Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: FF on February 17, 2008, 08:45:55 AM
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p48ra_657M4 If you are a BC river user watch this Video.
Subject: Help save Pinecone Burke Provincial Park - Write Now!
URGENT ACTION ALERT
Pinecone Burke Provincial Park under threat from a proposed private power line right of way to be cleared across the park Deadline for public input is April 2, 2008
Pinecone Burke Provincial Park
The 38,000 hectare Pinecone Burke Provincial Park was designated in 1995 after a hard fought wilderness preservation campaign by the Burke Mountain Naturalists, the Wilderness Committee and other conservation organizations. Many thousands of people wrote in to support this parks designation.
Pinecone Burke encompasses a wilderness corridor of mountains and valleys that stretch from the city of Coquitlams Burke Mountain in the south, to the popular Widgeon Slough canoe area, along the western shore of Pitt Lake to the remote Pinecone Lake alpine area, all the way north to the Boise Valley, Upper Pitt River Watershed and the boundary with Garibaldi Provincial Park. The parks wilderness habitat protects threatened populations of fish and wildlife. The area is very popular with backcountry recreationists. Its nickname is Vancouvers Backyard Wilderness, because of its wild nature in close proximity to the city.
The Proposed Private Power Project
The Upper Pitt hydro project, proposed by a private company, Northwest Cascade Power, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Run of River, Inc.) is a very large 180 MW (megawatt) project. The company proposes that a large portion of all eight of the major tributaries of the Upper Pitt River system be diverted into over 30 kilometres of large pipes, then run through seven powerhouses to produce electricity. A network of power line corridors would then be clearcut throughout the Upper Pitt Valley, to allow the construction of a series of power lines that would link all seven powerhouses to a main power line. The company proposes that a main power line right of way be cleared to the west, over the pristine Steve Creek/Crawford Creek Pass through the northern portion of Pinecone Burke Park in order to construct a power line that would transmit the power to a substation located just north of the town of Squamish, where it would be added to the Provincial power grid. The Provincial Go!
vernment
has recently started a 60 day review process of the companys proposal to clear the power line right of way through the park. So far the company has not received approval from the Provincial Government for any part of the private power project.
Threats to the Upper Pitt Valley
The Upper Pitt valley is remarkably rich in its wild salmon and wilderness-dependent species. It supports the largest remaining wild coho population in the lower Fraser and has a unique race of sockeye salmon that take up to 6 years to mature. It provides valuable habitat for all species of Pacific salmon plus steelhead, cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and the largest population of bull trout remaining in the lower mainland. The Upper Pitt River Valley with its higher elevation wilderness parks (including Pinecone Burke Park, Golden Ears Park and Garibaldi Park) supports grizzly bears, wolves, marbled murrelets, wolverine and mountain goats. Because of these wilderness attributes, government biologists selected the Upper Pitt Valley for the re-introduction of Roosevelt elk in 2004. Today, the elk are thriving. Putting a cluster of private power projects in the major tributary streams feeding into this sensitive area, and clearing a spider-web of power line right of ways thr!
oughout
the watershed would be an environmental disaster for the regions fish and wildlife populations.
Threats to Pinecone Burke and our Provincial Park System
The electricity generated by the company is proposed to be taken from the Upper Pitt Valley to a substation located just north of the town of Squamish. The main power line would cross Pinecone Burke Class A Provincial Park from one side to the other, a distance of about 4.6 km, then follow down the Mamquam Valley to the Squamish substation.
Construction of a power line right of way through pristine wilderness in a Class A Park is unprecedented; in fact, it is prohibited under the BC Parks Act. Fears are high that the BC government to get around the law may actually remove park protection for the swath of land needed for the power line right of way through Pinecone Burke Park.
This would set a deadly new precedent for removing park protection, and industrializing other lands within provincial parks and protected areas across the province.
Construction of a power line right of way across Pinecone Burke Park in this mountain pass would interfere with wildlife movement from wilderness areas in Garibaldi Park to southern portions of Pinecone Burke Park and the adjoining protected Coquitlam drinking watershed. The Steve Creek corridor contains sensitive wetlands and critical grizzly bear habitat and the power line right of way is proposed to go straight through this area. An additional concern is that, once constructed, cleared power line corridors can often attract all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles into pristine habitat used by wilderness-dependent species. The company proposes to compensate for ruining this wildlife area by advocating that the provincial government add what appears to be mostly a high elevation rocky ridge to the Park.
Here is what you can do to help save Pinecone Burke Park!
BC Parks Minister Barry Penner has said that he will listen to public sentiment regarding the Pinecone Burke Park. Comments from the public are being solicited until April 2, 2008 on the proposed park boundary change to make way for the proposed power line right of way. Please submit your comments to PineconeBurke@gov.bc.ca . Or mail your comments to Boundary Change Pinecone Burke, c/o BC Parks, PO Box 9398, Stn. Prov. Govt., Victoria, BC, V8W 9M9 or fax to 1-250-387-5757.
Please email a link to this notice to friends, family, co-workers, and other environmental organizations. Post this notice on other web sites, blogs and social networking sites like Facebook that you have access to.
