jpinkster

I'll throw out an idea: We pride ourselves on being a natural resource based economy in this province. Why is it that things like forests, oil and gas and minerals fall under the heading of "natural resources" but wildlife does not? I'd argue that a native population of grizzly bears have just as much of a right to be classified as a natural resource as a natural gas reservoir. How different would things be if we viewed wildlife through this lens?

Poaching in Alberta hit a 5 year high last year: http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/field-notes/poaching-in-alberta-reaches-five-year-high-0 A few points about this article: - The most concerning thing for me is that poaching rates only accounts for cases that enforcement can document. How many more are happening that go undetected? I suspect we don't want to know. - The article references the Oldman River poaching case from last year. I was in the courtroom for those proceedings, and they were shocking to say the least. The Crown seems entirely out of touch with just how critical of an issue poaching is. - Enforcement and education are the only way to get this sorted out. We need more boots on the ground to enforce the rules. We also need more education for all user groups. The average person doesn't have a clue what the fishing regulations are in an area. What if that changed? Large regulatory signage at entry points could give the general public a better idea of what is allowed and what isn't. "Eyes on the water" typically refers to anglers, but what if that were expanded to other user groups? If more folks could clearly pick out illegal activity, wouldn't there be a higher uptake of calls to RAP? I think collectively we can do a whole lot better than this.

I think that is likely a ways off. I heard land acquisition isn't going very smoothly. Could be 2018 before we see any shovels.

http://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=41445686872D3-D127-79C4-E29C91A86757928D The EIA for this project is now underway. This is a better option than MacLean Creek Dry Dam, but there is still some critical habitat that needs to be protected here. I hope the EIA is thorough and balanced to not just protect the interests of downstream landowners that have homes on the floodplain.

It's not a conspiracy, it's just a product of parity and expansion. The percentage of Canadian teams in the NHL is pretty much the same now as it was in 1993 when the Habs won the cup. The salary cap has changed everything for the league. I think Canadian teams are clinging too much to the glory days instead of carving a path for the future. Why do the Oilers STILL have Kevin Lowe around. What is Trevor Linden doing in Vancouver? Hockey is modernizing, and I worry sometimes that Canadians are being left behind. Most other hockey playing nations seem to be embracing the faster and higher skill players instead of the 230lbs monster that is only out there to fight.

The gulls are back, cormorants should be coming soon too.

So with the new signage in place at Graves....should we be calling RAP or 311 if we see folks parked down there?

There was a similar video at the fly fishing film festival last year. They knocked out one of the dams damaged by the floods in 2013, and within a year bull trout were returning to the upper stretches of the river to spawn. Pretty amazing stuff.

I was able to get my hands on some of the key messages being given to the Conservative MPs for this: Talking Points – Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith’s PMB ISSUE: Today, Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith introduced a Bill entitled “An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Fisheries Act, the Textile Labelling Act, the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (animal protection)” which proposes to significantly alter the way animals are treated under criminal law. KEY MESSAGES: · We believe in the importance of the humane treatment of animals; however, this bill goes far beyond what could be considered a reasonable strengthening of animal protection laws. · The implications of this bill are significant to many Canadians, including farmers, ranchers, anglers, hunters. · If passed, this bill could have significant effects on Canada’s economy and impact the way of life of millions of Canadians. If pressed on support for service animals: · Conservatives recognize the risks taken by police officers and their service animals daily. That is why we passed the Justice for Animals in Service Act (Quanto’s Law). If pressed on shark finning: · Shark finning is already illegal in Canada and has been since 1994. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The bill appears to criminalize the following activities: • A person waiting too long to put their animal down (in someone else’s opinion) [182.2 (1)(a)] • Any animal being killed by a human for any reason – “brutally or viciously, regardless of whether the animal dies immediately” – appears to apply to all methods of killing an animal other than veterinarian chemical cocktails. This has implications for hunting, fishing, trapping and possibly livestock production. [182.2 (1)(] • Accidental poisoning is not explicitly excluded, so failure to attend to a leak or spill of a toxic substance such as antifreeze could be a criminal act [182.2 (1)(d)] • Training a dog to protect livestock or humans from predators. [182.2 (1)(e)] • Accidentally killing an animal with a vehicle if the driver was negligent in some way [182.3 (1)(a) and ©]

Hey folks, get this one in your calendars! http://bowriver.org/2016/03/10/2016-tackle-shop-and-boat-sale-april-16th/

There's a term for that, it's called "slacktivism".

