A Regional District of North Okanagan official wants hard facts before the dairy industry is blamed for pollution.
Herman Halvorson, rural Enderby director, attended a recent Shuswap Watershed Council meeting and he says a lot of discussion focused on phosphorous in the Shuswap river and lake.
“They are really running at our dairy farms in the North Okanagan,” he said.
“We will have to take some ownership and come up with factual information.”
While dairy farms are important economically, Halvorson says the environment and water quality must also be considered.
“It’s incumbent on us to take the watershed seriously and if there are issues in the watershed, we need to take action. But it needs to be based on science,” he said.
Rural Lumby gun range moves ahead
A proposed private shooting range in rural Lumby is making its way through the bureaucracy.
The Regional District of North Okanagan board has given two readings to rezoning and official community plan bylaws that would allow for a gun range at the five-kilometre mark on the Burnyeat Forest Service Road in Trinity Valley.
However, a public hearing won’t proceed until sound levels are tested at the site.
“We will schedule a sound test and the calibers used there will be measured,” said Rick Fairbairn, RDNO chairperson and rural Lumby director.
The concept for the facility, which would be on 1.48 hectares of a 129-hectare site, first arose in 2013.
Applicant Michael O’Rourke has previously stated the RCMP and military are interested in using his property.
