BC Parks Newsletter June 1999 Volume 10, Number 3 Maintaining the ponderosa pine - bunchgrass ecosystem through a prescribed burn in Tranquille Ecological Reserve. set aside to protect a representative This type of wildfire could have Tranquille example of open ponderosa pine forest consumed all of the old growth and associated grassland habitats. Ponderosa Pine in the Reserve, taking Prescribed This ecosystem has evolved in the with it the preferred habitat of other presence of periodic wildfires and has plants and animals. A burn postponed Burn experienced Douglas-fir in-growth as much further would also have a result of fire protection in the last required much more extensive L by Bob Scheer, Thompson River District half century. In the long term and (Continued on page 2) without fires, Douglas-fir would have On April 1, 1999, BC Parks conducted gradually replaced the ponderosa pine a successful prescribed burn to and filled in the remaining grassy maintain the ponderosa pine – openings. In this landscape and Inside bunchgrass ecosystem at Tranquille biogeoclimatic variant the “natural” BC Parks Website – Better than Ever …………2 Ecological Reserve. This was a fire frequency averages out to Raymond D. Huckin: 1929 – 1998……………3 cooperative project undertaken by approximately 18 years. Of course, 1999 Wooden Broom Bonspiel…………………4 BC Parks and the Ministry of Forests natural fires would neither have Gone Batty in the Okanagan …………………5 Perspectives on Time …………………………5 Kamloops Fire Zone. Others burned in equal intervals of 18 years, Moose Makes it to Canadian participating in planning, implemen- nor would each fire have had the Junior Nationals ……………………………6 tation and research were the Forest same severity or intensity. Many small Trail Host Program a Success …………………7 Service District Range staff, fires in short intervals would have Long Service Awards …………………………7 University College of the Caribou, alternated with major fires, some of Reclamation, Restoration, Renovation…………8 Agriculture Canada and Eric them in longer intervals. Left A Most Unforgettable Character………………9 McAlary the Ecological Reserve unburned, the accumulated dry wood Name the Protected Area ……………………10 Warden. and needles of at least 50 years and Provinial Parks………………………………10 Ecological Reserve #29, located on the younger trees, with low reaching David Douglas ………………………………11 the mountain slope above the branches, would have created the Churn Creek Wilderness Watch ……………12 Dewdrop Road near Kamloops, was potential for a catastrophic wildfire. Ray Huckin – a poem ………………………12 (“Tranquille…” continued from page 1) changes brought about by the burn. site preparations, including felling of Primary initial concerns included the VISIONS is produced six times per intermediate-sized trees that would potential for weed invasion and the year by BC Parks, Ministry of have acted as “ladder fuels”, before a impact of wildlife on fresh new Environment, Lands and Parks to fire could have been conducted in a growth stimulated by the fire. BC maintain commitment to quality ser- safe and controlled fashion. Parks is particularly indebted to the vice and stewardship and to encourage Long term success of the burn will Kamloops Fire Zone staff for their innovation by everyone directly be measured through a number of assistance in facilitating the project. I involved or interested in BC Parks. VISIONS Newsletter is posted on research projects designed to monitor BC Parks’ web site : www.elp.gov.bc. ca/bcparks/whatsnew/what.htm. As VISIONS is now available on the internet, please let us know if you would like to be removed from our mailing list. To contact us regarding changes to the VISIONS mailing list or to receive a free subscription: I call (250) 952-6709 I send an email note to [email protected] I write to: VISIONS, BC Parks, 800 Johnson Street, Victoria, BC V8V 1X4 Canada Articles from readers are welcome. Deadline for material in the next issue is July 1, 1999. Editor Nancy Chave Contributors Kate Alexander Lisa Anderson Bob Broadland David Brown BC Parks Website – Dave Chater Monty Downs Better than Ever Debby Funk Don Gough by Lisa Anderson Mona Holley Doug Lielau Explore the new and improved BC Parks website at www.elp.gov.bc.ca/bcparks. Alice MacGillivray This website is being designed to be user-friendly and provide provincial park Jake Masselink information. Ken Morrison New additions to the site include new, expanded information for many park Roger Norrish The Quarter Century Kids pages. Mount Robson and Bowron Lakes are a couple of the larger ones. We Ron Routledge have also added park maps for most coastal marine parks. Bob Scheer Other information that is now on the site includes the Legacy Report; 1999 Todd Shannon camping fees information; and various management planning documents: Earl Sinclair Callahan Lake Background Report, Cape Scott and Scott Islands Background