Residents of the Upper Columbia River region of Kootenay-Columbia riding have, after a decade of negotiations, something to cheer about – a set of proposed regulations that help protect the invaluable wetlands and govern vessels in the main channel of the river.

Thanks to the work of the Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners, a set of sensible regulations that will benefit the overwhelming majority of residents have now been published in the Canada Gazette, the official newspaper of the Government of Canada.

They mandate a year-round prohibition on power-driven vessels in the Columbia River Wetlands. The proposed regulations also call for a year-round prohibition on recreational towing and a seasonal prohibition from March 1 to July 15 on the operation of power-driven vessels along the main channel of the Columbia River.

The extensive wetlands along the Upper Columbia are one of only three in British Columbia recognized as being of international importance. The regulations will clearly do what they are supposed to do protect the migratory waterfowl nesting in the wetlands.

Just as clearly, they demonstrate the Conservative government’s commitment to protect sensitive wetlands, as expressed when Canada signed the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971.

To achieve this worthwhile goal, local residents came together and worked diligently and arrived at a community-based compromise that satisfies at least 80 per cent of the population.

This compromise will benefit the people who use the river and the birds, fish and other wildlife that depend on the wetlands for their survival. While the regulations will benefit the overwhelming majority of Kootenay-Columbia residents and visitors I know that not everyone agrees with them.

Just because the regulations have been published in the Canada Gazette doesn’t mean they are now law – yet.

All citizens have 60 days from the date of publication, which was June 28, to contact Transport Canada to comment on the regulations. All such representations must cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and must be addressed to Kevin Monahan, Project Manager, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance, Marine Safety, Department of Transport, Place de Ville, Tower C, 330 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5. His telephone number 613-998-8207; his fax line is 613-991-5670 and his e-mail address is monahak@tc.gc.ca.

To read the Canada Gazette description of these proposed regulations please go to http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2008/20080628/html/regle3-e.html.

The Hon. Jim Abbott, PC, is the MP for the federal riding of Kootenay-Columbia.