SEHAB Roundtable Report, May 2006
North Side of Fraser, Coquitlam Area, Dianne Ramage Representative
The number one concern of the stewards in our area is habitat degradation. 
Concern that the Provincial Riparian Area Regulations (RARs) being adopted by communities combined with Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Environmental Processing Modernization Plan (EPMP) and both levels of senior government’s emerging policies of reduced enforcement, self assessment of potential impacts and voluntary notification may not only be bad for fish and fish habitat but may in fact be a violation under the acts they are intended to support. 
When did DFO give the Minister’s authority to determine a HADD to a developer or a QEP contracted by the developer?
How does the EPMP support the wild salmon policy?  How do the RARs support the Living River Plan?
Please tell us how the Municipalities’ loosing the right and ability to have input or oversight on projects self assessed or signed off by employees of the proponent, lack of ability to do watershed or cumulative impact assessment, no appeal process, the departments lack of ability to prosecute for impacts are being addressed by the EPMP.
The Coquitlam River Proximately Gravel Mining Impacts Coalition (CRGMIC) met with DFO, MOE, EMPR, and 47 stewards from the Coquitlam watershed representing more than 12 groups to develop a strategy or plan to improve the river.  The CRGMIC then met with 3 MLAs.  Lack of resources and low priority were the reasons given for lack of action, however, EMPR has said they are working on a new compliance model; we are waiting to see it.  DFO has responded with contact info for Fishers officers and has received the photos; MOE said they do not have the resources to respond.  All levels said we need to make this a priority of the governments and so we will continue the process of informing and engaging the regulators in enforcing the Fisheries Act and the mining Authorizations.  The community will continue to monitor the agency’s’ responses.  A frustrated steward has begun a Private Prosecution.   
Fish kills on Byrne Creek and Eagle Creek from non-point pollution were in the paper.  Untreated rainwater and other deleterious substances entering salmon bearing streams through storm drains- is continuing to degrade water quality. 
The stewards are gearing up to begin juvenile salvages as they do each summer because the low flows of changed flow regimes from hardening of the watershed - increased impervious surfaces.  
Blueberry and cranberry framers are out do their early summer pesticide spraying.  Who monitors to see how much of this enters the watercourses.
A new pump is being installed at our creek at the dyke; we are requesting DFO to only approve screw pumps that are designed to be fish friendly to both adults and juveniles.  Can DFO please send us a letter assuring the group that this will be so on Maple Creek?
Our smolts from our hatcheries are almost all released, wild ones are leaving too.  Salmon goodbye festivals every weekend, Streamkeepers training, planning instream works 2006, volunteering with PSF at dinner and auction, invasive plant removal and wildlife tree stewardship committee development meeting, developing a native plant nursery, EPMP meeting, RARS meetings, gravel mining monitoring, development site monitoring all keeping stewards very busy.