Give this a read: http://www.keepcanadafishing.com/go-fishing-go-to-jail-theres-somethings-fishy-about-bill-c-246/ I think this is being sensationalized a little bit. I would find it hard to believe that any jurisdiction, let alone Canada, would ever pass something that made fishing a criminal activity. I'm going to have a chat with my MP and see what his perspective is on this. As the Bill is currently worded, there could be ramifications for anglers. Hopefully this thing receives some much needed amendments.

I'm thrilled I get to call RAP for all the folks using smelt and bobber in Carburn.

I get stopped by COs more at CVR than any other place I fish. The CO there last year was a guy named Jordan. He's doing a fantastic job.

Might have found another new bit: Crawling Valley Reservoir, including the Crawling Valley Inlet Canal downstream of the canal headworks (Little Dam) (3-21-18- W4) – Walleye limit 0; Pike limit 0; Perch limit 15; Lake Whitefish limit 10; Burbot limit 10. May 8 to Nov. 30 – Open only between sunrise and sunset each day. Dec. 1 to Mar. 15 – Open 24 hrs. a day. Mar. 16 to May 7 – CLOSED A no keep limit on pike is long overdue here. This fishery badly needs some relief.

Bow River Reg: from the Western Headworks Diversion (W.H.D.) Weir downstream to the Carseland Weir (includes 500 m of the Highwood River and the 3 Carburn Park Ponds) but excluding all waters in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary (see Inglewood Bird Sanctuary) – Open all year. Apr. 1 to Mar. 31 – Trout limit 1 under 35 cm; All Trout over 35 cm must be released; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Bait Ban. Is this new? I'm really pleased to see a reg that sets a length maximum instead of a length minimum.

Point taken.

This off the FaceBook page for the Alberta Native Plant Council: https://vimeo.com/151211424 OHV Use in the province has been a hot button issue as of late. Watch this video, from the Porcupine Hills Coalition, that helps shed some light on why in some cases this has been a problem. Responsible OHV use is an important part of protecting our natural areas. What strikes me most is how quickly degradation can occur. The juxtaposition between an area with restricted OHV use and open OHV use is eyeopening. I personally believe that better maintained trails could make a positive difference. Unfortunately, when I see videos like this I defer more to the folks that believe restricting access is the better solution.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/grizzly-bear-no-122-out-of-hibernation-in-banff-national-park "The Boss" and many other grizzly bears are coming out of hibernation. This bear puts all other men to shame: he devours black bears, and he sired an entire baseball team. I have never felt more inferior in my entire life.

The slump continued for me on the weekend. I was dragging a few streamers around on Saturday afternoon. I had the dog out with me, so that probably didn't help. We had a tricky run that we had to cross. The run ran into a side channel with a larger lagoon at the top. Going around would have taken 5 minutes, and who has time for that? It was about thigh deep and moving pretty good. I put my head down and forced my way across. The big black Newfie didn't make it and got flushed downstream a few yards. He HATES swimming, so he looked right choked at me. He got to shore and ran around the lagoon to meet me on the far side.

Ministers come and go, civil servants are forever. Let's hope the carousel of ministers for this department slows down a little and we actually get a chance to educate someone on the importance of these issues.

I've actually heard a lot of support for this from the OHV community. Call it an "Environmental Impact Fee" or something. Would be an easy revenue generator and would be the best shot we'd have at a user pay structure for trail maintenance.

The only thing that makes me nervous is a re-hash of what takes place at Graves Bridge. I would love to see boat launch access that is well maintained, but also has barriers in place that prevent folks from driving around on the bank. The boat launch at Fish Creek would be an ideal solution. I drive past Graves Bridge almost every day and my blood just boils...

Fishteck, I work at City Hall for one of the Councillors. If I can be of assistance, please let me know. Quarry Park is in my councillor's ward, so we may certainly have a role to play there. With that said, I have been told that launch is for Fire Department use only and wouldn't be likely to change.

Much like math, reading is hard.