Monday, June 28, 2021
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District's (CSRD) proposal to develop a boat launch in Nicholson in Electoral Area A (Rural Golden) will not be proceeding after the Province denied the CSRD's permit application.
For more than 10 years, the CSRD has been working to develop a public motorized boat launch for access to the Columbia River at Nicholson. This has included work with the Electoral Area A Parks Advisory Committee, private landowners, qualified environmental professional, engineers, and parks planners, as well as various Federal and Provincial agencies.
In one of the final steps of the process, the CSRD submitted an Environmental Management Plan and permit application to the Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
The ministry refused the application due to environmental concerns in the Columbia River wetlands.
"This decision essentially places a complete halt to all efforts to develop a public boat launch into the Columbia River," says Darcy Mooney, the CSRD 's Manager of Operations in a report to the Board.
As a result, the CSRD Board rescinded its approval of the expenditure of $270,000 from the Electoral Area A Community Works Fund.
The CSRD will also be returning $267,000 in grant funding that was received from the Columbia Basin Trust for the boat launch project.
The CSRD has tried for more than 10 years to develop a public boat launch at Nicholson, however, the project will no longer be moving ahead. View the June 28 2021 Permit Refusal Halts Plan for Nicholson Boat Launch (PDF).
