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CPAWS-BC applauds Mamalilikulla First Nation’s new Indigenous-led protected area
Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories / Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) congratulates Mamalilikulla First Nation in declaring gwaxdłala (Lull Bay)/‘nalaxdłala (Hoeya Sound) as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).
Near Knight Inlet on the central coast of British Columbia, this 10,416 hectare protected area is almost the size of the city of Vancouver, and contains watersheds that support critical species like grizzly bears, eagles, and salmon. It also houses a one-of-a-kind underwater sponge and coral reef. Without protection and sustainable management, this biodiversity risks being lost.
“Indigenous Peoples—like Mamalilikulla First Nation—have stewarded rich and healthy landscapes since time immemorial. This announcement is a re-assertion of the stewardship role they’ve held,” says Kevin Barlow, Executive Director of CPAWS-BC. “I look forward to seeing the crown governments uphold their commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) by formally recognizing this IPCA.”
In addition to protecting biodiversity and cultural values—including settlement sites—this IPCA is an important step forward in protecting 25% of BC’s lands and waters by 2025 in order to stem the climate change and biodiversity crises affecting communities across the province.
The ocean waters of the IPCA are proposed as a strongly protected component of the planned Northern Shelf Bioregion Marine Protected Area Network. This network, led by 17 First Nations including Mamalilikulla First Nation, aims to protect the species and ecosystems underpinning their ocean economy in the north Pacific coast of BC.
With their expertise protecting nature, CPAWS-BC looks forward to more Indigenous-led conservation initiatives.
Kevin Barlow
Executive Director, CPAWS-BC
Content warning: Contains mentions of police violence and settler colonial violence
November 23, 2021, Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories / Vancouver, BC – CPAWS-BC stands in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en clans who have re-occupied and taken control over their Yintah (territory) and condemns the arrests of land defenders and journalists.
Those occupying the land do so under Inuk Nuatden (Wet’suwet’en law) and Canadian law. In 1997, the Supreme Court of Canada issued the Delgamuukw-Gisday’wa decision, which asserted that the Wet’suwet’en people, as represented by their hereditary chiefs, had not given up rights and title to more than 20,000 square kilometres of territory in northern British Columbia. Despite this ruling, the colonial Canadian and British Columbian governments continue to permit resource projects without the free, prior, and informed consent of Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs.
Like many, CPAWS-BC applauded the BC government’s commitment to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) through the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) in 2019. UNDRIP protects against all forms of violence and discrimination for Indigenous Peoples of the world. However, the province continues to deny Wet’suwet’en and other Indigenous Nations across British Columbia these human rights.
CPAWS-BC Executive Director Kevin Barlow said, “The main purpose behind UNDRIP, and by default DRIPA, is to prevent resource extraction from Indigenous territories without their full consent. Throughout the world, over 50 per cent of Indigenous people now live in urban areas due to encroachment, primarily from resource extraction. Government has a great responsibility to handle these situations with integrity and without armed force.”
The increased and on-going RCMP action on Wet’suwet’en lands in recent days is deeply concerning. As the climate crisis intensifies with record floods, fires and heatwaves, so does the violence against land defenders and the journalists sharing their stories. Providing safe access for journalists to cover events falls well within their charter rights. Indigenous voices and stories have historically been, and continue to be suppressed in mainstream media as a measure to uphold colonial systems and capitalist agendas. The RCMP must end these acts of aggression immediately.
BC is currently in the grips of a crisis. Across the province, highways and roads have been completely destroyed, huge swaths of agricultural land are under water, thousands have been evacuated, and many more were stranded far from home without adequate food, water, and shelter. Yet the province deployed emergency resources that could have been directed to relief efforts to instead intimidate, harass, and arrest Indigenous Peoples who are exercising their rights to self-determination and stewardship of their lands—and opposing the very type of fossil fuel extraction project that worsens the catastrophic weather we’ve recently experienced.
CPAWS-BC urges the immediate withdrawal of the RCMP from Wet’suwet’en Territory and the release of those detained. We stand in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en and all Indigenous Peoples who are reasserting their relationships with land and water in order to strengthen their culture, traditional practices, and stories. We are grateful for their leadership and vision for a just future.
