Just over a week ago I took a trip to one of my favourite birding spots in
the Creston Valley of BC. The Wildlife Management Area of 17,000 acres is a
very important staging and nesting area on the Pacific Flyway and over 250
species of birds have been recorded.

In 1993, the BC and Canadian Governements nominated this site for Ramsar
designation and it received this in 1994. The worlds's largest nesting
colony of Northern Rough-winged Swallows can be found here and there are
also nesting Black and Forster's Terns.

I was dismayed to find that funding for this site has been reduced to the
point where the management organization may no longer be able to operate
towards the end of this year. With no staff to maintain water levels the
habitat may well change significantly, to the point at which wildlife will
be threatened.

A group of concerned naturalists in Vancouver is starting a task-force to
lobby government for additional funding and to look for ways in which the
long-term future of of the area can be secured. One of the questions I'm
looking to get answered is just how well known is this area; potentially it
is one of the great birding locations in the west but how many of you have
heard of it or visited it. Your input would be welcomed!

Thanks

Eric Greenwood
Vancouver, B.C.
egreenw at helix.net