Public open houses on Koocanusa Recreation use

The public will have a chance to discuss recreation management in the Koocanusa area at four open houses this November in the communities of Baynes Lake, Jaffray, Grasmere and Elko.

Hosted by the Koocanusa Recreation Steering Committee, the open houses provide an opportunity for residents, stakeholders and users of the Koocanusa area to give feedback on current and proposed strategies for improving recreation management in the region. The committee is a partnership between the BC government, Ktunaxa National Council, Tobacco Plains Indian Band, Regional District of East Kootenay and Columbia Basin Trust.

The public open houses will be held in the following communities:

• November 20 - Grasmere Pioneer Hall
• November 21 - Baynes Lake Community Hall
• November 27 - Jaffray Community Hall
• November 28 - Elko Community Hall

All public open houses are held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. 

The current Koocanusa Recreation Strategy, developed based on public feedback in 2017, can be viewed or downloaded, either as a summary or complete report, at www.koocanusarecreation.ca. Since 2017, the Koocanusa Recreation Steering Committee has been implementing the Strategy, including:

• Installing signage to educate recreation users about appropriate behavior on Crown land;
• Creating and distributing the Koocanusa Recreation Brochure;
• Increasing the presence of enforcement officials in the area;
• Completing a recreation and trail inventories of all roads, trails, camping areas and staging areas;
• Improving garbage and sanitation facilities; and
• In the Dorr-Grasmere Area, establishing designated recreation trails for motorized and non-motorized users, decommissioning unsustainable trails and restoring grassland ecosystems, and establishing more formal camping and parking areas.

Share your views by attending an open house, visiting www.koocanusarecreation.ca, or submitting comments to [email protected].