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Press Release |
FIRE LOOKOUTS OF THE COLUMBIA BASIN TO BE DOCUMENTED Nakusp, BC - July 6, 2004 The historical value of fire lookouts of the Columbia Basin will soon be recognized by means of a website providing an inventory of the lookouts, details of their history, interviews with past lookout staff, as well as historical and recent photographs. The project, titled "Fire Lookouts of the Columbia Basin", has funding for Phase 1, which will allow research and documentation of at least six lookouts in the West Kootenays, to be assimilated on a website that could potentially end up including lookouts throughout British Columbia, thus the website name www.bcfirelookouts.com. Fire lookouts have played a significant role in the province's history, and this role needs to be recognized and documented. No longer necessary due to modern methods of forest fire monitoring, some fire lookouts in the Basin are maintained by the Ministry of Forests and/or volunteers, and provide excellent recreational and educational value, while others stand forgotten in their lofty locations, slowly deteriorating. A main goal of the project is to raise the awareness of the Columbia Basin's fire lookouts and their historical value. Currently very little information about the lookouts is available online or in book form. The project coordinators also hope that by providing a comprehensive, accessible record of these pieces of history, an increased interest in their preservation and management will result. Research would entail identifying the locations of the lookouts, significant dates related to them, their staff, historical photographs, interviews with seniors who have stories about the lookouts, and visiting the lookouts to acquire current photographs. The project has received funding from the Columbia Basin Trust's Arts, Culture and Heritage sector through the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, as well as the Regional District of Central Kootenay, Pope & Talbot Ltd. and Kootenay Virtual Tours, with other funding applications pending. Anyone with information about, or photographs of, lookouts in the Columbia Basin are asked to contact Beth or Rory McLeod at (250) 265-0024 or info@bcfirelookouts.com. |
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No reproduction without prior permission (email us for contact information). The information contained herein is accurate to the best of our knowledge; please notify us of errors, and additional material is always welcome. The authors do not assume any liability for uses made of the information presented herein. |
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We would like to thank the following for providing funding for this project:
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