Referendum on Local Conservation Fund in Electoral Area H passes

Nelson, BC:  Electoral Area H in the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has voted in favour of joining the RDCK Local Conservation Fund service. The Chief Elections Officer of the RDCK has declared the unofficial Assent Voting Results from the October 15 referendum. The official results will be determined and reported by Wednesday, October 19 at 4:00 pm.

Unofficial signed results [PDF - 713 KB]

The unofficial results are as follows:

Electoral Area H

Yes

No

Spoiled/Rejected

Total

In Favour

Result

Voter Turnout: 17.5%  (3837 on Voters List)

435

228

     8

671

Yes

Successful

"This referendum was an important opportunity to bring this service to the residents of Electoral Area H to decide," said Walter Popoff, RDCK Electoral Area H Director. "By voting in favour of joining the Local Conservation Fund, our community has determined funding for projects that directly impact our natural environment in the Slocan Valley is of significant value."

The RDCK Local Conservation Fund Service Establishment Bylaw No. 2420, 2014 will be amended to include Electoral Area H as a participant and $15 per parcel of land will be collected annually.

In partnership with the Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), Electoral Area H will join Areas A, D and E in the local conservation fund service. The service creates dedicated funding to support local high-priority conservation projects. Since 2016 the fund has generated $468,000 and has leveraged an additional $2.1 million in additional funding and in-kind support.

“For the past six years, the Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) has been a partner of the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) to deliver the Local Conservation Fund in the Kootenay Lake area,” said Juliet Craig, Program Director of KCP. “We are now excited to extend this service to the Slocan Valley. We look forward to working together with the RDCK to provide tangible, on-the-ground results for nature, and for the residents in the Slocan Valley.”

Local organizations and indigenous communities can apply for funding for conservation projects that benefit, wildlife, habitat and water. Community groups and individuals that partner with an eligible organization can also apply. These proposals are reviewed by an independent, volunteer panel of technical experts before being decided on by local Elected Officials.

The Local Conservation Fund service will be going to referendum in Electoral Area F in the new year.

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The content on this page was last updated October 15 2022 at 4:45 PM