The County of Stettler will be providing the 2016 Canadian Badlands Pheasant Festival Stettler (CBPF Stettler) with a platinum sponsorship of $5,000.
The motion to provide $5k from the county’s Rural Development Fund to support 2016 CBPF Stettler was brought up by councillor Joe Gendre and unanimously approved by the council at the regular meeting on Wednesday, Aug.10.
The 2016 CBPF Stettler committee represented by Donna Morris made a presentation to the council requesting financial support.
Besides being a platinum supporter the past years, the county has opened hunting space for the event.
The county will also provide topographical maps to point out areas conducive for hunting.
Council to revisit draft policy outlining reserve lands maintenance and protection
The council unanimously approved a motion proposed by councillor James Nibourg that the draft administrative policy 1.33 outlining the maintenance and protection of reserve lands in the county be reviewed.
Councillor Nibourg suggested that council take a legal review of the policy before establishing guidelines for the reserve lands maintenance and protection.
Because of the allocation of resources and economic considerations, among other limitations the county does not as a standard practice remove deadfall from reserve lands.
But when the deadfall obstructs a county-maintained pathway that it might pose a threat or endanger life, the county steps in to clear the deadfall.
Some of the Buffalo Lake residents have also expressed an interest where a landowner wishes to mow the grass and weeds along the shoreline in order to enhance their use and enjoyment of the reserve lands.
The county mows pathways in specific locations but the shoreline is not mowed as a standard operational practice.
However, with several communities at Buffalo Lake expressing their interest in removing deadfall from reserve lands, the county deemed it necessary to look into the Section 677 of the Municipal Government Act, which provides that a municipality may authorize the maintenance and protection of reserve lands.
The provision in the Act states that the county can allow community associations or members of the public to remove deadfall as volunteers after they have applied to the county, adhering to certain conditions as mentioned in the Act.
These volunteers must be covered by a liability insurance policy.
The legal review of this draft policy, moved by council, will ascertain if the county’s liability insurance will be sufficient or if volunteers will need to provide proof of their own liability insurance.