The Thomas Creek wildfire that burned just three kilometers north of Okanagan Falls this summer has significantly damaged a portion of the McTaggart-Cowan/nsək'łniw't Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
In response to the vulnerability, the burned area is now closed to all public use; an expansion of the area that was previously closed due to the 2020 Christie Mountain fire.
As of Oct. 15, the entire WMA is closed to mushroom picking, camping, and motor-vehicle use, this temporary closure will continue until the threat to wildlife and the habitat is lessened.
The Penticton Indian Band and the province are collaborating to assess and monitor public use, but the closure will not apply to most uses where a legal permit or tenure has been obtained or to Indigenous uses for food, social, cultural or ceremonial activities.
Known as nsək'łniw't in the Okanagan/Syilx language (in the English language, this Syilx place name refers to the gash on the side of the mountain and describes an important Syilx Nation trail), the area has been protected by the Syilx people since time immemorial and holds significant cultural value.
The McTaggart-Cowan/nsək'łniw't WMA, located between Penticton and Okanagan Falls, was originally established in 2013 to protect the habitat for at-risk bighorn sheep.
Learn more about the McTaggart-Cowan/nsək'łniw't Wildlife Management Area here.