We encourage all Canadians to:
- Donate to the Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders http://go.rallyup.com/wetsuwetenstrong
- Amplify the Wet’suwet’en Peoples struggle through your social media handles, and conversations with family, friends, and co-workers.
- Keep up to date as the events unfold by following:
Kevin Barlow (Mi’kmaw)
Interim Executive Director, CPAWS-BC
Quick Facts: Wet’suwet’en, B.C. and Canada launch path to implement rights and title
- Wet’suwet’en means people of the Wedzin Kwe River (Bulkley River) Yintah means territory. Inuk Nuatden means Wet’suwet’en laws.
- The Wet’suwet’en Yintah, is located in the central Interior of B.C. around Smithers, Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and François Lake.
- Wet’suwet’en Nation is comprised of five clans: Gilseyhu (Big Frog) Laksilyu (Small Frog), Gitdumten (Wolf/Bear), Laksamshu (Fireweed), and Tsayu (Beaver).
- The clans are divided into 13 Houses and each House is represented by a Hereditary Chief.
References:
It’s been quite a year and a half! Despite many restrictions and challenges, nature has been there for us when we needed it most. Nature was ready to welcome us, enveloping us in its safe bubble where we found recreation, rest, and rejuvenation. Whether you enjoyed the greenery from your balcony or ventured into local parks and the untamed wilderness, join us in celebrating the great outdoors by sharing a photo of how you found solace in nature’s bubble!
Prizes
– One $500 MEC gift card (based on judging criteria)
– One of two $250 MEC gift cards (randomly selected at end of contest)
– One of two survival kits from BMG Industries, awarded randomly and biweekly
How to Enter
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Post your photo in nature’s bubble from the last 12 months on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Photos must be public so we can see them!
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In your caption, tell us why nature matters to you, and what’s special about your memory.
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Tag and follow CPAWS-BC and the Guide Outfitters Association of BC. Multiple entries are encouraged—up to one entry a day!
CPAWS-BC: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Guide Outfitters Association of BC: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Make sure that your profile is public so that we can see it. Posts must be put in a feed, unfortunately Instagram stories will not be eligible to win.
Don’t have a social media account? No problem! You can also email parks@cpawsbc.org with subject line “Nature’s Bubble Photo Contest”.
UPDATE: Contest closes on Friday, November 5, 2021. Find the full contest rules here.
September 30, 2021, Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories / Vancouver, BC – CPAWS-BC stands in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples as we observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We acknowledge the role of colonization on Indigenous Peoples, and we in the conservation movement remain committed to working actively towards healing and reconciliation.
We honour thousands of Indigenous children lost to residential schools by also recognizing September 30 as Orange Shirt Day. We stand with the communities and Nations grieving the confirmation of their long-held knowledge: 215 children at Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, 104 in Sioux Valley Dakota territory near Brandon, 751 on Cowessess First Nation, 160 in Hul’qumi’num Territory on Vancouver Island and 182 in Ktunaxa Territory. The National Centre For Truth and Reconciliation confirms the identities of 4,117 children. And we sadly acknowledge there will be more gravesites found.
The legacy of residential schools and colonialism continues to negatively impact Indigenous Peoples today. CPAWS-BC has a responsibility as a leader in the conservation movement to take steps that can begin to heal relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and the lands and waters where we work.
We recognize that reconciliation and decolonization is an ongoing process that requires all of us to be actively involved and responsible as our collective learning evolves. CPAWS-BC makes a firm commitment to uphold decolonization as a cornerstone in our conservation work.
As we work toward the protection of diverse ecosystems, CPAWS-BC will do so in the spirit of decolonization , recognizing the essential leadership of the Indigenous stewards who have cared for these lands and waters since time immemorial. We are committed to deepening our relationships with Indigenous partners and we recognize that it is our responsibility to support Indigenous Peoples to safeguard their land and water.
As a team, we are advancing awareness, knowledge, and capacity on our staff and board by providing cultural competency learning opportunities and workshops with Indigenous speakers, Elders, storytellers, and facilitators.
