The District of Sparwood has agreed to join the regional Elk Valley WildSafeBC program at a cost of $2,000 per year for the next three years.
Kathy Murray, a delegate from WildSafeBC made an appearance at the Oct. 20 council meeting last year to ask for Sparwood’s participation and funding in the program.
She appeared again at last week’s Feb. 2 meeting, when council responded to the funding request.
During her presentation to council, Murray mentioned six bears that became conditioned to human contact and had to be destroyed in 2014. With the district’s participation in the WildSafeBC program, which seeks to educate the public on human/wildlife conflict, Murray said she hopes to save future wildlife from the same fate.
“We have all chosen to work, live, play and grow food in wildlife habitat. With this comes the responsibility to ensure that wildlife remains wild,” said Murray. “Through the WildSafe program, the end result is fewer bears, cougars, deer, coyotes and other wildlife in the community,” she concluded.
The program’s educational services will entail presentations made to schools as well as informative public displays, media coverage and door-to-door campaigning.
As part of the regional Elk Valley program, there will be approximately 10 days that will be spent in Sparwood delivering those educational services.