To be informed of upcoming meetings and events, email me at joe@wildernesscommittee.org . Send me a copy of the letter that you have sent re. protecting Pincecone Burke as well as a list of other people, organizations and sites that you have sent this notice to. By working together we can stop the private power play for the Upper Pitt Valley, and save Pinecone Burke Provincial Park. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Joe Foy, Wilderness Committee Campaign Director
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We need your help to show support AGAINST this project. We would like to get as many people as possible out to the Pitt Meadows meeting on Feb 28th.
please pass this on:
Pinecone Burke Park and Upper Pitt River Under Threat!
Please help to protect our parks and wild salmon in the Upper Pitt River: A private corporation is proposing boundary changes to Pinecone Burke Provincial Park to allow illegal construction of a hydroelectric transmisson line through pristine wilderness of this Class A Park. Their proposal to divert major tributaries of the Upper Pitt River for electricity generation also pose threats to wild salmon and other species.
Public meetings to discuss the proposed park boundary change will be held in Squamish, Pitt Meadows and MIssion only - despite requests for meetings in Coquitlam and Vancouver. The Open House portion of these meetings starts at 4 pm. Presentations will start at 6:30 pm and be followed by questions and answers. Comments can be submitted via email to PineconeBurke@gov.bc.ca, mailed to Attn: PineconeBurke, BC Parks, Box 9398 Station Prov. Govt., Victoria, BC, V8W 9M9 or faxed to 1-250-387-5757. Deadline for comments is midnight, April 2.
Squamish
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sea to Sky Hotel
40330 Tantalus Way
Garibaldi Highlands, B.C.
V0N 1T0
4:00 p.m. ˆ 9:00 p.m.
Pitt Meadows
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Ramada Inn
19267 Lougheed Highway
Pitt Meadows, B.C.
V2C 1K4
4:00 p.m. ˆ 9:00 p.m.
Mission
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Best Western Mission City Lodge
32281 Lougheed Highway
Mission, B.C.
V2V 1A3
4:00 p.m. ˆ 9:00 p.m.
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Everyone is welcome to the meetings and the more people we get the better. I sure hope all of the Fraser Valley Guides that use this river as well will make an effort to show up give support.
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Thanks FF. I've also included it in our news section now.
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fishy_news/080218_1.html
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Please be aware that the last public input meeting for the Upper Pitt River power project is happening tonight.
Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Pitt Meadows Secondary School
Address: 19438 116B Avenue (at the corner of Blakely Road) Pitt Meadows, BC
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I will be there with the Riverside crew.
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I've been getting some conflicting info on the starting time. Just to clarify, open House begins at 4 pm, presentations at 6:30 pm followed by question/comment opportunity.
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thanks for the reminder i just send them my email
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I hope the message gets to the "Powers that be" who would sell off water rights and supposedly "Green power" to the unwary. At the end of the day these guys (BC Liberals) get the cheque, and we get the no kiss, slow poke in the dark. They count on the publics lack of interest, apathy and general ignorance of their agenda's to push these things through. They can even persuade lackey's like Barry Penner et al to do their bidding by bamboozling them with political dogma instead of intelligent discourse. Kudos to those who attended for the good of all of us. They have started to call it "fishing interests"on the news. They don't call it the governments sell out of public' parks and environmental concerns. First Nation people probably already know what that feels like.
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I hope the message gets to the "Powers that be" who would sell off water rights and supposedly "Green power" to the unwary. At the end of the day these guys (BC Liberals) get the cheque, and we get the no kiss, slow poke in the dark. They count on the publics lack of interest, apathy and general ignorance of their agenda's to push these things through. They can even persuade lackey's like Barry Penner et al to do their bidding by bamboozling them with political dogma instead of intelligent discourse. Kudos to those who attended for the good of all of us. They have started to call it "fishing interests"on the news. They don't call it the governments sell out of public' parks and environmental concerns. First Nation people probably already know what that feels like.
The sad thing is they have promised the local Native band jobs at this project in exchange for their support. Sounds just like the days of old when they would trade them their garbage for the native goods. Pretty sad if they fall for that again.
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Short clip on Global at the 11 news, 1,000 turned out. Rafe Mair was featured. There should be more at 11:30 on CTV.
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Short clip on Global at the 11 news, 1,000 turned out. Rafe Mair was featured. There should be more at 11:30 on CTV.
thanks for the info chris
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More like 1200 people showed up!! Woohoo! Many anglers were there, thanks to Ehor, Alexis, Vic, Gary and of course Rafe Mair for the passionate speeches...
I agree with Gary, the gloves are indeed coming off on this one, if it comes to that.
Cheers,
Nicole
PS> I took a picture of the maps that show the salmon spawning habitats that will be lost on these tributaries if this is allowed to happen... Just plain scary. I will post the maps tomorrow sometime.
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Also good to see Mark Angelo taking a hard stand. Hopefully the government is finally getting the message. The gravel issue on the Fraser is important too for preserving fish habitat. A number of presentations coming up on this file.
