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Jan 26, 2000
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 26, 2000 Nechako Watershed Council rings in New Year with continued progress Grassy Plains, B.C. - The January meeting of the Nechako Watershed Council (NWC) inaugurated the New Year by welcoming very special guests to the meeting and moved closer to agreeing on the key interests of the NWC’s diverse membership. Held in Grassy Plains, and hosted by the Cheslatta-Carrier Nation, the NWC welcomed the participation of three regional aboriginal groups. The Cheslatta-Carrier Nation, represented by Chief Marvin Charlie, the Skin Tyee Band represented by Councillor Eleanor Skin and the Nee Tahi Buhn Band represented by Chief Ray Morris joined NWC members in reviewing the progress of the Council and identifying common interests amongst the NWC’s members. "It was valuable to have these aboriginal groups participate at this meeting, and an honour to be hosted by Chief Marvin Charlie and the Cheslatta-Carrier Nation," stated NWC Chair, Henry Klassen. "The NWC is committed to recognize and appreciate the diversity of regional interests and having these groups represented assists us in accomplishing this." The focus of the January meeting was to prepare the Council for their continued role as an advisor to the Nechako Environmental Enhancement Fund - NEEF is a fund designed to enhance the environment of the Nechako River. In recognition of the group’s diversity of views, a portion of the meeting was spent identifying the common interests that members have in the Nechako Watershed. This list of interests will be reviewed in context of the various enhancement options available through the NEEF. A review of the findings will take place at the next NWC meeting. The members of the NWC expressed enthusiasm with the progress of their discussions and are looking forward to the next public consultation that will lead to recommendations on how best to enhance the Nechako River. The next public event for the NEEF will be a further public consultation in April. "We feel quite positive that the process of identifying common interests has been very valuable in ensuring that we completely understand the various points of view," added Klassen. "It is important that we take into account all interests in the Watershed as we will have to communicate the importance of NEEF support to both provincial and federal governments at the appropriate time." The next meeting of the NWC is scheduled for March 3 – 5, 2000 in Smithers. For more information, please contact: Henry Klassen 250-567-4254
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