Governance & Shared Services

Policy Area 10 GOVERNANCE & SHARED SERVICES 10 Governance & Shared Services Regional Districts and their work Regional districts have three basic roles: The OBWB was instituted in 1970 as a collaboration of the three Okanagan regional districts to provide leadership 1. they are the local government for Electoral Areas; on water issues spanning the valley. Governed by a Board of Directors, including representatives from the three 2. they provide a political and administrative framework Okanagan regional districts, the jurisdiction of OBWB is for their member municipalities and Electoral Areas to defined by the borders of the Okanagan watershed, or collaborate in the provision of services; and basin which is almost 200 km long, 8,000 km2 in area and stretches from the City of Armstrong to the US border. 3. they are responsible for providing important regional On an annual basis, the three Okanagan regional districts services to, and undertaking initiatives on behalf of, their collectively contribute over three million dollars which entire region. OBWB applies towards water research, wastewater infrastructure funding, milfoil control, promoting water Regional districts provide a broad range of services stewardship, and sharing resources in the form of grants which may vary according to local circumstances and or funding partnerships with local governments, other preferences. Interests and objectives often extend across agencies, researchers, or universities.1 jurisdictional boundaries and in this regard partnerships may be established between local governments, senior Established in 1936, the Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) levels of government, First Nations, and/or non- serves over 370,000 people across through 29 branches.2 governmental organizations. Economic and administrative The three Okanagan regional districts, the Columbia efficiencies stand to be gained through inter-agency Shuswap Regional District, the Penticton Indian Band, cooperation. and Westbank First Nation each contribute funding to the ORL. While property taxes contribute 86% of the The three Okanagan regional districts: RDNO, RDCO, and ORL’s funding, other sources of revenue include grants, RDOS, collaborate both financially and administratively, and ‘Friends of the Library’ fundraising efforts. In return, with each other and with other agencies, to provide the ORL offers much more than books and has changed important services, implement planning initiatives, and to with advances in technology and evolving community undertake projects with an inter-regional scope, interest, expectations. In 2015, the ORL recorded almost three or influence. million library visits and over three million materials were circulated. Over 115,000 people attended adult and The following list identifies some of the many children’s programs, over 361,000 eMagazines, eBooks, collaborative efforts and partnerships in which the and eAudiobooks were borrowed or downloaded, and over Okanagan regional districts play a key role. 341,000 hours of free Wi-Fi was used. The ORL strives to maximize accessibility by providing materials in various • Okanagan Basin Water Board formats and borrowing options, making meeting room and • Okanagan Regional Library exam writing space available, and providing educational • Sterile Insect Release Program opportunities and programs for all ages. • Starling Control Program • Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program The Sterile Insect Release Program serves all or portions • Okanagan – BC Agriculture & Climate Change of the three Okanagan regional districts and the Columbia Regional Adaptation Strategies Shuswap Regional District.3 Sterile Insect Release (SIR) • Regional Transit is an environmentally friendly approach to managing • Okanagan Rail Trail the codling moth population. The codling moth was • Kettle Valley Railway Trail accidentally introduced into British Columbia from Europe • BC Product Stewardship Council in the early 1900s. Soon after its arrival, the moth began • South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program to inflict extensive damage in apple and pear orchards. • The Okanagan & Similkameen Invasive Species The moth’s ability to build resistance to even the most Society toxic pesticides limited the effectiveness of chemical • Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program spray treatments. Sterile insect technology works by pairing sterile male insects with wild female insects so that the females are unable to produce viable offspring. The release of sterile codling moths began in 1994 in the South 1 www.obwb.ca 2 www.orl.bc.ca 3 www.oksir.org 48 | State of the Basin Report - 2016 Governance & Shared Services 10 Okanagan, and in the Central and North Okanagan in Program which includes a research component that 2002. The total annual cost of the SIR program is slightly investigates starling population dynamics aimed at more than $3 million with funding for the program split improving starling control measures. between local property taxpayers (60%) and commercial apple and pear growers (40%). In 2015 the SIR parcel tax The Okanagan Valley is coping with a serious goose rate was $139.26 per acre of planted host trees. All urban management issue. The current non-migratory goose properties, regardless if they have host trees, paid an population are the descendants of geese that were average of $10.00 per year. The program’s state-of-the- transplanted to the area decades ago. Over the years art rearing facility in Osoyoos has an annual production goose populations have increased and they are fouling capacity of 780 million sterile codling moths, and the parks and contaminating lakes to such an extent program is a major seasonal employer for the region. that they pose a risk to human health and negatively impact tourism and recreation. In 1995 communities The Starling Control Program aims to reduce the number and stakeholders formed the Okanagan Valley Goose of starlings, which are considered to be an invasive Management Committee to implement a coordinated species. Starlings displace native birds from cavity nesting approach to goose management throughout the valley. sites and bird houses, and their nests and droppings can A key component of the goose management strategy create considerable mess should the birds gain entry is egg addling, a procedure which involves shaking eggs to the attic spaces or ventilation openings of buildings. or coating them with corn oil to make them non-viable. In winter, starlings consume tonnes of livestock feed, Once addled, eggs are returned to the nest however contaminate the feed and water with their droppings, they will not hatch. Adult geese are not harmed in this and may also transfer disease among livestock operations. process and continue with their regular life cycle. In In summer, starlings feed on berries, tree fruits and 2016, partners contributing to this program included the grapes causing damage in the Okanagan Similkameen Regional Districts of Central Okanagan and Okanagan- conservatively estimated at over $4 million annually.4 A Similkameen, Westbank First Nation, the communities pilot project aimed at reducing starling populations began of Vernon, Kelowna, Lake Country, West Kelowna, in 2003. Various agricultural commodity organizations, Peachland, Penticton, Summerland, Oliver, Osoyoos, environmental funding programs and regional districts Naramata, Okanagan Falls, as well as the Glenmore-Ellison funded this project and the BC Fruit Growers’ Association Improvement District and Western Canada Turfgrass provided administrative support. The three Okanagan Association. regional districts provide funding for the Starling Control 4 www.grapegrowers.bc.ca State of the Basin Report - 2016 | 49 10 Governance & Shared Services The Okanagan - BC Agriculture and Climate Change Transit System provides bus service within RDOS linking Regional Adaptation Strategies began with a province the communities of Naramata, Okanagan Falls, and wide assessment of the potential impacts of climate Penticton with funding shared by RDOS and BC Transit. change on agricultural production in 2011-2012. The assessment revealed that the diverse characteristics In 2013, Kelowna Pacific Railway went into receivership of BC’s geography and climate necessitated a regional and discontinued service on the section of CN rail approach to developing adaptation strategies. Since line extending from Kelowna to Coldstream. Almost 2012, projects focussing on local impacts, priorities, and immediately, interested citizens rallied and encouraged strategies intended to better prepare the agricultural the province and local governments to acquire the sector to cope with the challenges of climate change decommissioned rail corridor, now known as the have been completed in Delta, Peace River, Cowichan Okanagan Rail Trail. With financial support from the Valley and most recently in the Cariboo, Fraser Valley province, the local governments ultimately purchased the and the Okanagan.5 The Okanagan adaptation strategy former CN land and in doing so they made a long-term was a collaborative effort between the three Okanagan commitment to secure the corridor as a multi-modal regional districts, senior government agencies, agricultural regional transportation route, including use of the corridor organizations, and producer participants who volunteered as a recreational trail. Passing through the jurisdictions their time and expertise. The regional district partners of RDNO, Coldstream, Lake Country, Kelowna, and contributed staff time and expertise

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