Andy Smith Report, Jedediah Island Marine Background Report and Draft Management Wayne Van Velzen Plan, Fintry Management Plan, Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Master Plan, W. Young Tunkwa Management Plan and Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Draft Minister Management Plan. Cathy McGregor And of course, we also post VISIONS Newsletter on the website. You can Deputy Minster save paper, recycling and $$$ by accessing VISIONS via the website, rather Cassie Doyle than in printed form – let us know if you would like to be taken off of the Assistant Deputy Minister mailing list (see contacts on this page). If everyone in your office receives a Denis O’Gorman copy of VISIONS, consider sharing. I 2 VISIONS June 1999 Raymond D. Huckin: 1929 – 1998 by Jake Masselink During my 30-year sojourn with BC tragically had a serious accident that Parks, I experienced a simple truth cost him his right arm and very nearly that the American philosopher, Waldo his life. Efforts at rehabilitating him Emerson, observed about our human with an artificial limb proved futile. It race: “everyone is my master (mentor) was at this stage in his life that Denis in some respect”. Ray Huckin was my Podmore recruited him into the Park first BC Parks mentor. Being first and, System Planning Section. No, not to most fortunate for me, being the kind work outdoors; but to draw maps. of person he was, Ray significantly Ray’s right-brain left-brain config- influenced my life. He helped me to uration enabled him to switch from believe in myself. He instilled in me a “Petie” (Carla) and Ray Huckin. right-handedness to left-handedness sense of self-confidence. In fact, Ray and acquire the skills of map-making had that kind of an impact on nearly out of a monotonous task or a weary with the same ease and accuracy as all who met him. workday. he could shoot a gun or cast a fly rod Upon joining the Park System Ray was an exceptionally entertain- with either hand. However, it also Planning Section as a park officer 1 in ing raconteur! His captivating abilities stretched his abilities to adapt to a 1966, my first task was to assist in at story telling made even the most structured office environment, in reducing the backlog of UREP (Use, gifted park interpreter take note. spite of the encouragement from Recreation and Enjoyment of the Every land statusing trip with Ray to people like Yorke Edwards, our first Public) reserve requests to BC Lands. the various government offices was parks naturalist, to diversify his Since the creation of parks was not a an entertaining adventure. Every staff output with wildlife sketching. In the priority with the government of the coffee break that Ray attended turned end, that frustration with structure, day, the next best alternative was to into a boisterous roar of laughter and coupled with a developing heart seek UREP reserve map designation merriment. You see, Ray was condition, resulted in Ray taking for anything that BC Parks staff had endowed with a very active, insight- leave of BC Parks in 1972. evaluated as having possible park fully creative, and well-balanced Ray was most fortunate in having potential. Every park-planning recruit, right-brain left-brain mind. He knew a kindred spirit in his friend and I quickly found out, was apprenticed how to reveal the humour in one’s spouse, “Petie” (Carla). They were in to Ray as the point man in this process. negative experiences based on his sync in terms of their love of Nature He was the expert in determining the own unenviable setbacks in life. and in providing a home and family status of the lands involved. He was Ray was born in 1929, the year of environment that met the individual also BC Parks “cartographer”. Our the stock market crash. His folks were needs of their three children – Carl, “green” (land status) files harbour his unable to financially care for their Troy and Larisa. Ray died on sketch-map handiwork; each carefully children during the ensuing depres- November 24 of heart failure. Very autographed with “R.D.H.”. sion. They placed Ray in Victoria’s understandably, his parting has left a In a vain attempt to make us into Protestant Orphanage. There he deep hurt in this close knit family. He his equal, he personally took us quickly became the entertainment instilled in them a sense of self that he through the pertinent government ringleader; usually at the expense of sought for himself lifelong. vaults and file rooms to get the maps, the matrons’ dignity and the neigh- As I reflect on Ray and his photographs and information we bourhood’s tranquillity. The structured contribution to BC Parks and the needed for this tedious task. Then he school system was also challenged. people with whom he worked and humoured us through the map mak- It could not accommodate his constitu- lived, more than the truth of ing process of integrating the survey tion.