We encourage all Canadians to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Calls to Action. You can further support Indigenous communities today by participating in virtual events such as the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc’s Drum for the Children event or the Orange Shirt Day event in Vancouver. If you can, please consider donating to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, the Orange Shirt Society, or One Day’s Pay.
Sincerely,
Kevin Barlow (Mi’kmaw)
Interim Executive Director, CPAWS-BC
For more information please contact:
Rippon Madtha
Communications Manager
604-685-7445 (x 23)
rippon@cpawsbc.org
In 1992, Canada first proposed the idea of a World Oceans Day at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, as a day to encourage protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources. Twenty-nine years later, on World Oceans Day 2021, the message of World Oceans Day is needed now more than ever in British Columbia.
The iconic southern resident killer whales have been listed as endangered since 2001, fishers worry about their livelihoods, and coastal communities in BC are concerned about climate change-induced sea level rise and flooding. Without a strategy to protect and sustainably manage coastal and marine spaces, we are putting the future of the coast at risk.
However, this year on World Oceans Day, we have hope for the coast. After years of calls from conservation groups, fishers, local governments, and others, the provincial government has recognized that it needs to act to address the challenges facing coastal and marine areas.
Following the October 2020 election, the British Columbia government committed in ministerial mandate letters to “developing a coastal marine strategy – in partnership with First Nations and federal and local governments – to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.” Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations Nathan Cullen is tasked with leading this important initiative.
The development of a BC coastal marine strategy and law represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revamp provincial coastal management to ensure marine life and coastal communities get the future they deserve.
What is a Coastal Marine Strategy and Law?
In the face of accelerating coastal development, greater stressors on ocean resources, and declines in marine ecosystem health, many states around the world have adopted coastal marine strategies to better manage coastal and marine areas. We refer to a coastal marine strategy as a “blueprint for the coast” because it provides long-term directions to guide governments in the planning and management of these areas.
A strong coastal marine strategy will identify high level goals for coastal and ocean management and include laws and policies to achieve these goals.
The strategy should ensure that the management of marine and coastal areas is:
- Integrated – so that provincial government decision-makers, including local governments, coordinate effectively between themselves and with Indigenous and federal governments;
- Adaptive – meaning that the provincial government monitors and adapts its decision-making to ensure that the goals of the strategy are being met; and
- Sustainable – so that the needs of future generations are not compromised by today’s decisions.
Since the 1970s, the West Coast US states have had in place coastal marine strategies and laws to help manage ocean areas in concert with the federal government, Indigenous tribes, and local governments. They have created commissions or other government bodies in charge of administering their coastal marine strategies, have developed marine spatial plans that detail where activities can occur, implemented networks of marine protected areas to restore fisheries and revive marine ecosystems, and adopted sophisticated monitoring programs. Aside from BC, almost every coastal state and province in the US and Canada has adopted a strategy or law to manage its ocean areas, with Nova Scotia being the most recent, having adopted its Coastal Protection Act in 2019.
Here in BC
While British Columbia exercises significant jurisdiction in coastal and marine spaces, it does not currently have a comprehensive coastal marine strategy backed by a law to direct its ocean management.
Right now, BC manages coastal and marine areas through a patchwork of regulations and laws overseen by different ministries and departments without an overarching vision for those decisions or a centralized body responsible for those decisions. This approach makes it difficult to coordinate with Indigenous nations and federal and local governments and to ensure that the long-term health of coastal and marine ecosystems is safeguarded.
The provincial government has nonetheless created some promising initiatives in recent years to improve management and protection of marine and coastal areas. For example, BC partnered with Indigenous nations through the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), a unique partnership to develop plans to manage marine areas from the Alaskan border down to Northern Vancouver Island in an ecosystem-based and adaptive manner. BC is also involved in the creation of a network of marine protected areas in the Great Bear Sea with the federal government and Indigenous nations.
However, without the backing of a coastal marine strategy and law, the success of these initiatives could be in jeopardy.
What’s needed for a strong BC Coastal Marine Strategy
A BC Coastal Marine Strategy can accomplish a number of important objectives for the coastal and marine areas off British Columbia – and the communities that rely on them.
Next Steps
Coastal strategies and laws have been successfully implemented around the world in order to ensure better integrated ocean governance and to safeguard ocean ecosystems. It is exciting to finally be embarking on this journey in British Columbia.
