By ROY WOOD

Osoyoos town council has unanimously re-affirmed its support for a national park in the South Okanagan, echoing similar endorsements from previous councils.

Councillors Mike Compol, Jim King and Carol Youngberg were not members of the previous council.

While endorsing the idea of a national park, council has some issues with the recently-released “intentions paper” from provincial Environment Minister Mary Polak. The concerns will mailed to the minister as part of the feedback process set out in the paper.

The intentions paper envisions a national park reserve, including two distinct sections, in conjunction with a so-called “provincial conservancy.”

The paper divides the lands in questions into three parts, designated as Areas 1, 2 and 3.

Area 1 includes about 68 square kilometres west of Osoyoos and is approximately triangular with the Canada-U.S. border as one side and Spotted Lake near the northern tip.

Area 3 contains some 98 square kilometres west of a line roughly between Okanagan Falls and McIntyre Bluff and following the western shore of Vasseau Lake.

(According to the intentions paper, “National park reserves are areas set aside for the purposes of a national park pending settlement of any outstanding aboriginal land claims.”)

The other section in the proposal – Area 2 – sits in the middle, abutting the southern portion of the national park, but separated from the northern park area by at least five kilometres. It includes Mount Kobau.

Area 2 is the largest, at 177 kilometres, and is proposed to be a provincial “conservancy,” providing some protection of the land but including the “necessary flexibility to ensure existing uses can continue while environmental and First Nations values are protected.”

The letter being sent from Osoyoos council objects to the designation of Area 2 as a provincial conservancy.

“The tourism marketing of the area will be compromised by the entire area not carrying the designation of a national park,” says the letter. “If Area 2 meets the criteria of a national park, consider the ‘conservancy’ areas being placed in the national park.”

Amoung the other suggestions from the town:

•Political considerations involving specific interests and lobby groups should take a back seat to a “broad recognition of benefits associated with the broader public or common good.”

•The lack of connectivity between Areas 2 and 3 was noted. “If connectivity is important for species … some form of corridor may need to be established through legislation rather relying on the good intentions of landowners.”

•The designation process needs to consider heritage areas such as: Spotted Lake, which is in Area 1; Mount Kobau, which is in Area 2; and the Haynes Ranch and Homestead, which is outside all of them.

•Discussions should take place between the town and the province to have Area 1 and the town abut one another, rather than remain separated by a strip of land.

•The Osoyoos visitors centre should be considered as an information and interpretive centre for the park.