Shuswap Lake Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP)

Here we are a great big lake and continual signs that it is not doing so well. Shuswap Lake is starting to deteriorate, I think we can all agree (most of us then can). So; when do you start doing studies to find where the problems are? And when do we try to reverse the impacts we have on the lake? Almost always when we decide to do something; it is too bad or it is too late and the cost becomes an incredible high to . The lake; a beautiful, full long flowing, feeding life force moving  past all of us to the ocean, we want to keep it in its present giving state. Costly; yes it is and controversial it can be and yet what can we do as small individuals, as people as politicians? First we need to find what the problem is; we (politicians) have bought into, and created the SLIPP idea.  I think when one comes to SLIPP meetings and they see the; direction, caring, the effort and intent to keep the lake health based on scientific evidence, it is difficult to not want to be part of the solution.  I keep harping on the amount of money that we the taxpayers of North Shuswap have put into SLIPP to get it off the ground. Why? Because it is $289,000 over the 3 year pilot project, it is a lot. Is it justified? There are other infrastructure uses the money could be used for in Area “F”. I see the lake’s health as what most people would; like to see researched in a logical, technical and unbiased manner.  It is for this reason that myself and Ted Bacigalupo (Ted much more so) decided to take so much of our tax payers funds and put it towards the SLIPP initiative. There needs to be leadership or politicians would argue indefinitely about costs and practically, nothing would be done and the Lake flows and the Lake flows by.