We know that the development a coastal marine strategy can take a considerable amount of time, so it will be important that the Province, in partnership with Indigenous nations, begin development of the coastal marine strategy as soon as possible.
Join us this week as we celebrate World Oceans Day 2021, by showing the provincial government that you support the development of a BC coastal marine strategy. Take action by either sending a tweet or email to the provincial government today.
Let’s fulfill the promise of this day and make sure marine life and coastal communities get the future they deserve. Join us!
CPAWS-BC and West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) will be following every step of this process, and we invite you to stay up to date and get involved by visiting blueprintforthecoast.ca, signing up for our newsletters or follow us @Blueprint4Coast on Twitter.
By Michael Bissonnette, WCEL Marine Program Staff Lawyer
For interviews, contact:
Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter
tori@cpawsbc.org
(604) 685-7445 x24
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New youth jobs program bolsters conservation and recreation in BC, says conservationists
April 13, 2021
Traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples/Vancouver, BC — The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is praising a new provincial program that will give youth opportunities to work in conservation and recreation. These jobs will help to launch careers in wilderness stewardship while preparing BC’s vast outdoor recreation network to host record visitor numbers through another pandemic summer.
“We’re thrilled to see this much needed capacity lift for nature and outdoor recreation in the province,” says Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner with CPAWS-BC. “We can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the province is preparing to better support the health and wellbeing of British Columbians by providing more access to parks, trails and camping opportunities.”
This is the second youth-focused work program the BC government has launched in the last year, both of which included conservation-specific opportunities. Hiring youth to improve parks and nature stewardship will help to meet the increasing need for more trails and campgrounds as people look to escape locally during the pandemic.
Long-standing budget constraints have created bottlenecks in BC’s parks system, from delays in planning to visitor facilities in need of maintenance or waiting to be built. Unfortunately, this resulted in BC’s provincial parks being forced to shut down last spring due to concerns with understaffing and overcrowding.
“Spending time outdoors has been a consistent public health recommendation during the pandemic, and we’re encouraged that the BC government is taking measures to ensure there are safe, well-managed places for people to get outside,” says Ball.
“As people invest in outdoor gear for the long-haul, we hope to see more long-term investments and programs of this kind coming down the pipe to support the vast and diverse nature and recreation systems in BC,” she adds.
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For interviews, contact:
Tori Ball, Senior Campaigner
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter
tori@cpawsbc.org
(604) 685-7445 x24
Download Media Release PDF
Resources
As a part of the Stronger BC Future Leaders Program, the BC government is investing in youth conservation jobs to accommodate and support growing demand for outdoor recreation:
- The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development will invest more than $11 million for over 220 jobs in the Natural Resource Youth Employment program and the Recreation Sites and Trails program.
- The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy will invest $4.6 million to create 37 positions with BC Parks and 46 positions with the Conservation Officer Service, to work in a variety of fields to gain experience and help protect the environment.
- The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy is creating opportunities for up to 180 young people to help tackle marine debris and plastic pollution in coastal communities. An investment of $5 million in the Clean Coast, Clean Waters program is aimed at youth employment, including youth in Indigenous communities.
- More information: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/StrongerBC-FutureLeaders
About CPAWS-BC
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is part of one of Canada’s oldest non-profit conservation groups. We protect wilderness in every corner of BC and deep into the ocean. We have been defending BC since 1978, and are dedicated to keeping BC’s natural environment thriving forever. Nature is BC’s best hope.
For interviews, contact:
Tori Ball
604-685-7445 x24
tori@cpawsbc.org
BC voters prioritize nature and environment in upcoming election
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2020
Traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples/Vancouver, BC — In the midst of a global health crisis and the rush of a snap election, safeguarding nature remains a high priority for British Columbians. A new online survey from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s BC Chapter (CPAWS-BC) found that 67% of British Columbians say conservation and environment issues are very important or extremely important to them as voters, and want the government to protect more of our lands and ocean.
“The message is clear – British Columbians want the province to focus on safeguarding nature, and to prioritize wildlife and habitat protection. Any party wishing to form the next government will need to have a strong, credible plan for conservation and be ready to back it up with real action,” says Bruce Passmore, Executive Director with CPAWS-BC.
