Now open! Stake Lake ski trails

The Stake Lake Ski Trails opened today! It's a late start to the season and the classic tracks aren't set but you are able to skate on several of the trails. Until conditions improve day tickets are 50% off.

Moose alert

Keep an eye out when in and around the provincial park campsite area. Yesterday Dana Mattice was charged by a cow moose protecting her calf. 

Not the actual moose :) 

Election time!

Local government elections for TNRD regional district area representatives are held every four years. The next scheduled general local election is Saturday, October 20, 2018.

This website has information about the voting process, including when and where to vote, and what to bring.

Area J Candidates are:
Ronaye Elliot
Corine LeBourdais

There is very little information about the area J candidates. If you attended the candidate information sessions in August, or know where we can read about their platforms, please share!

Click for a larger view

Minutes of the LLJCA AGM - September 9, 2018

Lac le Jeune Conservation Association 

Annual General Meeting

Sept 9, 2018

Meeting called to order 11:15

1. Adoption of minutes for the 2017 AGM. Moved and seconded.

2. Treasurer’s Report 

Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association 2017  Financial Report
Balance at 04/30/2017	$1,511.92	$1,511.92
Revenue:
Memberships	$310.00
Interest	$0.78
TNRD-Conservation Projects	$500.00
Total:	$810.78	$810.78
Expenses:
BC Society Annual Report	$40.00
Copying - Membership/LLJCA info	$72.64
Insurance	$580.00
Total:	$692.64	-$692.64
Balance as at 04/30/2018		$1,630.06
GIC Current Value		$2,613.63

3. Lake Monitoring report – Howie MattfieldThe small team of volunteers continue to test and report their findings for both the big and little lake. Marg Sidney has officially retired now but will try to continue to assist the group. BC Lake Stewardship Society (BCLSS), MOE, Provincial Lake Network Program might all be combined into one society in the future. Mike Socale in Penticton is the new contact for the monitoring program. The large lake will continue to be monitored regularly between ice off and ice on period. This information will be sent to the LLJCA. Significant changes have been evident in both lakes including the reduction in visibility and oxygen levels. Becoming a part of the watershed membership should still be looked at. Greg Louvros and Jim are interesting in finding out more about it. There may be funding through MOE and the TNRD. A committee will be formed to further investigate this and the funding aspect. Perhaps Marg will be interested in being on this committee. The watershed study includes the entire area around the lake including streams and would include stream enhancement. MOF (forests) may have program to assist with stream enhancement. Ontario has a group that we know of that did a project of this type but it was a lot of work and had many volunteers. Of course, improving the watershed will improve the lake and our water quality.

**Volunteers are still needed to assist in the monitoring. The time commitment is once per month, 1-1.5 hours, always in the daytime and in good weather conditions only.**

4. Water conservation was briefly brought up by Cindy Swain. She suggested we could work with REWIS (for the subdivision) in posting water conservation tips on line like low flow toilets or adhering to specific watering times but have this directed at all citizens of the community.

5. Increasing the bat population was also brought up by Cindy Swain. She has been in contact with Doug Burles who is registered with the BC Community Bat Program which is also part of the Kamloops Naturalist club. He provided two pamphlets for us to distribute: one is about building a bat house and the other about moving bats from your home if that is an issue. According to him, LLJ should have a good population but with the terrible summer we had with insects this past year, any improvement in numbers of bats would be beneficial. Some people had success with bat houses while others did not.

6. Steve Roy made the Lac Le Jeune Community Contact List available to everyone at the meeting. He asked that everyone check the information for accuracy and contact him with changes. Contact information is on the list. He is also setting up a private email list as a way to distribute this list in the future.

Steve also added a few information items to add to the meeting:
He can bring people Mason Bees from his place at the coast. He has brought up some and housed them in tube nesting houses with much success. They do not produce honey but are excellent pollinators.

He also has a few LLJ t-shits available. He will make them available for a donation to the Conservation Association. As well, if anyone is interested in obtaining more LLJ glass wear, at a price of approx $5.60 per glass. Contact Steve if you are interesting.

7. BC Parks – Michelle Weibe. Michelle was able to attend the AMG and has been working with BC Parks since 2007. She managed 19 Provincial Parks in our area and is the area supervisor. Proceeds for the BC Parks license plates actually does go to PC Parks and this year it enabled her to have Rangers this year which is the first time in four years. She provided a newsletter for our perusal.

8. Invasive Plant Program – Dr Catherine Tarasoff. TNRD continues to offer the bio control program for its area and the spotted knapweed is still a concern. A specific type of weevil is used to eat the root system which over time, makes the weed smaller and smaller. The TNRD has a invasive plant control committee and she has suggestions how to start the eradication exercise in our area:
a.    Determine perimeter of area on a map
b.    Determine priority values (high/med/low)
c.     Determine risk rating of invasion (high/med/low)

This process will narrow down the scope of need and will determine where to start. Resources can then be put towards this process. She also suggested we determine:
a.    What resources we have (volunteers) and
b.    How much time do we allocate.

