcher (ON) Barn Owl - Eastern pop. (ON)* Burrowing Owl (BC, AB, SK, MB) Eskimo Curlew (NT, NU) Harlequin Duck - Eastern pop. (QC, NB, NS, NF) Henslow’s Sparrow (ON) King Rail (ON) Kirtland’s Warbler (ON, QC) Loggerhead Shrike - Eastern pop. (MB, ON, QC) Mountain Plover (AB, SK) Northern Bobwhite (ON) Northern Spotted Owl (BC) Piping Plover (AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, NF, PE) Prothonotary Warbler (ON) Roseate Tern (QC, NS) Sage Grouse - prairie pop.(AB, SK) Sage Thrasher (BC, AB, SK) Whooping Crane (NT, NU) THREATENED Anatum Peregrine Falcon (all but PE) Hooded Warbler (ON) Loggerhead Shrike - prairie pop. (AB, SK, MB) Marbled Murrelet (BC) Sprague’s Pipit (AB, MB, SK)* White-headed Woodpecker (BC) Yellow-breasted Chat - BC pop.(BC) VULNERABLE Ancient Murrelet (BC) Barn Owl - Western pop (BC) Bicknell’s Thrush (NS, NB, QC)* Cerulean Warbler (ON, QC) Ferruginous Hawk (AB, SK, MB) Flammulated Owl (BC) Ipswich Savannah Sparrow (NS) Ivory Gull (NT, BC, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, NF, NU) Least Bittern (MB, ON, QC, NB) Lewis’ Woodpecker (BC)* Long-billed Curlew (BC, AB, SK) Louisiana Waterthrush (ON, QC) Pacific Great Blue Heron (BC) Peale’s Peregrine Falcon (BC) Queen Charlotte Goshawk (BC) Red headed Woodpecker (SK, MB, ON, QC) Red-shouldered Hawk (ON, QC) Ross’ Gull (NT, MB, NU) Short-eared Owl (All provinces, territories) Tundra Peregrine Falcon (YT, NT, QC, NF, NU) Yellow Rail (AB, NB, NF, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK, NU)* REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS EXTIRPATED Pygmy Short-horned Lizard - BC pop. ENDANGERED Blue Racer Snake (ON) Lake Erie Water Snake (ON) Leatherback Turtle (Atlantic & Pacific pop.) Northern Cricket Frog (ON) Northern Leopard Frog - Southern Mountain pop. (BC) Sharp Tailed Snake (BC)* THREATENED Black Rat Snake (ON) Blanding’s Turtle (NS) Eastern Fox Snake (ON)* Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (ON) Fowler’s Toad (ON) Queen Snake (ON) Spiny Softshell Turtle (ON, QC) VULNERABLE Butler’s Garter Snake (ON)* Coeur d’Alene Salamander (BC) Eastern Hognose Snake (ON) Eastern Short-horned Lizard (AB, SK) Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer Snake (SK) Five-lined Skink (ON) Great Basin Spadefoot Toad (BC) Great Plains Toad (AB, MB, SK)* Mountain Dusky Salamander (QC) Northern Leopard Frog - prairie pop (AB,SK,MB) Northern Prairie Skink (MB) Northern Red-Legged Frog (BC)* Pacific Giant Salamander (BC) Smallmouth Salamander (ON) Spotted Turtle (ON, QC) Spring Salamander (ON)* Wood Turtle (ON, QC, NB, NS) FISH EXTINCT Banff Longnose Dace (AB) Blue Walleye (ON) Deepwater Cisco (ON) Longjaw Cisco (ON) Hadley Lake Stickleback (benthic) (BC)* Hadley Lake Stickleback (limnetic) (BC)* EXTIRPATED Gravel Chub (ON) Paddlefish (ON) ENDANGERED Atlantic Whitefish (NS) Aurora Trout (ON) Nooksack Dace (BC) Salish Sucker (BC) THREATENED Black Redhorse (ON) Blackfin Cisco (ON) Channel Darter (ON, QC) Copper Redhorse (QC) Deepwater Sculpin - Great Lakes pop. (ON) Eastern Sand Darter (ON, QC) Enos Lake Stickleback (BC) Lake Simcoe Whitefish (ON) Lake Utopia Dwarf Smelt (NB) Margined Madtom (ON, QC) Morrison Creek Lamprey (BC)* Paxton Lake Stickleback -benthic (BC) Paxton Lake Stickleback -limnetic (BC) Shorthead Sculpin (BC) Shortjaw Cisco (NT, AB, SK, MB, ON) Shortnose Cisco (ON) Vananda Stickleback -benthic (BC)* Vananda Stickleback -limnetic (BC)* VULNERABLE Atlantic Cod (Atlantic Ocean) Banded Killifish - Nfld. pop. (NF) Bering Wolffish (Arctic Ocean) Bigmouth Buffalo (SK, MB, ON) Bigmouth Shiner (MB) Black Buffalo (ON) Blackline Prickleback - Arctic Ocean (NT, NU) Blackstripe Topminnow (ON) Bridle Shiner (ON)* Brindled Madtom (ON) Charlotte Unarmoured Stickleback (BC) Chestnut Lamprey (SK, MB) Cultrus Pygmy Sculpin (MB) Fourhorn Sculpin - Arctic Islands fresehwater Giant Stickleback (BC) Green Sturgeon (BC) Greenside Darter (ON) Kiyi (ON) Lake Chubsucker (ON) Lake Lamprey (BC) Northern Brook Lamprey (MB,ON,QC) Northern Madtom (ON) Orangespotted Sunfish (ON) Pacific Sardine (Pacific Ocean) Pugnose Minnow (ON) Pugnose Shiner (ON) Redbreast Sunfish (NB) Redside Dace (ON) River Redhorse (ON, QC) Rosyface Shiner - MB pop. (MB) Shortnose Sturgeon (NB) Silver Chub (MB, ON) Silver Shiner (ON) Speckled Dace (BC) Spotted Gar (ON) Spotted Sucker (ON) Spring Cisco (QC) Squanga Whitefish (YT) Umatilla Dace (BC) Warmouth (ON) Western Silvery Minnow (AB) White Sturgeon (BC) MOLLUSCA EXTINCT Eelgrass Limpet (NF, NS, QC) EXTIRPATED Dwarf Wedgemussel (NB)* EXDANGERED Hotwater Physa (BC) Northern Rifleshell (ON)* Rayed Bean (ON)* Wavy-rayed Lampmussel (ON)* THREATENED Banff Springs Snail (AB) Northern Abalone (BC)* LEPIDOPTERA EXTIRPATED Frosted Elfin Butterfly (ON)* Karner Blue Butterfly (ON) Island Marble Butterfly (BC)* , ENDANGERED Maritime Ringlet Butterfly (QC, NB) VULNERABLE Monarch Butterfly (all but YT, NT, NU) PLANTS, LICHEN & MOSSES EXTIRPATED Blue-eyed Mary (ON) Illinois Tick Trefoil (ON) ENDANGERED American Ginseng (ON, QC) Bearded Owl Clover (BC) Bluehearts (ON) Cucumber Tree (ON) Deltoid Balsamroot (BC) Drooping Trillium (ON) Eastern Mountain Avens (NS) East. Prickly Pear Cactus (ON) Engelmann’s Quillwort (ON) Furbish’s Lousewort (NB) Gattinger’s Agalinis (ON) Heart-leaved Plantain (ON) Hoary Mountain Mint (ON) Juniper Sedge (ON)* Large Whorled Pogonia (ON) Long’s Braya (NF) Nodding Pogonia (ON) Pink Coreopsis (NS) Pink Milkwort (ON) Pitcher’s Thistle (ON) Prairie Lupine (BC) Purple Twyblade (ON) Red Mulberry (ON) Scarlet Ammannia (BC, ON)* Seasode Birdsfoot Lotus (BC) Seaside Centipede Lichen (BC) Showy Goldernrod (ON)* Skinner’s Agalinis (ON) Slender Bush Clover (ON) Slender Mouse-ear-cress (AB, SK) Small White Lady’s- slipper (MB, ON) Small Whorled Pogonia (ON) Southern Maidenhair Fern (BC) Spotted Wintergreen (ON) Thread-leaved Sundew (NS) Tiny Cryptanthe (AB, SK) Toothcup (BC, ON)* Water-plantain Buttercup(BC) Western Prairie White Fringed Orchid (MB) White Prairie Gentian (ON) Wood Poppy (ON) THREATENED Apple Moss (BC) American Chestnut (ON) American Water-willow (ON, QC) Anticosti Aster (QC, NB) Bird’s-foot Violet (ON) Blue Ash (ON) Blunt-lobed Woodsia (ON, QC) Colicroot (ON) Deerberry (ON) False Hop Sedge (ON, QC) Fernald’s Braya (NF) Goat’s rue (ON) Golden Crest (NS) Golden Paintbrush (BC) Golden Seal (ON) Hairy Prairie-clover (SK,MB) Kentucky Coffee Tree (ON) Mosquito Fern (BC) Plymouth Gentian (NS) Redroot (NS) Round-leaved Greenbrier - ON pop.(ON) Sand Verbena (AB, SK) Small-flowered Lipocarpha (BC, ON) Sweet Pepperbush (NS) van Brunt’s Jacob’s Ladder (QC) Western Blue Flag (BC, AB) White-Top Aster (BC) White Wood Aster (ON, QC) Western Spiderwort (AB, MB, SK) Yellow Montane Violet (BC) Water Pennywort (NS) VULNERABLE American Columbo (ON) Athabasca Thrift (SK) Branched Bartonia (ON) Bathurst Aster (NB) Bolander’s Quillwort (AB) Broad Beech Fern (ON, QC) Buffalograss (SK, MB) Climbing Prairie Rose (ON) Coastal Wood Fern (BC) Crooked-stemmed Aster (ON)* Cryptic Paw Lichen (BC) Dense Blazing Star (ON) Dwarf Hackberry (ON) Eastern Prairie White Fringed Orchid (ON) False Rue-anemone (ON) Fernald’s Milk-vetch (QC, NF) Few-flowered Club-rush (ON) Giant Helleborine (BC) Green Dragon (ON, QC) Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster (QC, NB, PE) Hare-footed Locoweed (AB) Hill’s Pondweed (ON) Hop Tree (ON, QC) Indian Plantain (ON) Long’s Bulrush (NS) Lilaeopsis (NS) Mackenzie Hairgrass (SK)* Macoun’s Meadowfoam (BC) New Jersey Rush (NS) Oldgrowth Specklebelly Lichen (BC) Phantom Orchid (BC) Provancher’s Fleabane (QC) Seaside Bone Lichen (BC) Shumard Oak (ON) Smooth Goosefoot (AB,SK,MB) Soapweed (AB) Swamp Rose Mallow (ON) Victorin’s Gentian (QC) Victorin’s Water Hemlock (QC) Western Silver-leaf Aster (MB,ON) Wild Hyacinth (ON) Willow Aster (ON)* For more information on species at risk, contact our Endangered Species Program Coordinator, Marc Johnson. Page last updated: August 16, 1999 URL: <http://www.cnf.ca/species_list>