Additional key findings of the survey include:
- Widespread support for increasing protection of BC’s lands and ocean: 87% think the province should commit to protecting 25% of BC’s lands and ocean by 2025
- Strong demand for increasing investment in provincial parks: 86% think the province should invest more funding into BC Parks
- Healthy oceans matter: 94% say it is very important or extremely important that ocean and coastal ecosystems are healthy
- Current approach to coastal management needs a renovation: 81% think the province should create a new plan and law for BC’s coast
“British Columbians recognize the urgent need to find solutions to climate change and to stem biodiversity loss. The question now isn’t whether or not we need to take action, it’s what will the next government actually do to drive conservation forward in BC,” says Passmore.
CPAWS-BC is calling on all parties to prioritize wildlife conservation and habitat protection, commit to fixing our neglected provincial parks, and work on building a cohesive plan for a healthy coast. All of this work must be undertaken with a clear and meaningful commitment to reconciliation, working with original and ongoing stewards of BC’s lands and waters.
“The voters of BC are demanding real action to protect the lands, waters and wildlife that we all depend on. BC has a reputation for being bold, and we hope to see politicians stepping up to the plate with bold commitments during the election period and beyond,” says Passmore.
This survey was conducted online between October 3 and 8. Responses were collected from 1041 British Columbians, with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of plus or minus (±) 3%.
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For interviews, contact:
Tori Ball
604-685-7445 x24
tori@cpawsbc.org
For interview please contact:
Skye Vallance
Communications and Development Coordinator
skye@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 ext. 22
BC’s parks get a boost to support economic recovery
Economic recovery package announced Sept. 17 includes support for BC Parks trails, campgrounds and facility upgrades
Sept. 17, 2020
Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC), is welcoming the new injection of money for BC’s provincial parks. Today, the Premier announced a $5 million increase to BC’s provincial parks as part of a $1.5 billion investment to help build BC back better.
“BC Parks are the backbone of outdoor recreation in the province, which has seen a spike in interest over the past few years. This five million dollar bump for BC Parks will go a long way to improve trails, campgrounds and backcountry infrastructure,” said Tori Ball, Terrestrial Campaigner for CPAWS-BC. “Funding for parks has far-reaching benefits for nature and wildlife that are in crisis globally, as well as providing opportunities to relax and adventure close to home.”
Data shows that park usage has been steadily rising throughout the spring and summer of 2020. This is on top of annual increases in visitation to BC Parks, which has risen from 21 million in 2014/15 to over 26 million in 2018/19. A recent survey conducted by CPAWS-BC found that 89% of respondents were more or as likely to travel to provincial parks in the next 12 months, compared to last year.
That same study found that 94% of respondents agree or strongly agree that local businesses near BC’s provincial parks benefit from park visitors. “Our research demonstrates that BC Parks provide economic benefits to communities through visitor spending, in addition to providing jobs in conservation and tourism,” said Ball.
“This injection of extra resources will help the provincial park system to adapt to the continued rise in visitors, and mounting environmental challenges,” continued Ball. “Continued increases to the BC Parks budget are integral to a well managed, resilient parks system. Proper funding will ensure that these areas can support people and wildlife, and adequately protect and prepare for the years to come.”
CPAWS-BC is also encouraged to see funding and resources for watershed restoration to support wildlife recovery and jobs for communities hardest hit by the pandemic.
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For interview please contact:
Skye Vallance
Communications and Development Coordinator
skye@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 ext. 22
Key facts:
✔ A boost for BC Parks: $5-million to maintain and expand trails, campgrounds and other necessary park infrastructure.
✔ Money for restoration: Nearly $50-million will fund wetland conservation and species conservation, employing 1,000 people, focused on those hit hardest by the pandemic.
✔ Cleaning our coast: Nearly $15-million towards the removal of marine debris and derelict vessels.
✔ Conservation jobs for youth: The $1.8 million Youth Employment program is creating 25 new youth park positions and 18 positions in the conservation officer service.
