Okanagan Nation: Sustaining Our Headwaters Forum

Press Release

April 19, 2016

8:45am Registration, Coffee & Dialogue

10:00    Welcome & Opening

Opening Prayer – Trish Manuel

Welcoming Remarks – Okanagan Nation Alliance & Regional District Kootenay Boundary Representatives

10:15    Syilx/ONA Presentations:

Syilx Water Perspectives: Jeannette Armstrong & Marlowe Sam on title and rights, cultural connection and importance of the headwaters for Syilx people.

Syilx Water Declaration & Water Strategy Project: Sarah Alexis (ONA Natural Resource Department) on Syilx Water Declaration and the continued development of the Syilx Water Strategy project.

11:15    RDKB Presentations

The Kettle River Riparian Threat Assessment – Graham Watt on the comprehensive study of riparian health and function across the watershed, and the Kettle River Watershed Management Plan.

12:15    Lunch and dialogue

12:45    Short technical presentations (6-8 minutes each) from indigenous community members, external stakeholders and experts on new tools and approaches for supporting headwater health:

• Regional fish habitat and challenges faced – Kari Alex, ONA Habitat Restoration
• Riparian restoration options – Natasha Lukey, ONA Fisheries Technician

• Drinking water source protection: a watershed approach – Reeney Clark, Regional District North Okanagan, Water Quality Manager

• Reducing hydrological, sediment and temperature impacts of forest harvest on streams – Kim Green, Apex Geoscience Consultant

• Addressing cumulative effects forestry, range, & roads – Graham Watt, Regional District Kootenay Boundary
• Range Barriers for cattle and off-road vehicles on small streams – Clayton Bradley, Ministry of Agriculture

1:30  Facilitated break-out groups. These will be facilitated sessions providing opportunities for participants to collectively address the question of “how we might work together to continue building on the partnerships?”

These sessions will also provide opportunities to seek solutions to a better, more resilient water future for all. Emerging from these sessions will be a number of work plans that will be redistributed to all participants, allowing for all of us to engage with the shared knowledge we have and create forward thinking solutions.

4:00      Closing and Prayer

ONA & RDKB representative report back with summaries from day’s events, next steps forward. Closing Prayer – Trish Manuel

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