You are invited...

Leslee Lucy and Jim Adams will be hosting a Meet and Greet BBQ for MLA Jackie Tegart at their home.

3728 Ridgemont Drive

Tuesday Aug 30 from 5:30 - 8:30

This is an opportunity for you to socialize with your Lac Le Jeune community and give Jackie a voice for any concerns you feel you would like to have addressed.

Please call or text 250-574-4730 to RSVP, so they can plan food and drink accordingly.

~ Leslee Lucy~

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Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association AGM Agenda

LAC LE JEUNE

CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

When: Sunday August 14, 2016, 11:00 – 12:00 
Where: Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park Day Area Shelter

There will be a BBQ lunch to follow for LLJCA families and guests, including fun activities for kids!

AGENDA

11:00 – 11:30

1. Approval of the AGM minutes of August 30, 2015
   
2. Water Monitoring Project
   
3. Ajax Mine Community Advisory Group
   
4. Citizens on Patrol
   
5. Invasive Plants Program
   
6. Community Directory
   
7. Treasurer's report
   
   11:30 – 11:55 Guest Speakers 
   
   
8. RCMP
   
9. TNRD
10. BC Parks (see report)
11. Kamloops Bike Riders Association
    
    11:55 – 12:00
    
12. Elections
13. Meeting Adjournment 

Report from Michelle Wiebe, BC Parks

Here is an update from Michelle Wiebe on activities related to BC Parks and Lac Le Jeune.

---

Hi All!

I hope everyone is having a great summer this year despite the weather that seems to be all over the place!

I have spent quite a bit of time in Lac Le Jeune this year - particularly in the last couple of weeks - as you will see in the attachment.

Despite Sylvia Currie inviting me to the 2016 LLJ AGM awhile ago, I am unable to attend - I apologize for missing it again. 

I am including a summary of the highlights of the projects BC Parks has been working on in 2016 - please see attached PDF.

I hope your meeting is productive and fun for all of those attend - I will be there in spirit!

Much appreciated,

Michelle

Area Supervisor                      

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southern Rivers Area               Thompson-Cariboo Region    

Ministry of Environment           BC Parks & Conservation Officer Service

1259 Dalhousie Drive                Kamloops, BC, V2C 5Z5

Office: 250-371-6286              Cell: 250-319-7267       Fax: 250-828-4000

Email: Michelle.Wiebe@gov.bc.ca

Bear and Cub on Gus Johnson

John Krawchuck reported a sow bear and cub sighting on the Gus Johnson. They were spotted this morning around 8am at 50.47634, -120.48322, near the gate close to Big Bay, known as Pirate Bay to some.

I added a Wildlife Sighting marker to our new Lac Le Jeune Community Map. If you spot wildlife you can add a marker to the map, along with the date and approximate time. No log in required. Adding markers is mostly for fun, but it might also help us to make decisions about where to venture out if there are persistent sightings, and over time we might begin to see patterns. Feel free to add historical data as well!

Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association - Time to Renew Your Membership!

Membership in the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association is $10 per household, per year. The funds support conservation work and education in our community.

You can pay your annual membership fees

at the Annual General Meeting:

August 14, 2016 at 11:00am 

followed by a BBQ lunch and activities for the kids

Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park Day Area Shelter

or at any time by mailing a cheque to the address on the form.

Invasive Plants Program

Thanks to Corinne Schock, LLJ Conservation Association President, for hosting an information session, and to Dr. Catherine Tarasoff, a representative from the TNRD Noxious Weeds Program, for sharing her expertise and advice, we are on our way to implementing an Invasive Plants Program for our community. 

During our information session on August 4, 2016, Catherine Tarasoff outlined the options for weed control and restoration, responded to our questions, and pointed out what to look for during an informative walkabout.

Options:

1. Goats

• This option is very effective; there are several success stories in the Kamloops area.
• Is an expensive option.
• It is a long-term commitment. For example, you don't just bring in goats for one season. 
• Goats are fun :)

2. Herbicide

• Targeted use of herbicides can be effective; it is absorbed into the leaves of only the plants you wish to eradicate. 
• Herbicides like Round Up remain in the soil, so only careful and selective application is advised.
• Timing is important -- early in the season is best.
• Requires knowledge of how to keep yourself safe, and the environmental impact
• Some funding is available through TNRD to share costs of hiring a company with a commercial herbicide applicators license. 
• Certification is available through the Ministry of Agriculture.

3. Bio-control

• Bio-control insects are collected then released in target areas.
• These insects are host-specific, so would eat roots, stems, and seeds in selected plants such as knapweed, and leave other vegetation alone.
• We need to identify areas that have large infestations of specific species. Knapweed is an obvious plant to target.
• Insects travel slowly to extend the size of the target site.
• Hand-pulling weeds outside perimeter of bio-controlled areas will contain the activity.
• As with the Goat program, bio-control is a long term commitment. We won't see results immediately, but with coordinated effort we will eliminate undesirable plants in our area.
• This program is free through TNRD. Lac Le Jeune is officially on the list for introducing insects later in August!

Main considerations for our community plan

• Our goal is to reduce the unwanted plants, but it's equally important to focus on plants we want to introduce.
• Take advantage of resources currently available through TNRD (biocontrol program, free clear plastic bags, free disposal of weeds at transfer stations).
• Liaise with key organizations: Southern Interior Weed Management Committee oversees all efforts.
• Continue with education programs about plants, and processes for controlling them.
• Centralize information about invasive plant sightings and bio-control applications (LLJ blog, community map).
• Coordinate with the company mowing along our roads. If the mowing is scheduled too late in the season it's actually better NOT to mow.
• Recruit members of the community to "adopt" an area and assist with insect collection (Great activity for kids!)
• Document our process and share our story!

Photos from our information session

White Clover

Knapweed

Bugs on knapweed head -- seed eaters. That's good!

One of many types of thistles -- Scotch?

Summer 2016 Conservation Association Flyer

The updated Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association Flyer is available for download and sharing. Pass it around!

Western Toad Migration

Although we don't have an official program in place to assist with the western toad migration across Lac Le Jeune Road, we can all do our part to protect these little guys. The migration has begun, and most of the toads cross in the area between Michell Ranch and Inks Lake overpass (Jacko Lake turn off). Please slow down to a snail's pace when passing through that area, or take the Coquihalla Highway instead. Western Toads are protected under the British Columbia Wildlife Act.

What else can you do to help?
Participate in the BC Frogwatch Program by contributing information about the Western Toad -- incidental sightings or long-term monitoring. Visit the BC Frogwatch Program website for more information.

From the Species Fact Sheet:

One of the greatest impacts on Western Toad populations in B.C. is habitat destruction. Development in and around wetlands can destroy or isolate populations. Migrating toads are killed by traffic on roads. Pollution, the introduction of aquatic predators (e.g., stocking lakes with fish), and the spread of diseases are also harmful. Large-scale concerns such as global warming and ozone depletion can affect Western Toads by changing temperatures, affecting water levels, and increasing ultraviolet radiation. Western Toads are on the provincial Yellow List, and are considered a species of conservation concern. 

Searching for Felix

UPDATE AUG 2: 

FELIX FOUND IN KNUTSFORD AREA. YAY!

Felix, a husky type dog, went missing Sunday, July 31, 2016. He was last spotted on Park Drive East on Sunday, appeared frightened, and would not get close to people. He is wearing a collar with tags.

If you see Felix or know anything about his whereabouts, please call Angela (the dog's owner) at 250-864-0845.