For interview, please contact:
Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-British Columbia
778-953-2372
ross@cpawsbc.org
Oceans Wise report recommends implementation of full protection for all of Howe Sound’s glass sponge reefs
September 1, 2020
Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC — A new report from Ocean Wise has updated the health status of Howe Sound for 2020. While there is cautious optimism with some health ratings improving, the Ocean Wise report still has many labelled as critical or cautious, including glass sponge reefs which “remain vulnerable to mechanical damage and climate change.” The report recommends implementing full protection of glass sponge reefs throughout all of Howe Sound.
Long thought extinct, glass sponge reefs mainly grow off BC’s coast. Not only do these reefs provide important habitat for ocean life such as prawns and rockfish, they also filter ocean water, provide fertilizer for plankton, and store carbon.
Glass sponge reefs are particularly vulnerable to shattering from bottom contact fishing such as prawn traps as they are composed of the same material that makes glass. A DFO survey, in cooperation with the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, not only discovered a dead reef near Ellesmere Creek at the north end of Howe Sound, but found historical damage from fishing activities in all of the surveyed reefs.
Climate change poses an urgent and even larger problem. A study cited by the Ocean Wise report included observation of glass sponge reef mortalities associated with the El Niño climate events of 2009/2010 and 2015/2016. Additionally, a study from UBC found that warming ocean temperatures and acidification drastically reduce the skeletal strength and filter-feeding capacity of glass sponges.
In March 2019, DFO announced the closure of the nine documented glass sponge reef complexes to bottom-contact fishing. A DFO report published earlier this year confirmed five more living glass sponge reefs in Howe Sound. However, these reefs are still open to bottom-contact fishing such as prawn trapping. Even if reefs are damaged, there are no threats of fines or legal recourse for the harmful activity.
Glass sponges are under siege from multiple threats. Without the chance to grow and expand, glass sponges will lock away less carbon, exacerbating the effects of climate change. “By removing the threat of bottom-contact fishing, glass sponges will be better able to adapt to a changing ocean,” says Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager for Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society British Columbia Chapter. We need the immediate designation of fishing closures for all of Howe Sound’s glass sponge reefs to protect these rare creatures for generations.
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For interview, please contact:
Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-British Columbia
778-953-2372
ross@cpawsbc.org
Resources
Miller A, Chapman J, Dearden A, Ross P (Editor). 2020. Ocean Watch Átl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound Edition 2020. Ocean Wise Research Institute, Ocean Wise Conservation Association, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. 388 pp. ISBN: 978-1-7772408-2-0 available online at:https://ocean.org/wp-content/uploads/OceanWatch-HoweSoundReport2020-online.pdf
For interviews, contact:
Bruce Passmore, Executive Director
bruce@cpawsbc.org
(604) 685-7445 x23
Conservation groups welcome federal assessment process for Castle coal mine
For Immediate Release
August 21, 2020
Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC — This week, Canada’s Federal Environment Minister announced that Teck Resources’ proposed Castle coal mine will undergo a federal environmental assessment. This assessment is a necessary step to ensure the safety of local wildlife, communities and downstream watersheds, including in the USA.
“The Castle coal mine’s potential negative impacts on important grizzly bear and other wildlife populations are particularly concerning,” said Bruce Passmore, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia. “This is an important connectivity zone between BC, Alberta and the US. We applaud the federal government for making the correct decision and ordering an environmental assessment.”
Teck Resources coal mines have been under fire for high levels of heavy metals, in particular selenium, being released into waterways in the Elk Valley. Earlier this year, the US Environmental Protection Agency demanded that the BC government hand over selenium data and explain why the company has been allowed to exceed guidelines for toxic heavy metals. Multiple Indigenous nations in Canada and the USA have also expressed concern.
“Given the complexity of values and the history of pollution in the area, combined with the fact that BC still doesn’t have its own endangered species legislation, it’s critical that this project is looked at carefully,” said Passmore. “A federal assessment will consider the mine’s effects on Indigenous rights, local communities, and threatened species like westslope cutthroat trout and white sturgeon.”
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For interviews, contact:
Bruce Passmore, Executive Director
bruce@cpawsbc.org
(604) 685-7445 x23
Download Media Release PDF
Background information:
Minister’s response: The Castle Project
The Castle Project analysis report from the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry
