Even before I moved to this beautiful community and was just planning our new home, I discovered PWPA on Facebook. The depth of understanding and information made it evident that there was a passionate group behind the issue. Then, upon moving here and experiencing the flood and two wildfire evacuation notices, the issue became urgently personal.
Since becoming a member of the PWPA, what became clearer is the almost overwhelming complexity of the issues driving the changes in our watershed function. In particular, I am beginning to come to an understanding of the stunning lack of legal protections for drinking water, the lag in applying science to watershed assessments and indeed the lack of forest hydrology science. Add to this the powerful industry lobbies that drive political decisions and it combines into a seemingly insurmountable force.
We are a small group with finite resources, but almost infinite passion and will. It is my opinion that the best way to make a difference for our watersheds here in Peachland and across BC is to advocate for change to the very rules that are creating the concerning conditions we are experiencing – increased boil water advisories, slides into our drinking water streams, floods and wildfires. This work will not be easy, it will not be simple, and it will not be quick. But it is necessary and it has been left to groups of likeminded people like us to challenge the status quo.