Protecting the natural legacy of
BC’s Southern Rockies
Eas
oot
ena
onment
al Socie
ty N
ew
sle
tt
er • VVol
ol 116
6 Issue 5 • Ma
Eastt KKoot
ootena
enayy Envir
Environment
onmental
Society
New
ewsle
slett
tter
Mayy 2002
A Rare
Opportunity:
Act Now for Wildlife and Wilderness
in the Southern Rockies
T
he fate of wildlife and wild lands in the Southern Rockies
will be determined by the BC and Canadian governments
in the very near future.
The area stretching from Height of the Rockies Provincial
Park in the upper Elk Valley, down the west side of the Elk
River to the US border through the Wigwam and Flathead
valleys is the home to wildlife of international renown.
Species including grizzly bear, wolf, mountain goat, bighorn
sheep, and bull trout are threatened through much of their
range but thrive here in the Southern Rockies. The area
encompasses year round habitats for the greatest diversity of
ungulates and carnivores found anywhere in North America.
We have an unprecedented opportunity and responsibility to
act now to ensure that this rich diversity of life is maintained
for future generations.
Designation of the Southern Rocky Mountain Wildlife
Management Area and expansion of the Waterton-Glacier
Peace Park complex can happen in the next few months. It
will not happen without a strong message coming from
everyone who cares!!
Wildlife and wilderness have already
experienced significant impacts from
open pit coal mines, forestry operations,
recreational developments and dramatic
increases in helicopter, snowmobile and
ATV use. Highway 3 slices through the
area, its traffic and development pose
serious risks to wildlife. These impacts
must be managed in a manner that
supports our communities’ economic
and recreational opportunities, but
maintains wildlife habitat and the
wilderness qualities of the region.
continued on page 2
P1 • EcoVOICE • May 2002
Continued from page 1
EKES has worked with community members in the Elk
Valley to put forward a plan that will protect wildlife values as
well as the local economy, while respecting treaty rights of
the Ktunaxa. This is an unprecedented opportunity to make
a real difference.
The Wildlife Management Area would ensure stewardship
of the internationally significant fish and wildlife populations,
while not excluding resource extraction or compatible
recreational use. The WMA and legal management objectives
are key to maintaining critical habitats and connectivity in
the Rocky Mountain system between Banff and Waterton
National Parks. This proposal would also create a National
Park Reserve in the southeastern portion of the Flathead
valley, adjacent to Waterton Park to the east and US Glacier
Park to the south, completing decades of work to expand the
Peace Park complex into British Columbia. This area is home
to the densest grizzly bear population in the interior of the
province and its flood plains are believed to contain the
highest level of aquatic species diversity in the Rocky
Mountains.
After years of work by EKES
advocates and volunteers working
through community and government
processes, the issue is moving toward a
decision. Please participate. Take a few
minutes to write and support the
Wildlife Management Area, Peace Park
expansion, and an international
agreement to manage the transboundary
area in a manner that maintains
wildlife.
It’s easy for those with internet
access: Go to www.peaceparkplus.net
where in a few minutes you can take a
virtual tour of the area and fax your
message to Premier Campbell and
Prime Minister Chrétien.
Check out our brochure or this website to take action:
www.peaceparkplus.net
Published by the East Kootenay Environmental Society. Letters and articles
are welcome.
EKES
495 Wallinger Ave, PO Box 8
Kimberley, BC V1A 2Y5
Tel
(250) 427- 9325
Fax
(250) 427-3535
E-mail [email protected]
Website www.ekes.org
Recycled Paper
P2 • www.ekes.org
S e e t h e attached EKES b r o c h u r e
MaintainingWilderness in the Canadian
Rockies for more information and
addresses to send your requests.
Many people have grown
discouraged and believe their voice will
not be heard, but if we don’t speak up
now the government will assume that
the people of the East Kootenay do not
feel that these areas are important!!!
Please take the time to write!