This will all assist in our community weed management plan. Catherine will be our contact to assist. The more the community is involved, the better change to eradicate invasive weeds. If LLJ does this, it will be the first community in BC. She also suggested a “BioBlitz” which is taking one hour, one day, or one week and concentrating on one area to get the ball rolling. This can also be done for bird counts, amphibian, mammal or plant recognition. She also has a concern about Erasion Millfoil in our lake and preventing it from entering our water system. Even signs at the boat launch to education boaters would be a good idea. Anyone interested in this, please contact Corinne Schock.

9. Wildfire Prevention planning needs to be addressed again. There is more work to be done in clearing in our area. Funding is being made available from the Provincial Govertnment. Although Clay Govett wasn’t able to attend the AGM, he is looking into this and the contact person to volunteer. More information will be posted on the blog.

10. TNRD – Ronaye Elliot: Ronaye had a donation cheque for the LLJ Conservation Association which she presented. The invasive plant issue was again brought up and the need for a committee. The TNRD voiced their concerns with the various GOVT Ministries and the lack of progress or accountability and the GOVT listened and has made funding available to assist with this.

Ronaye isn’t satisfied with the new recycling provider but we need to make ourselves aware of the new procedures and follow them. To not do so will result in the TNRD being fined. Jamie Vieira is the manager of the TNRD solid waste dept.

There has been a huge change with the regulation of volunteer fire dept in the TNRD district. The TNRD can no longer assist in funding the volunteers and have to own the dept outright. The TNRD will be taking over five such departments to ensure they continue to assist citizens in their areas.
There is also no funding available to small, private water systems like the LLJ REWIS. The IHA will continue to monitor as per the Canadian Drinking Water Standards act and work will have to be done to improve the system as the standards continue to get more stringent. Small water systems may not be able to sustain themselves and will have to be taken over by the TNRD. Ronaye does not agree with this and would like to avoid this.

There is federal money available, however, for trail improvements which we should look at. 18% of the taxes received through the TNRD are from our area.

11. Other Business

Sylvia has made the information and registration for the Bear Spray workshop available on the blog and the facebook page. Please register asap as it is being held Sept 13th.

Corinne Schock announced that since her house was for sale, she would be stepping down as president but will remain on the Association board. No one stepped forward so Cindy Swain was elected President. The Vice-President position will remain empty until next year’s AGM. Also, an Area Rep for the Little Lake is needed.

Meeting adjourned.

Minutes prepared by Cynthia Swain

Reminder: TNRD Mobile Library Visit

Quick reminder! The TNRD Mobile Library will be in Lac Le Jeune Friday, September 21, from 11:00 to noon. It pulls in beside the community bulletin board and mailboxes.

Ski season is coming!

Registration for the 2018/19 ski season at Stake Lake is open! Early bird rates end November 15th.

