| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
Stage II of the Salmo River Watershed-based Fish Sustainability Plan has been lengthy but rewarding. Starting in early 2000 the Columbia Kootenay Fisheries Renewal Partner (CKFRP) supported the ‘Salmo Working Group’. By late June, the Working Group reached consensus for immediate conservation and restoration projects, as well as conditional support for a strategic planning initiative. Collaborative, community-based stewardship was seen as an essential characteristic for increasing the health of the aquatic ecosystem in the Salmo River Watershed. In 2002, the Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society (SWSS) joined the CKFRP and proposed that the strategic planning initiative should adopt the Watershed-based Fish Sustainability Planning (WFSP) framework developed by the governments of B.C. and Canada, whose overall goal is to ensure “longterm conservation of fish and fish habitat”. This proposal was endorsed and a Watershed Planning Team (WPT) and a Watershed Technical Team (WTT) were formed in the summer of 2002 with a broad representation of watershed interests, including industry, government and community and technical expertise. As a critical first step in the WFSP process, consultants were contracted to prepare detailed Watershed and Riparian Profiles. Following completion and adoption of these profiles in the summer of 2003, a series of WPT, WTT and public meetings were held between September 2003 and March 2004, to gather community input and direction with a view to developing a plan and setting priorities for the Salmo River watershed. The outcome was the establishment of three plan components – a strategic overview, a strategic direction and strategic options. From the many options that were discussed and considered, the following five key objectives were selected as priority areas: _ Promote conservation and stewardship action by local residents, businesses and governments _ Restore the physical functioning of riparian, floodplain and aquatic ecosystems. _ Conserve available habitats and restore riparian floodplain functions as opportunities arise. _ Restore and enhance instream habitats. _ Effectively manage fish harvesting. Public outreach and community involvement have been essential elements throughout this process, leading up to the completion of Stage II, as they will continue to be for the next two stages of the WFSP. The additional documentation contained in the Appendices of this report provides a thorough overview of the history of this process to date, and serves to keep it as open and transparent as possible. |