John Bergenske
Forestry/Land Use Spokesperson
The Commercial Recreation Tenures
Process in BC Does Not Include
Environmental Concerns
A
t the annual BC Tourism conference in Vancouver in
March of this year Gordon Campbell reiterated his
demand that tourism revenue double. This translates to a lot
of fast tracking of tenures in the backcountry as well as
clearing up the “backlog” of water based tenures. At a meeting
with BC Land and Water, (formerly BCAL) on May 2nd , EKES
Spokesperson Kat Hartwig was given an update regarding the
commercial recreation tenure process. BC Land and Water is
referred to as a corporation. No one can determine whether or
not it is a separate legal entity and subject to separate legal
scrutiny in terms of their actions of issuing tenure in
endangered Mountain Caribou habitat or issuing tenure on top
of existing tenure.
In the Kootenays, the planning process that will eventually
be used to guide where commercial tenures are issued is
being conducted in the Elk Valley, this was supposed to be a
condensed version of the Golden Plan to be finished in 6
months. Unlike the Golden process it is not consensus
oriented. The Recreation AccessManagement Plan in the Elk
Valley that solicited input from local stakeholders may be
considered in the tenure issuing process.
The Invermere District Recreation Management Plan will
begin in December. Areas that were formerly designated semi
primitive by Ministry of Forests are now all going to be reevaluated to determine their designations under the BC Land
and Water. The role of the former Ministry of Environment is
now to offer Environmental Stewardship advice in terms of
what their environmental expectations on the land base are.
No tenures are being sent for referrals to the biologists as per
the Memorandum of Understanding between environment and
BCAL. Wildlife Management Guidelines that were developed
have been revamped and are being referred to as Best
Practices Guidelines. Industry self regulates and the only thing
that is legally binding to the tenure holders is what is outlined
in their tenure contract. The interim Wildlife Management
Guidelines. that were developed in the Kootenays and were
supposed to be applied province wide. To our knowledge
they have been shelved.
Sustainable Resource Management is a newly formed
ministry, which encompasses strategic planning, and
inventory of all of the provinces resources for land and water.
This is the agency that will have the tenures inventoried and
available to the public sometime in the future. Currently
according to the regional SRM manager if the public
wanted to know how many tenures
were issued this request would have to
be specifically worded and for a fee the
information would be compiled and
sent. There are no maps available
showing all of the tenures in regions or
in the province. Currently all tenures are
processed in under three and a half
months and the ratio of approval is
60:40. (We have no way of confirming
this government statistic).
The BC Land and Water corporation
is a corporation. It is in the process of
giving commercial recreational or
other tenures on public land. The
precautionary principals are not being
followed in tenure approval. In the most
recent Provincial Mountain Caribou
census the numbers of Mountain
Caribou have dropped from 2300
approx to 1900 approx. The most
contentious heli skiing tenures have
been issued to Canadian Mountain
Holidays directly in Mountain Caribou
habitat. Corporate and motorized
backcountry is what is being advocated
and initiated while Super Natural BC is
still being marketed.
Kat Hartwig
Wilderness Recreation/Tourism Spokesperson
P3 • EcoVOICE • May 2002
EKES Presents the
Columbia Wetlands at
Transboundary
Conference
P
articipants from the US and Canada came together at the
recent conference in Spokane, Washington, “Toward
Ecosystem-based management: Breaking down the Barriers in
the Columbia River Basin and Beyond”, April 27th -May 1st.
On the first afternoon of the conference Jen Rosewarne, EKES
Upper Columbia Valley Outreach Coordinator, chaired a
technical session entitled, “Raising Awareness, Embracing
Diversity and Understanding Ecological
Interdependence”. The subtopic of the session was
using grassroots to promote conservation of the head waters
of the Columbia River and the Columbia River Wetlands. Jen
delivered information on scientific resources for people
working in conservation.
Ellen Zimmerman, EKES Spokesperson for the Columbia
Wetlands presented slides illustrating the wildlife and scenic
wonders of the Columbia Wetlands as well as the challenges
to protecting the ecological values. The presentation sparked
a lively discussion from over 50 participants who recognized
that the Columbia Wetlands and the upper Columbia River are
the source of the vast Columbia system, the fourth largest body
of water in North America by volume, a critical water supply
for the Pacific Northwest.
It is clear that negative impacts at the source will have
troubling implications downstream and American
participants from communities along the Columbia River
were concerned over maintaining the ecological integrity of
the upper Columbia Wetlands and river.
This summer, there will be opportunity to have input into a
future federal boating restriction. Public consultation as well
as scientific evidence will provide the basis for this
restriction. Without the support of the scientific and resident
community, the result could be a future where sensitive
aquatic ecosystems are exposed to unrestricted jet boats and
jet skis.
EKES is working diligently to ensure that our application
for a boating restriction is successful. The present
unsurpassed role of these Columbia Wetlands as a refuge for
migrating and resident birds and wildlife must not be
sacrificed to unrestricted use by motorized vessels.
P4 • www.ekes.org
Our challenge is to ensure the
continuing protection of the Columbia
Wetlands as a home for wildlife and as
quiet and peaceful sanctuary for people
as well.
Ellen Zimmerman
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
EKES
Invermere
News
T
he EKES Invermere Branch will be
hosting the Annual Lake Clean-up
this May long weekend at Sunshine
Ranch beach. If you have any time on
Sunday morning May 19th please give
Marilyn a call at 342-6488.
The Invermere Branch purchased two
David Thompson Heritage Land
Campaign posters and has donated one
to the local museum and the other to
Glen Sage, geography teacher at David
Thompson Senior Secondary. These
posters can be purchased through the
EKES for $25.00 (includes shipping and
handling).
Marilynn Kraayvanger
Mountain Named
E
KES was thrilled to receive notification that the proposal
they helped coordinate to commemorate Art Twomey had
been accepted. Mount Twomey has been adopted as an
official name in British Columbia, to describe a summit
within the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy located in the
Dewar Creek drainage, directly west of the Dewar Creek Hot
Springs.
Art Twomey came to Canada in 1968 to realize a 60’s dream
of living away from the rat race of the urban environment and
living in an idyllic log cabin in the mountains. Already an
established mountain climber and photographer, he carried
on with this profession. But his was not a selfish ideal. Art
had vision. He saw the wilderness environment being
pressured from numerous extractive resource industries. His
belief was that the wilderness was critically important and
there was need for protection for future generations, not just
for mankind but also for all living things within the ecosystem. In this he was ahead of his time. It was his insistence
that brought the intent and purpose of wilderness legislation
to British Columbia.
Art had first hand knowledge of the area from years of
hiking, riding, climbing, filming, hunting and fishing in the
Purcells. Along with friends he pioneered many first ascents
of peaks in the Southern Purcells and loved most to follow in
the historical footsteps of the earlier travelers in the Purcells.
He was a ranger of the first BC Park Rangers team in the
Purcells for four seasons.
Using his skills as a still and motion
photographer, he produced a film with
which he travelled and lectured on the
Purcell Mountains eco-system across
the province and into Alberta.
Instrumental in writing the original brief
for what was eventually to become the
Purcell Wilderness Conservancy, he
lobbied long and with passion to this
end. The PWC was originally
established in 1974 with an “ o r d e r i n
council” from the Cabinet of the day.
In subsequent years he continued to
work to bring legislative protection for
the Conservancy. His visions and
understanding on the importance
of size and connectivity for viability of
the eco-system kept him working on
enlarging the PWC. In 1996 after the
CORE process, he saw his dream come
true when the long east and west valleys
were added into the boundaries of the
PWC to enhance the long-term viability
of the wilderness values of the area.
Naming a mountain in the Purcell
Wilderness Conservancy is a fitting way
to recognize Art’s legacy to all British
Columbians, hopefully future
generations of wilderness enthusiasts
will think to enquire about the
significance of the name, Mount
Tw o m e y.
Billy Page
P5 • EcoVOICE • May 2002
Earth Day Festival a
Success
T
he East Kootenay Environmental Society (EKES)
Kimberley/Cranbrook branch, hosted its second annual
Earth Day Festival, Saturday, April 20th, 2002. The festival
was very successful and the weather could not have been
better.
