Castlegar (Selkirk College Communications)Basin residents are invited to attend a FREE climate change presentation and public forum being held on Monday, September 26, 2005 at Selkirk College in Nelson at the 10th Street campus in the Lower Mary Hall of from 7 pm to 9 pm.

The forum is being hosted by Columbia Basin Trust and Selkirk College and is open to all residents interested in learning more about climate change in the Columbia Basin.

“The main theme for this forum is how does climate change affect the water resources in the Columbia Basin,“ says Kindy Gosal, Manager of Water Initiatives for Columbia Basin Trust.

“We are honored to have some of the most knowledgeable people in North America coming to Nelson to speak on this subject. They are going to address some key questions such as; How do we know that climate change is happening? What are the current and future impacts of climate change in the Columbia Basin? and How does this impact our communities and way of life?“

The forum will feature expert speakers on climate change such as Dr. Philip Mote and Dr. Alan Hamlet, both from the University of Washington; and Dr. Stewart Cohen and Dr. Hans Schreier from the University of British Columbia.

“The forum is an opportunity for Basin residents to get some information on how the changing climate will impact the water resources in the Columbia Basin and we would like to encourage everyone to attend,” added Gosal.

The Columbia Basin Trust (www.cbt.org) is a regionally-based Crown corporation. It was created in 1995 to support efforts by the people of the Columbia Basin to create a legacy of economic, social, and environmental well-being, and to achieve greater self-sufficiency for present and future generations.

When: Sept. 26 from 7 to 9 pm

Where: Selkirk College in Nelson at the 10th Street campus in the Lower Mary Hall