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City seeks protection for watershed in park

Nov 27, 2019 | 5:10 AM

B.C. Parks is getting input from stakeholders on the future plans for Silver Star Provincial Park.

It’s part of the management planning process for the 5,573 hectare park northeast of Vernon.

The City of Armstrong is providing a report for the province to consider.

Mayor Chris Pieper says the park contains 75 per cent of Armstrong’s Fortune Creek watershed.

“Any planning they do, we definitely want to be involved, and are concerned with what happens there.”

Pieper says they are calling on B.C. Parks to address the vulnerability of their water supply

“That’s anything that could impact the quality of water that we get from the Silver Star Park area.”

A report from council to Parks says including the areas within the park, more than 90 per cent of the watershed area is forested.

“Among other conclusions and recommendations in this report, is a recommendation that logging activity not take place within the watershed. Similarly mining, exploration and development should be restricted together with range use,” said the report to Keith Baric, planning section head for the Okanagan.

Pieper says his council is also calling for a review the fire management plan for the park.

“It has a history of fire, but the last fire up there that burned substanially was probably 80 or 100 years ago but it would have a tremendous impact on Silver Star and our community,” Pieper added.

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