Hundreds of people came out to Centennial Field and Hall
to spend a relaxing, earth-friendly day in the sun. Kids played
a great part in the festivities, participating in face-painting,
pottery, a book exchange, recycled arts, story-telling and of
course, we can not forget to mention the interpretive program,
Buck! Lord of the Beavers. Don Den Hoed from Kananaskis
Country Interpretation entertained kids and adults alike with
his award winning presentation about a boy that was raised
by beavers. The hour-long program provided many laughs
and certainly educated us all about the trials and tribulations
of the beaver.
Downtown Deli and Grubstake Pizza were kept busy all day
serving their wonderful food. For those who came to learn
more about our earth, there was information on worm
composting, recycling, solar energy, strawbale housing and
conservation and much more. It was great to see vendors and
artisans come out to sell their wares – recycled art and the
amazing recycled propane tanks and pallets, candles,
clothes, soap, jams and tie-dyed kids clothes. Music was also
a big part of the day and kept the mood earthy and relaxing.
EKES Kimberley/Cranbrook branch would like to thank the
entertainers, booth vendors and absolutely everyone who
made this event such an amazing success. To all the
hardworking volunteers, those who ran booths, carried tables,
created those wonderful signs and the Earth Day Logo,
donated garage sale items (which by the way was a great
success!), organized kids activities and cleaned up the area,
the Earth Day Committee thanks you!!!! We would like to name
you all but there are so many of you! Last but not least, thankyou to Kimberley City for sponsoring the Hall, Sandor Rental
for donating the tent and to hose who donated paint and their
time. This year’s Earth Day was a great success – we hope to
see everyone again next year.
Lisa Crane
Office/Resource Centre Manager
Kimberley/Cranbrook Branch
P6 • www.ekes.org
Gerry the Moose from BC Parks and Emma the Get Bear
Smart Bear from Kimberley enjoyed this years festivities at
Earth Day
EKES has a
New Look
W
e are very excited to announce
that our newly designed web
site is up and running. Check out
our new look, updates on all of our
campaigns and the latest
newsletters and action alerts at
www.ekes.org.
Let us know what you think, we
would love some feed back.
To v i e w t his g o v e r n m e n t d i s c u s s i o n p a p e r, g o t o
www.resultsbasedcode.ca.
For more information contact:
John Bergenske, EKES Forestry and Land Use Spokesperson
[email protected]
John Bergenske
Forestry/Land Use Spokesperson
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
A
group of companies are proposing a land swap that
would see the existing Mount Fernie Provincial Park in the
Elk Valley becoming developed. Island Lake Resort Group,
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, and other partners are
proposing a land swap that will result in yet more expansion
of the ski hill, golf course development and a new
condominium and single family dwelling development.
This proposed mega-resort is planned in Lizard Creek
drainage, a key corridor and important linkage zone for
grizzly bears and other species traveling across Highway 3, as
identified by Clayton Apps.* The proponents plan to mitigate
for high wildlife values in this drainage by creating a “250
metre wildlife corridor,” with an admitted “high traffic road
crossing it.” This is inadequate to protect the values in an area
that already has localized fragmentation.
Mount Fernie Provincial Park contains extremely diverse
vegetation in a small area ranging from high level Engelmann
spruce and sub-alpine fir to low level aspen, Douglas-fir,
interspersed with cottonwood and western hemlock. In this
diverse forest, many critters make their home including bear,
elk, moose and deer. Lizard Creek also provides habitat for
west slope cutthroat trout before flowing into the Elk River.
While Mount Fernie Provincial Park may not be the most
ecologically important parcel in the Elk Va lley due to its
relatively small size, it serves an important function of acting
like a plug to prevent development in this drainage, thereby
protecting the species traveling through.
While this development is far from being approved, Elk
Valley residents must ask themselves, if more development is
necessary and at what cost to the environment.
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
Should our Provincial
Parks be traded for
Mega-Resorts?
