Help Protect the Vaseux Lake California Bighorn Sheep Herd

The Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia is asking our members, supporters, and conservation partners to provide comments on a proposed aggregate quarry near Okanagan Falls that may impact important California bighorn sheep habitat.

The proposed quarry is located on provincial Crown land approximately five kilometres southeast of Okanagan Falls, near the end of Irrigation Creek Road. The application is for a 10- to 30-year Crown land licence and Mines Act permit to extract up to 40,000 tonnes of crushed aggregate annually. The proposed tenure is approximately 15.48 hectares, with an active quarry footprint of approximately 14.55 hectares.

This area is of serious concern to WSSBC because it has been identified by local conservation partners as important wildlife habitat, including winter range and traditional lambing habitat for the Vaseux Lake California bighorn sheep herd.

The Vaseux Lake herd has already faced significant challenges, including disease-related impacts associated with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, commonly referred to as M. ovi. Local annual sheep count information provided by the Southern Okanagan Sportsmen’s Association indicates that lamb recruitment has been critically low in recent years. For a herd already facing recruitment and recovery challenges, additional long-term industrial disturbance in important habitat could have serious consequences.

Bighorn sheep depend on specific seasonal habitats, including secure lambing areas, escape terrain, movement corridors, and winter range. Quarry-related activity, including blasting, crushing, hauling, road traffic, dust, noise, vegetation removal, and increased human disturbance, has the potential to displace sheep from important habitat and further compromise the resilience of this herd.

WSSBC has submitted comments opposing the application in its current form and is encouraging members and supporters to do the same.

Submit Your Comments

Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback through the Province of British Columbia’s public comment portal:

Submit comments here

Reference File: #3413865

Recommended Comments

Members are encouraged to write comments in their own words. The following points may be helpful:

• I am opposed to the proposed aggregate quarry near Okanagan Falls, Reference File #3413865, in its current form.

• The proposed quarry is located in an area identified by local conservation partners as important wildlife habitat, including winter range and traditional lambing habitat for the Vaseux Lake California bighorn sheep herd.

• California bighorn sheep are highly dependent on specific seasonal habitats, including lambing areas, winter range, escape terrain, and movement corridors.

• The Vaseux Lake herd has already faced significant disease and recruitment challenges. Additional long-term disturbance in important habitat could further compromise lamb survival, herd recovery, and long-term population resilience.

• Quarry-related activity, including blasting, crushing, hauling, road traffic, dust, noise, vegetation removal, and increased human disturbance, may displace bighorn sheep from important habitat.

• A 10- to 30-year quarry tenure represents a long-term industrial footprint and should not be approved without a comprehensive wildlife and habitat assessment completed by qualified professionals with specific expertise in wild sheep ecology.

• The Province should fully assess cumulative impacts to bighorn sheep, mule deer, whitetail deer, and other wildlife in the area before any decision is made.

• At minimum, the application should be deferred until seasonal habitat use, lambing habitat, winter range, movement corridors, disease history, lamb recruitment, and herd viability are properly reviewed.

• I respectfully request that the Province reject or defer this application and prioritize the conservation of the Vaseux Lake California bighorn sheep herd and its habitat.

Sample Comment

I am writing to oppose the proposed aggregate quarry near Okanagan Falls, Reference File #3413865, in its current form.

This area has been identified by local conservation partners as important wildlife habitat, including winter range and traditional lambing habitat for the Vaseux Lake California bighorn sheep herd. Bighorn sheep depend on specific seasonal habitats, including secure lambing areas, winter range, escape terrain, and movement corridors. Disturbance in these areas can have serious consequences, particularly for herds already facing challenges.

The Vaseux Lake herd has experienced significant disease and recruitment concerns in recent years. Additional long-term industrial activity, including blasting, crushing, hauling, increased road traffic, dust, noise, vegetation removal, and human disturbance, could further impact lamb survival, displace sheep from important habitat, and compromise the long-term resilience of the herd.

A 10- to 30-year quarry tenure represents a long-term industrial footprint in an area of high wildlife value. I respectfully request that the Province reject or defer this application until a comprehensive wildlife and habitat assessment is completed by qualified professionals with specific expertise in wild sheep ecology. This review should include seasonal habitat use, lambing habitat, winter range, escape terrain, movement corridors, disease history, lamb recruitment, cumulative impacts, and alternative locations that would avoid high-value wildlife habitat.

Please prioritize the conservation of the Vaseux Lake California bighorn sheep herd and its habitat.

Yours in conservation,

[Name][Community]