Peachland Sportsmen's Association

Established on Feb. 5, 1981, the Peachland Sportsmen's Association has since remained active and involved in both the wilderness and human communities with a current membership of over 50 families and 30 singles. Its fund-raising efforts, mainly through an annual February game banquet and associated raffles and draws, allows the club to conduct habitat enhancement and education projects each year in nearby streams, lakes and forests.

For instance, with the Summerland Sportsman Association and various levels of government a wildlife fence was constructed along Highway 97 between the two communities, protecting both deer and people. Construction of hatchery boxes, gravel washing, addition of spawning gravel, construction of a fish ladder and spawning platforms on Powers Creek, fish counts on Deep Creek, and providing funds for interpretive tours of kokanee spawning runs for school children, all contributed to enhancing local creeks for fish. Fishing camps for kids, coarse fish derbies on Okanagan Lake, and kids' fish derbies all help to encourage young people to appreciate the outdoors, and to make sure there are still game fish for their future.
Brush cutting in the Antlers Saddle area for improving habitat for wintering herds of deer helps to better their chances for survival, as do deer and sheep counts and provision of funding to ensure aerial counts for game are done.

Participating in ongoing programs such as providing a student bursary, Wilderness Watch, sending representatives to allocation committees, the Land and Resource Management Plan and Brenda Mine Public Surveillance Committee; and instructing CORE courses and BOW programs ensures our point of view is heard.

The club also completed a stream enhancement project at Eneas Lake in 2001, and contributed to the Peachland Communities in Bloom competition in 2002 with vegetation restoration along Trepanier Creek.