“Canada will have lost $60 Billion in revenue between 2007 and 2013 from corporate tax cuts enacted since 2007 along!!”

Landslide risks raised by large rainfall storms.

VICTORIA-Last months heavy rainfalls heighten concerns that large rainfall events are occurring more often than predicted, and that forestry standards need to be revisited to insure that road and harvest areas are designed to withstand them, according to a report released today.

The Forest Practices Board looked at landslide occurrence on Southern Vancouver Island following two major storms that took place in November 2006. It found that many more landslides occurred following those storms tha did in the two years leading up to the storms.

“Storms of the magnitude we saw in 2006, and again last month, are predicted to occur more frequently than was previously thought,” said board chair Bruce Fraser.
“Forest managers and practitioners need to consider the possibility of larger more frequent storms when designing and constructing roads and bridges, as well as locating harvest blocks,” said Fraser.

More frequent large storms are predicted to be a consequence of climate change. Heavy rains and winds can cause soils to become saturated, trees to blow over and loosen soil, and landslides can result. While landslides can have a positive impacts to streams, they can also bury productive land, cause large amounts of debris and sediment to enter streams and impact fish habitat and water quality, and can wash out highways, forest roads and bridges.

The Forest Practices Board are BC’s watch dog for sound forest and range practices, reporting it’s findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board can investigate and report on current forestry and range issues and make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.

More information can be obtained by contacting:

Helen Davies
Communications
Forest Practices Board
Phone:250 213-4708 / 1-800 994-5899

PERRY RIDGE WATER USERS ASSOCIATION
Presents

“North End of Perry Ridge -A Bird’s Eye View”

Helicopter flight over Slocan River and Perry Ridge – May 20, 2011

Place:  Perry Siding Threads Guild
Date: June 23, 2011
Time: 7:00 pm

Video Footage and Understanding the Complex Hydrology and Terrain on Perry Ridge – Dr. Tony Salway

Video Footage Randy Kenny – Director,  Perry Ridge Water Users Association

Slide show Photo Gallery – Lucas Jmieff

Marilyn James, Sinixt Appointed Spokesperson- Welcome and Sinixt Legal Update

Dr. Nathan Goodale -  2009 Archaeological Investigations at the Slocan Narrows Pithouse Village (DkQi1, 2, and 17), Southeastern British Columbia

By Donation

Donate to Save Perry Ridge

Your support is needed  in our continued efforts to protect and save Perry Ridge.  Please make a donation to our  PayPal button on the sidebar…any amount will be greatly appreciated.
The funds are needed to pay for the:

• 1. Legal Fees to Protect Perry Ridge.
• 2. Expert Studies - Field Work, Wildlife, Fisheries studies,
  environmental impact studies and…
• 3. Community Educational Events.

Thank You…PRWUA
Marilyn Burgoon

Lemon Creek pours into the Slocan River

Delving deep to uncover local history in the Slocan Valley

http://thenelsondaily.com/news/general/delving-deep-uncover-local-history-slocan-valley-11874

Regional Incidence of Landslides…pdf

“An important category of landslides occur some distance below roads, below a culvert or a point of accidental drainage discharge. In many of these cases the road itself is on gently slopping, low-hazard terrain, and the landslide occurs on steeper terrain below. This is know as the “Gentle-Over Steep Situation”

March 31, 2011
Premier Christy Clark
PO Box 9041
Stn. Prov. Govt.
Victoria BC V8W 9E2

Re: Perry Ridge, Slocan Valley, British Columbia

Dear Premier Clark:

Congratulations on becoming the Premier of British Columbia. Our Association members are encouraged by your words that you intend to represent the people of British Columbia.

We are enclosing a box of background documents, including letters and petitions that clearly support our position that the appropriate protection for families, who live at the base of this unique fragile mountain, is to protect the remaining intact area as a protected area.

Protection of Perry Ridge has the support of the Maude Barlow, United Nations Advisor on Water to the President of the United Nations General Assembly and Dr. Robert Sandford, Bob Sandford is the EPCOR Chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of United Nations “Water for Life” Decade. This national partnership initiative aims to advance long-term water quality and availability issues in response to climate change in this country and abroad. In this capacity, Bob also sits on the Advisory Committee for the prestigious Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy. See attached petition with Maude Barlow’s signature and an e-mail from Dr. Robert Sandford.

Over the past two decades Perry Ridge Water Users Association (PRWUA incorporated in 1983 as Non-profit society) has obtained signatures for various proposals for protection regarding the Perry Ridge landscape. These proposals have been sent to various BC Government ministries.   Many options to resolve this long standing contentious area have been sent to Victoria. Proposals such as removal of the area from the annual cut based on instability and its linkage to the valley bottom above homes and farms, designating Perry Ridge as a park extension to Valhalla Provincial Park as a further legacy of the late Colleen McCrory, designating the area as an ecological reserve and most recently designating Perry Ridge as a wilderness preserve.

The chronology of support for protection is included.  These proposals have evolved over the years to reflect the risks associated with road building, logging and mining development in close proximity to rural homes and properties on Perry Ridge as well as the downstream effect on the Slocan River and the Little Slocan River.

One of the most important functions of the mid elevation forests on Perry Ridge is its ability to prevent landslides. Within the documents you will see the extensive terrain stability work done on the ridge and the clear warnings as to the effect of increasing water flow in the steep gradient streams that flow to the Slocan River through the private land at the base of the ridge where families live. The attached court case In the Supreme Court of British Columbia between The Attorney General for British Columbia and water users shows the effect of a landslide on a Perry Ridge Water Users Association member Mr. Austin Greengrass.

These support letters and petitions and the professional work within the bound documents are known to BCTS and were presented to the RDCK who have called for hazard mapping of the Slocan Valley.(see document at Tab 16).  This information and support were known to BCTS prior to licensing. We are also enclosing the recent economic study on Perry Ridge by Trevor Jones showing a financial loss. This loss is to the BC taxpayers as BC Timber Sales is a government corporation that is subsidized.

We are enclosing Dr. Goodale’s report on the Slocan River at the base of Perry Ridge and across the river at Lemon Creek. This study identifies the existing impact of sedimentation and erosion on the river banks of this very important archaeological discovery. Protection of this site from further damage, as requested by the Sinixt, aids in the process of truth and reconciliation.

Also at risk is the endangered species the Western Toad, identified as a species of concern on Perry Ridge. The Slocan River and Little Slocan River bull trout and the sculpin, also species of concern require management plans.  We are unaware of any management plans for these species as prescribed under the Species at Risk Act.

The land use plans for Perry Ridge are outdated.  Our Association looks forward to the present Ministry of Environment resolving this long standing safety issue and protects the remaining portions of Perry Ridge.

Due to the proximity to homes, the wilderness preserve would permit fire fighting.  Fire was a community concern when the proposal to have Perry Ridge added to Valhalla Provincial Park or protected as an Ecological Reserve. We look for your support to protect the remaining intact forests on Perry Ridge.

We hope you enjoy the children’s contributions “Young Voices” and that the Slhu7`kin Perry Ridge Wilderness preserve will be a reality and a legacy for them.

Yours truly, PERRY RIDGE WATER USERS ASSOCIATION

Marilyn Burgoon
President

Encls.