News Release: Government partners with communities on wildfire risks

News Release
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2018FLNR0259-001733 Sept. 10, 2018	Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
Government partners with communities on wildfire risks
WHISTLER – The new Community Resiliency Investment Program will provide up to $50 million over the next three years to local governments and First Nations to help reduce wildfire risks around their communities. “Wildfires don’t recognize the difference between municipal, on-reserve or provincial Crown land, and neither should the programs designed to address those fires,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “The new Community Resiliency Investment Program was designed from the ground up to address long-standing concerns with the way we were dealing with wildfire risks throughout the province.” The Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) Program takes a holistic approach to wildfire risk reduction and fuel management treatments, and will consider fire prevention activities on provincial Crown land and private land, in addition to local government and reserve land. “The First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of B.C. is proud to have collaborated on this project and assisted in developing a program that will serve to help reduce the risk of wildfire in and around Indigenous communities,” said Brent Langlois, executive director of the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of B.C. “Together we can help to mitigate wildfire risk and protect communities in British Columbia.” A key component of the new program is that it allows communities to apply for funding to cover up to 100% of their wildfire risk reduction projects, as opposed to the previous cost-sharing requirements. The types of activities eligible for funding have also been expanded to include more activities covered by the FireSmart program’s seven disciplines. “Local governments are looking for additional resources to reduce the risk of wildfire to their residents,” said Wendy Booth, president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. “This new program builds on previous investments and provides communities with more options on the types of land that can be treated.” As part of Budget 2018, the B.C. government committed $50 million over three years to help reduce wildfire risks around communities. Up to $10 million will be available in the 2018-19 fiscal year, with $20 million available in each of the following two fiscal years. The Community Resiliency Investment Program is a big part of this renewed commitment and it will replace the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative. The new program will include two distinct funding streams: FireSmart Community Funding and Supports: First Nations and local governments can apply for funding of up to $100,000 for activities that will help reduce wildfire risks. High Value Assets and Critical Infrastructure Protection: This program is currently being developed and will focus on protecting important, provincially owned infrastructure (such as power lines and highways) from wildfire threats. The first application intake for the Community Resiliency Investment Program (for up to $10 million in total in the 2018-19 fiscal year) opens Monday, Sept. 10, and will close on Dec. 7, 2018. Applications will be evaluated by the B.C. FireSmart Committee and project funding will be administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities. “The Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. is pleased to collaborate with our partner agencies on the development of the CRI program,” said Steve Kozuki, executive director of the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. “We believe it’s important to have a co-ordinated effort like this, with specialists working together, to ensure both the resiliency and enhancement of B.C.’s forests now and in the future.” The Community Resiliency Investment Program is separate from and complements the funding program administered by the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. As of June 2018, the B.C. government has invested $235 million in the society, with over $134 million allocated to date for wildfire risk reduction, reforestation, forest rehabilitation, wildlife habitat restoration and raising awareness of the FireSmart program. Quick Facts: The number and severity of wildfires in B.C. has increased in recent years, resulting in more potential threats to life, property and quality of life. The Community Resiliency Investment Program will focus on mitigating risks to communities by addressing existing funding gaps and making more activities that align with FireSmart disciplines eligible for funding. The B.C. FireSmart Committee is a partnership between: the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development; the Office of the Fire Commissioner; the Fire Chiefs’ Association of British Columbia; the Union of B.C. Municipalities; the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of B.C. and the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. Learn More: Applications for Community Resiliency Investment Program funding can be submitted through the Union of B.C. Municipalities website: www.ubcm.ca The FireSmart Homeowner’s Manual was developed to help people reduce the risk of personal property damage due to wildfires. The manual and more information about the FireSmart program are available here: http://gov.bc.ca/firesmart Read more about the FireSmart program on the FireSmart Canada website: https://www.firesmartcanada.ca/ A backgrounder follows.
Contact:
Media Relations Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development 250 356-7506

BACKGROUNDER
For Immediate Release 2018FLNR0259-001733 Sept. 10, 2018	Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
More fire prevention activities eligible for funding
Mitigating wildfire risks is a shared responsibility of the provincial government, local governments, First Nations, industry, stakeholders and individual British Columbians. FireSmart is the Canadian standard recognized by all provinces and territories for reducing wildfire risks. It is based on National Fire Protection Association standards that have evolved over the last 40 years. FireSmart is backed by a vast amount of field, laboratory and modelling research. Its methods have been demonstrated time and time again to reduce the risk of losses, under even the most extreme fire conditions. The types of fire prevention work eligible for funding under the new Community Resiliency Investment Program are being expanded to include more activities covered by the FireSmart program’s seven disciplines: education vegetation management legislation and planning development considerations inter-agency co-operation emergency planning cross-training Individual British Columbians can play a crucial role in mitigating wildfire risks on private property by undertaking FireSmart initiatives around their homes. The FireSmart Homeowner’s Manual includes a checklist to assess potential wildfire risks and advice on how to reduce those threats. The manual and more information about the FireSmart program are available here: http://gov.bc.ca/firesmart
Contact:
Media Relations Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development 250 356-7506

Fuel Modification: Step 1 - Wildfire Prevention Plan

Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash

As we continue efforts for fuel modification in our community, we will be working on an up-to-date Wildfire Prevention Plan.

We are looking for volunteers to assist with this process. There are several resources available and models to follow from communities that have been successful in implementing an effective program.

If you are interested in becoming involved please contact Contact Clay Govett at gmail dot com

Summer 2018 News

Download a copy (PDF) of the Summer 2018 Lac Le Jeune news.

AGM Agenda

LAC LE JEUNE

CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

When: Sunday September 9, 2018, 11:00 – 12:30
Where: Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park Day Area Shelter

There will be a snacks and refreshments for LLJCA families and guests.

Special requests: 

• Bring your own mug or glass
• Refer to the minutes of the 2017 AGM ahead of the meeting. A few printed reference copies will be made available at the meeting
• Bring $10 to maintain your LLJCA membership 

1. Adoption of minutes from the 2017 AGM
2. Treasurer's report – Leyla Johnson
3. Lake Monitoring Program – Howie Mattfeld & Hugh Burton
4. Conserving water  – Cindy Swain
5. Increasing bat population – Cindy Swain
6. Community contact & mailing list – Steve Roy
7. RCMP report – Cpl TBA
8. BC Parks – Michelle Weibe
9. Invasive Plant Program – Dr. Catherine Tarasoff
10. Fire Safe Community – Clay Govett
11. TNRD area J representative – Ronaye Elliot
12. Kamloops Bike Riders Association – Paul Berry (tentative)
13. Elections: Little Lake rep, Vice President
14. Other business