*Apps, Clayton, RPBio. 1997. Identification of Grizzly Bear
Linkage Zones along the Highway 3 Corridor of Southeast
British Columbia and Southwest Alberta.
○
○
he provincial government has
presented a discussion paper for
public input on a revised Forest
Practices Code. Unfortunately, for a
code that is touted as “Results Based”,
there are few measurable results and
little ability for enforcement as
management aims at broad objectives
rather than measurable results.
The precautionary approach, that
recommends that actions not take place
unless it is clear that they will not
degrade the environment, is being
replaced by granting forest companies
the right to move forward with no area
specific plans and little public or
government oversight. The only
recourse for enforcement will be to
assess environmental damage after the
fact, something that does not bring back
lost water quality, wildlife habitat, or
eroded landscapes. After decades of
work to provide proper planning and
input from all agencies and the public,
the government is moving backwards to
the days where the forest industry had
free rein.
The importance of citizen
involvement will be much greater, but it
will be outside the system as this
system has no place for public
involvement unless industry willingly
provides the opportunities. In the face of
deregulation, those who care about the
environment will be forced to go
directly to corporations and the
marketplace to create pressure for
sustainable forest practices that protect
environmental values.
○
T
○
○
Deregulation
Gives Forests
Over to
Corporate
Control
Erica Konrad
P7 • EcoVOICE • May 2002
Mark Creek Recovery
Program Starts Planting
I
t’s May 6th and I’m looking out my window at my
neighbour’s snow- covered roof thinking about the hundreds
of willow, dogwood and alders we planted on the banks of
Mark Creek this April. We waited until the snow had melted
(evidently temporarily) from the banks of Mark Creek and then
put out a call for volunteers. In total, over forty supporters
spent a Saturday morning clamouring up the steep, unstable
creek banks searching out a spot in the rocky substrate that
would be suitable to plant in. About one thousand native
plants now lie dormant under the fresh blanket of snow ready
to leaf out when the weather warms up. To these, volunteers
will add the same number of native ground cover seedlings
and grass plugs, after weeding out the knapweed and
Dalmatian toadflax.
Planting native vegetation on bare and weed-infested stream
banks is a vital step in the process of urban stream restoration.
Not only are we restoring species diversity we’re also replacing
weeds, which have roots largely ineffectual in preventing soil
erosion, with those of native shrubs, ground covers and
grasses which bind soil together in a
fibrous matt. In a few years the native
vegetation will create new fish and
wildlife habitat and provide a much
needed food source for the emergent
aquatic life.
If you can spare a few hours on a
Saturday morning to help replant Mark
Creek’s stream banks please contact
Helen Sander, Mark Creek Recovery
Program coordinator at 250 427-5554 or
[email protected].
Helen Sander
Become an EKES member today!
Join an organization that makes a difference.
East Kootenay Environmental Society
Box 8 Kimberley, BC V1A 2Y5
NAME (S)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
MAILING ADDRESS
____________________________________________________________________________________________
$20 Individual $13 annual EKES
fee, $7 annual branch fee)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
PHONE
___________________________________________ FAX ___________________________________________
E-MAIL
____________________________________________________________________________________________
$25 F
amily ( $13 annual EKES MemberFamily
ship,
$12
annual
branch
fee)
*please list all family members over age 14
$100 Non-Member
Annual Subscription
Donation Tax deductible donation in
Kimberley/Cranbrook
Lisa Crane
Box 8
Kimberley, BC V1A 2Y5
(250) 427-2535
[email protected]
P8 • www.ekes.org
Creston
Tanna Patterson
Box 790
Creston, BC V0B 1G0
(250) 428-5246
[email protected]
Invermere
Kat Hartwig
Box 2741
Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
(250) 342-0180
[email protected]
the amount of $____________
Golden
Joan Dolinsky
Box 955
Golden, BC V0A 1H0
(250) 348-2578
[email protected]
Elk Valley
Erica Konrad
Box 537
Fernie, BC V0B 1M0
(250) 423-3152
[email protected]