SEHAB Roundtable Report, February 2006
North Side of Fraser, Coquitlam Area, Dianne Ramage Representative
The number one concern of the stewards in our area is habitat degradation.  Some authorized, some not and the lack of response from senior governments about it and the lack of ability by stewards to stop or change the chronic, insidious, ongoing, blatant, massive- all scales, temporal and spatial degradation
The Coquitlam River proximately gravel mining operations spewing tonnes of sediment into the river, day after day, year after year, decade after decade.  Killing fish, destroying habitat, diminishing productivity of watershed for all species with FULL AWARENESS OF ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT- Federal Mandate, Prov Mandate
The Community, beyond stewards, has formed a Coquitlam River Watershed Coalition to begin a process of informing and engaging the regulators in enforcing the Fisheries Act and the mining Authorizations .  The community will monitor the agencys’ responses.
Other resource and industrial activities each doing exactly the same thing
Non point pollution and untreated rainwater and other deleterious substances entering through storm drains- entering our salmon bearing streams completely untreated every day, free stormwater conveyance systems and flood control, Federal Mandate, Prov Mandate
The insides of local watercourses ripped out by changing flow regimes from hardening of the watershed - increasing impervious surfaces, especially in watershed that have in excess of the thresholds from sustainable functioning coldwater ecosystems, yet massive destination parking lots and huge subdivisions are still approved, Federal Mandate, Prov Mandate, Municipal Mandate
Agriculture and other close utilization of land practices removing all riparian cover, no set backs, and pesticides leaving the operation in water, soil and air into surrounding ecosystem
Dyking, damming and impounding watercourses, then encroachment from headwaters to confluence from linear development (road, pipelines, railroads) and urbanization.  The channelization and confinement of the river and tribs to prevent flooding of development on the flood plain destroys the river’s ability to create and recreate meanders and other flow regulating and habitat creating features.
Private landowners removing, altering and destroying habitat, some unaware, some aware and some illegal with little or no consequences or incentives to do it differently.
The Second concern is the changing regulatory environment regarding habitat and fish. Federal, Provincial and Municipal.  For Provincial changes and impacts see the most excellent West Coast Environmental Law site http://www.wcel.org/issues/deregulation/  or http://www.wcel.org/ The federal regulations are being operationilized within new frameworks and with limited budgets and restricted hiring practices.  An undisclosed risk management decision framework being used by a risk adverse ministry equals? What?  Does two risky things equal abandonment or do two negatives equal a positive, can’t remember?  Does it discourage the accumulation of corporate knowledge while vaults of knowledge are retiring every day?  Google SMART, EPMP, DAP, Harmonization and so on
Direct from local Stewards:
“There appears to be a lot of consultation going on for federal legislation and processes but no clear way to know what is going on, when consultations are taking place, who is attending and if it makes an ounce of difference if anyone does.  While small groups like the CWG who have not
evolved out of SEP programs may or may not need to be involved I do often get the feeling we're pretty much finding out about this stuff way after the fact.  Case in point was the wild salmon policy consultations, the EPMP (which I still have no idea if there are, were, will be meetings that us peons can attend) and other issues that will have ramifications for any group working on conservation where water and fish are involved.”  Pamela
You already know mine/our concern, Dianne: a lack of enforcement, specifically on the Coquitlam, a lack of enforcement, specifically on the Coquitlam, & a lack of enforcement, specifically on the Coquitlam.  Need I say more?  Tim
My concerns about groundwater, would include hydrocarbon derivatives, Cidal materials, (i.e. Pesticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Detergents) and Road de-icing materials entering the groundwater.  Nitrates, (Nitrogenous materials) I was glad to see would be discussed, they can a problem to even large animals,(who knows what these materials are doing to smaller life-forms).   The municipalities should encourage re-charging of the aquifers, if the recharge water is suitable. NIALL