E.COLI COUNTS IN RANGELAND STREAMS: 2016 EDITION

Our full report on testing of representative rangeland (public land) streams in 2015 and 2016 is available in the link below.

 http://www.boundaryalliance.org/e.colireport2016.pdf
 

As in previous reports, the patterns show that E.coli counts are almost entirely related to range-cattle presence or absence and that E.coli counts that could be attributable to wildlife (in the absence of cattle) are negligible or frequently nil.

The multi-year, multi-month scope of this study is unusual in that most studies monitor over shorter periods.

Our 2015-2016 results together with our other reports going back to 2007 provide compelling evidence that

E. coli contamination in streams relates directly to the presence or absence of range-cows.

Testing in 2015-2016 is a continuation of earlier studies, reported in earlier articles:

http://www.boundaryalliance.org/e.coli_report2013.pdf

http://www.boundaryalliance.org/ecolireport2009.pdf

 

The 2013 Report has a full discussion of factors affecting stream contamination (in addition to tenure holders) including the roles of Ministry of Forests and Range, Forest & Range Evaluation Program, BC Cattlemen's Association.

 For all E.coli & Cattle related articles see our web page:

http://www.boundaryalliance.org/ba_008.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

GILPIN GRASSLANDS SAGA: 2016 Edition

The sorry history of “range management” in the Gilpin continued in 2016.

For the complete story see extended article at:     http://www.boundaryalliance.org/gilpin_saga2016.pdf

 The video below tells part of the tale, and if your devices and download speed allow, the video is viewable at up to 1920 x 1080 high definition.

Drone views provide a new perspective.

In 2016 we saw repeats of earlier issues plus some new ones.

• Range cattle invading, damaging, and  contaminating parkland, and a protected area at Gilpin Creek.
• New wildlife unfriendly fencing installed in the Gilpin.
• Flooding of Lost Lake area by tenure holder or agents through failure to set up cattle waterer.
• Will the tenure holder do the right thing in 2017 to prevent damage? Will Range Branch, MFLNRO, ensure it?
• Cattle grazing on public land makes no economic or ecological sense

For previous articles on problems in the Gilpin and on range cattle issues see www.boundaryalliance.org

and the page  http://www.boundaryalliance.org/ba_008.htm

LOST LAKE REVISITED

At the end of April 2014 a group of public minded citizens replaced a section of fence around Lost Lake in the Gilpin Grasslands to better protect the area from off-road vehicles and range cow damage. The new fence was constructed as fully wildlife friendly fencing.

The Story on the new fencing was originally reported Nov 2014  at:    www.boundaryalliance.org/lostlake.pdf     

In spring 2015 Range Branch and Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resources (MFLNRO) and Ministry of Environment, installed signage and a seating bench at Lost Lake, some six years after their original fence construction.   The major message on that signage appears to have been prompted by the concerns raised in our original Nov 2014 article: see section on “Waterer Not Activated.”      
Incredibly the major message on the Governments new signage in 2015:  

1. tried to justify the original placement of the fence as bounding existing riparian vegetation.
2. introduced a long winded and misleading rationale for why there was no water in the waterer.

  Regarding (1) it became apparent over time that the older fence failed to protect existing riparian  vegetation which showed up outside that fence and also failed to provide any worthwhile setback from such vegetation. The original fence placement also did not prevent a throughway for off-road vehicles.  The new wildlife friendly fence installed by public minded citizens in 2014 fixed those problems.

 Regarding (2) the claim on the new signage blaming the City of Grand Forks for not providing water for the waterer, is contrary to what was claimed by MFLNRO in extended conversations with the writer  June 20 2014. See more detail on those discussions in our Nov 2014 article:

www.boundaryalliance.org/lostlake.pdf

Crucially however, the Government’s claim on the sign, that the City of Grand Forks would not provide water for the waterer, is according to the City of Grand Forks, not true.

 In addition to the misleading (or worse) information provided on the sign, the sign is placed looking down the length of the new fence installed in 2014 by volunteers. Viewers of the sign might expect that this new wildlife friendly fence was the work of Government. On the contrary, Range Branch and MFLNRO have resisted such installations despite public concerns and the advice of the Forest Practices Board. MFLNRO was in fact engaged in “investigating who was responsible” for the “unauthorized” new fence while placing this misleading signage that suggests it is their work.

In addition to the serial misrepresentations of the signage, it was installed together with a bench and sign celebrating off-road vehicle usage in the area. The scars on the land from such activities will be apparent in upcoming articles. We wonder if those supporting or sponsoring the signage including the Trails signage are fully aware of the damage done to public land by range-cattle and off road activities.

 

youtube video 3.14 min

if your devices and download speed allow, available at up to 1080 HD

 

 

Our November 2014 article on installation of the new wildlife friendly fence:

www.boundaryalliance.org/lostlake.pdf

made a number of complaints and suggestions regarding Government oversight of public resources and faulty installation of fences and waterers in the Gilpin Grasslands and elsewhere.

The misleading signage installed by Government in 2015 further demonstrates their lack of competence and inability to honestly deal with the damaging realities of Range use and oversight.

 

Extended pdf  version with additional pictures, background and  transcript of message on signage, available at:

www.boundaryalliance.org