Kelowna, B.C. – The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) and Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) held a joint news conference today at Fascieux Creek Wetland in Kelowna, welcoming new funding from Environment Canada towards Phase 2 of the Okanagan Wetlands Strategy project and some significant additional work by the ONA.
While Phase 1 involved public outreach, data collection, prioritization, and mapping of Okanagan wetlands, Phase 2 includes two years of hands-on wetland restoration and rehabilitation. The goal is to complete six projects (three by March 31, 2015, and another three by March 31, 2016). In support of this effort, a total of $50,000 was granted to the OBWB for project management over two years, and another $50,000 was provided to ONA for hands-on wetland projects – both ONA-specific wetland projects, plus projects with the OBWB. These hands-on projects include important work by ONA to support the Western Painted Turtle on the Penticton Indian Reserve near Penticton airport.