Update from Michelle Wiebe, Area Supervisor - BC Parks (Southern Rivers Area)

Hello All!

Thank you to Sylvia Currie and Corinne Schock for inviting me to participate in the Lac Le Jeune Community blog. I believe this will be a great opportunity for me, on behalf of BC Parks, to communicate with the residents in continuing to have an open dialogue in regards to the management of the provincial park.

As you may recall, on September 10, 2015, Sylvia posted a document on the blog I was to present at the LLJ Conservation Association Annual General Meeting.  Since then, I have continued to have conversations with some of you and have made some progress on a few of the items I listed.

FireSmart:
With ongoing conversations with some in the LLJ community, there is an interest to move towards implementing some "FireSmart" principles - particularly in the southwest portion of the park (across the lake from the developed campground).

On February 10, 2016 a Facebook post highlighted some progress the BC Wildfire Service(BCWS) is having in an area of the province with a similar arrangement (provincial park adjacent to private property) - see the link at http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=2579

I have had several meeting with the Kamloops Fire Centre staff (the Kamloops portion of the BCWS) regarding implementing FireSmart principles in this portion of the park for this upcoming field season - depending on the weather (and other BCWS factors) they are anticipating conducting burning activities as early as possible - March 2016 is possible.  Their intent is to minimize any potential risk of fire spreading to the adjacent neighbours should a fire happen to initiate in this part of the provincial park - and implementing FireSmart activities at the time of year that will be the least disruptive to the community and/or users of the park.  I will be working closely with the BCWS so please contact me if you have any questions.

I hope everyone is having a great February and getting outside as much as possible for some "natural therapy."

Thank you again Sylvie and Corinne.

Michelle Wiebe, Area Supervisor - BC Parks (Southern Rivers Area)