September 25	During the next short while, the new buyers of the north parcel of Kirksland will have the opportunity to test the restraints containing their newly-purchased property. We, who live here, will have time to reflect on what may have been lost: walking paths to the river, to Fossil Mountain, the unhampered movement of wildlife, a great swatch of rangeland - painstakingly assembled by Dr.Geddes and Jim McKay to support the Irrigation Project of Columbia Valley Orchards, made less useful and less productive by being broken-up into individual lots again after 87 years of being unified. It makes one think of the difference in equity built-up in that land over those years by the people of the province contrasted to the equity assumed in just over one year by the land speculators: 87 years of taxes at managed-forest level saved the land owner the comparative, present -day value of $1077/acre (selling price) less $31/Acre (special tax assessment). Savings of $1077-$31 = $1046/Acre per year for 5900 acres for 87 years would be a savings in $536,000,000 of assessment with comensurate savings in land tax in today's values. This method of slight exaggeration only throws more light on the type of marketing that could result in property values zooming from $31/acre (favourable tax assessment under the Managed Forest Long Range Plan) to $1077/acre for protected land (ALR and FLR) Tax has been minimal on this land over the years, some equity in its status as rangeland must have been built-up! The provincial, regional and aboriginal interest in the 'Luxor Trail" is unmeasurable. It may mean nothing to many who know nothing of it, much to others who were brought-up with its stories. As an aboriginal trail, it has automatic designation as an archeological site, native people value it as the ancient trail to the Stoneys and the hunting grounds of the foothills. Today it has value as a means of access through all this recently disturbed land and a connection to a proud, independant time. The value of this trail now and over all those years to the people of the province must be equal to the tiny portion of the claimed total of $3 million, $10 million (or whatever the speculators paid) for the long, narrow strip property winding up through the hills. It is the effect of this property sale on the wildlife that has uncounted value, though. Nowhere do we see recognition of the narrow corridor that must exit from the Pinnacle, Luxor, and Kindersley drainages, that connects to the fine, low pass over to the Kootenay and Beaverfoot. A man-made dam on this flow would render unproductive tens of thousands of acres of crown wildlife range bottled-up beyond the corridor. The land is not flat here, everything flows through the Vermillion corridor from water to wildlife to forest access roads to the flume. It is disappointing that our government did not try harder to protect this vital corridor when there was the chance through ensuring these features were fairly represented when the property was granted its prospectus, but WAIT a minute! The B.C. Government had NO say over this matter, it was just Albertan-owned land being sold in Alberta to Albertans. A fine ending to community, historic, and environmental values. But that's just the way it works. With the automatic dumping of this land into the residential tax category (should we count on this, this time?) the new owners may wish to look at reclaiming some of the privileged tax-status this land previously enjoyed. Perhaps, when they look at the lack of access to the river, to the mountains, to the trails into the hills they will be persuaded to listen to the advantages of covenants and rights-of-way for both wildlife and people here. Perhaps we shall finally get the covenanted protection on these natural and historic features that we have been working towards for three years.

