Kelowna Capital News – April 6, 2017
The Okanagan Basin Water Board, which called last week’s announcement by Premier Christy Clark that the province is beefing up its measures to keep invasive mussels out of B.C. lakes and waterways a “definite step forward,” says there’s still more the province can, and should, do.
“A lot of the items that have been on our wish list were announced,” said OBWB chairwoman Tracy Gray. “As Premier Christy Clark noted, the province received our list of recommendations and has been working through it. We look forward to continuing to work with the province to close other potential loopholes that put our waters at risk. This includes tightening regulations.”
While Clark announced 35 more auxiliary conservation officers will be hired for boat and watercraft inspections, and two more inspection stations added, the water board wants to see the new recruits made full-status officers so they’ll have the authority to pursue anyone who fails to stop at a station and have their watercraft inspected.