Grassland preservation pondered by politicians

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star - April 20, 2008

With much of the North Okanagan’s natural grasslands gone, attempts are being made to preserve a small chunk of what’s left. On Thursday, the Greater Vernon Services Committee discussed the concept of acquiring grassland for an environmental reserve. “There’s some interest of buying land of that type and it’s identified in the master parks plan,” said chairman Gary Corner. A primary push for grassland protection has come from director Buffy Baumbrough. “It’s important that local groups come on side and I’ve received a lot of community interest on this,” she said. The most likely locations are in the Commonage and the Bella Vista/O’Keefe Range area, but actually acquiring property could prove challenging. “They’ve been looking at the O’Keefe Range but they’ve been told there’s nothing for sale,” said director Cliff Kanester. Any potential land acquisition would also be impacted by the high cost of real estate, as well as demands for other public amenities.

“We’re still looking for a place to put ball diamonds and there’s beaches and trails,” said Kanester. Residents approved borrowing $7.5 million in a 2005 referendum for park land acquisition, and about $5.5 million of that is still left. There is also about $6.5 million also sitting in GVSC accounts through development cost charges. But even with money in place, Kanester questions if now is the time to borrow money because of the impact on taxpayers. “Overall, the economic picture doesn’t look so bright. Maybe we should hold off for a bit,” he said. Baumbrough says options for funding property acquisition are being considered, including approaching various trusts for grants. There have also been discussions with the provincial government but they have been unsuccessful. “The province doesn’t have the resources to create a park with provincial status,” said Baumbrough.Thursday’s discussions aren’t the only indication of GVSC looking at grasslands. The agency hopes to create an environmental reserve at Rose’s pond in the Commonage.The pond and surrounding grasslands are on 230 acres of land owned by the provincial government and leased by the City of Vernon.

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Don Quixote Note: As I remember the referendum on the borrowing in 2005 of the $7.5 million , it has a 5 year end date for the money to be used i.e. 2010. Hopefully if the remaining authorized money is borrowed prior to this deadline it will be actually used for Parkland purchases that can be used by all the Greater Vernon area residents.

They must not simply borrow this money, activating a tax against current taxpayers and let the money sit in the reserves for future politicians to use on their flavour of the day Political Legacy. Reserves by stealth as they are currently building up in the Performing Arts Building function as well as the Wesbilt (Multiplex) function must be stopped unless the people agree to their formation. Borrowing this remaining $5.5 million in reserves looking for a place to spend it defeats the original 5 year deadline of the referendum that I along with an overwhelming majority of the people supported.

As to the comment “The province doesn’t have the resources to create a park with provincial status,” said Baumbrough.'

Either does the local municipal taxpayer. Get the Province to put us on an even playing field where we don't put up 40% for hospital capital financing as opposed to 0% that occurs in the lower mainland, get them to put up a larger percentage of the more than $26 million that is the casino 'Win' with about 6% being retained by the local host municipality and then we may be in a position to consider funding a small portion of a Provincial Park.

Protect the grasslands where possible but build us tot parks, community parks, sports facilities etc with our borrowed money. Furthermore I could be wrong but doubt that DCC monies can be legally used for the purchase of an environmental reserve.