We need a lot of things looked after in the next while to stop this business of preying on protected grazing land, using the laws of realty to gain control, then marketing the dickens out of it all over the world.
There should be people phoning the MLA, Honorable Jim Doyle, to get him working on identifying the faults in Realty Legislation that allowed this entire schmozzle to develop - why is property of this value allowed to be disembowelled by Albertan realtors with no controls by the B.C. Realty branch? All the work KRS had done for three years had NO effect on the Alberta Realty Branch, although they say it should have.
Let your support of the ALR shine through, this far-sighted legislation is now about the only protection rural livelihoods and wildlife have from these land predators. Please contact your representatives and candidates and let them know your thoughts on this.

If you wish to work with the KRS group, please contact us through e-mail or at "Kirksland Restoration Society, GD Edgewater, B.C."
We particularly need help from people with experience and connections in Wildlife Migratory Patterns, Ancient Native Trails, Law, Realty, and in working effectively with the media. We need more historical and ecological material for our web pages on the the Luxor Corridor, so if you know some history of the trail and the game migration routes please let us know.
Anyone who knows the names and addresses of any of the new owners is asked to post them on our Guest Comments page so that we can all know our new neighbours and make efforts to persuade them to covenant these important features:
The wildlife corridor, the Vermillion Trail (Luxor Trail) and the Flume need to be protected by covenants so that the self-interested needs of one new owner cannot spoil a feature that should be prized heritage for all. It may be possible to make peace with these people once they realize how they have been misguided into buying thousands of acres of vital winter range as recreational property

The Regional District of East Kootenay declined to update our Community Plan while there was the chance to set some guidelines and protection for community needs and land usage. Please let them know that people who live in the Edgewater District also have claim on planning budgets, especially in an emergency situation where their most critical water-bearing systems are jeopardised and access to the river and to crown land is cut-off from all sides. There are people who do not go anywhere by foot, but there are just as many that feel locked in when surrounded by PRIVATE LAND, NO TRESPASSING signs on the paths that in some cases have been used for hundreds of years.
This situation was unnecessary, KRS had been working to avoid it for three years, the Windermere Valley Rod and Gun Club had stared several years before that. The people in Victoria are just now aware of the problem. What went wrong? We are due a little support from our elected representatives and from our salaried bureaucrats. We all need protection from the new, agressive and litigeous form of real estate marketing invading this valley.
We all must call upon our representatives to have laws rewritten and new laws written to make disadvantageous the dealings that have broken up this land in spite of all efforts. If by chance there is a way to work with good intentioned land-owners. Perhaps some of the good intentions have been frustrated by the ALR's opposition to habitat corridors in what is generally regarded as superior wildlife range.
The need of wildlife for room to graze and ways to move is a new realization overall, leading to the Y to Y corridor concept whereby development and Urban Dams are kept out of the choice habitat corridors in the Rocky Mountain Corridor from Yukon to Yellowstone. This is about the only chance left in North America to restore a functional migratory range for wildlife. Kirksland is on a key bottleneck in one of the best ancilliary trail-routes - the Luxor Corridor.
This sale was a giant step backwards in the development of a rational plan for wildlife and the community, this plan MUST be pushed ahead if there is to be hope for the wildlife species
KRS' battle needs higher profiles in the press and the electronic media, if you can help with this, please help us to do so. Contact us at kirksland@hotmail.com or contact a director or one of the working committee for KRS.