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http://www.youtube.com/user/savepitt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb6j6eXBZCo
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Cloudworks Energy is doing the same thing at the top end of Harrison Lake and Stave Lake. Multiple hydro generating plants.
http://www.cloudworksenergy.com/project_updates.php?p=2&project_updatesID=7
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Barry Penner announced that he will not be recommending the project to cabinet for approval.
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just heard on cbc that our environment minister has put the kibosh on the Pitt project! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
maybe our fish do have a futrue!!!
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Wow that was quick !
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http://www.canada.com/globaltv/bc/story.html?id=5746471a-6f3d-44c0-8730-d417f7e1eae9&k=46907
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Is this a real victory, from the news clip it looks like just the transmission line project was cancelled??
How can we stop the damming of the Upper Pitt for a power generation project?
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No power lines=nowhere for the power from the dams to go.
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For those who missed the Global News at 5:00pm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS1n9WPeJPQ
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This decision is fortunate/unfortunate. It was amazing to see the public outcry over this project, but the government really only decided to limit the construction of power lines, not run-of-the-river projects. Will other projects be built in more remote, more pristine, and more valuable areas of the province because this project might not go ahead? Will those projects receive the same public scrutiny? If the devastating effects of salmon farms on wild salmon are any indication, the general public only cares about what's close to home.
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This decision is fortunate/unfortunate. It was amazing to see the public outcry over this project, but the government really only decided to limit the construction of power lines, not run-of-the-river projects. Will other projects be built in more remote, more pristine, and more valuable areas of the province because this project might not go ahead? Will those projects receive the same public scrutiny? If the devastating effects of salmon farms on wild salmon are any indication, the general public only cares about what's close to home.
You're mixing up two issues here-the meeting was about the Pitt/Burke Mountain issue.
There's no proof of any kind that run-of-the-river projects are damaging any Salmon runs anywhere.
Salmon aren't surviving when they reach the ocean because they aren't finding the phyto and zoo plankton they need to survive as Smolts-this is a direct result of warmer temperatures related to Global Climate change.
If Global Climate change is indeed caused by human activity then what can each person do to ameliorate their impact on the situation?
How many attendees at the meeting came in Single Occupant Vehicles?
How many drove 4x4s?
It's easy to point fingers but where is the electrcitiy to power your big screen TV/microwave/computer coming from?
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food at sea is not the only problem for salmon as evidenced by what has happened down south. loss of habitat, pollution, lack of water flow due to agriculture, etc, has decimated fish stock. we are the stewards of the environment here and the benefits of messing up the pitt do not seem worth it. cascade's bottom line is quick and easy profit!
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This decision is fortunate/unfortunate. It was amazing to see the public outcry over this project, but the government really only decided to limit the construction of power lines, not run-of-the-river projects. Will other projects be built in more remote, more pristine, and more valuable areas of the province because this project might not go ahead? Will those projects receive the same public scrutiny? If the devastating effects of salmon farms on wild salmon are any indication, the general public only cares about what's close to home.
You're mixing up two issues here-the meeting was about the Pitt/Burke Mountain issue.
There's no proof of any kind that run-of-the-river projects are damaging any Salmon runs anywhere.
Salmon aren't surviving when they reach the ocean because they aren't finding the phyto and zoo plankton they need to survive as Smolts-this is a direct result of warmer temperatures related to Global Climate change.
If Global Climate change is indeed caused by human activity then what can each person do to ameliorate their impact on the situation?
How many attendees at the meeting came in Single Occupant Vehicles?
How many drove 4x4s?
It's easy to point fingers but where is the electrcitiy to power your big screen TV/microwave/computer coming from?
I was only using the salmon farm issue as an example. I never said run of the river hurt salmon runs. Please re-read.
All I meant is that the only reason the Pitt project received so much attention was that is it located close to Vancouver. Salmon farms are located hundreds of kilometers from Vancouver in remote areas of the province. Farms do an enormous amount of damage to wild stocks, far more than run of the river or a power line, but the issue could hardly fill a room in Vancouver with 1000 people.
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It is for sure the loss of water flow that will kill them in the end. No Question!!
Look at the Alloette and Stave, Furry Creek Even the Cap.
When the water flow is restricted or regulated by humans and not by nature this is what throws the fish off and the don't know what to do. Some can't even make it into the spanning grounds anymore because of the dams blocking them, when they get moved over the dams by people they just fall back over it in the spring and Die!
The Stave river once had some of the Biggest Steelhead around, like 30+ monster but now there is barely any left because BC hydro built not one but two dams on that river system, and now they what a third....
This is got to end
If there is a shortage of power and we need extra for a good reason (not just to make quick cash) then go big. Build a huge power station far far away and connect it to the grid and it's done. At least it one river affected and not 500 streams and rivers. Our kids don't want to drive 16hrs or so go get some good fishing in(Alaska), lets preserve what we have and it could last for many many more generations.
It's all up to us now, the government has made up there mind and so has the money hungry companies that want to build these projects.
Another solution is to tunnel under a higher elevation lake that is large in size and tape in to it from the bottom. At least the way it doesn't directly effect the flow of the streams and rivers, in stead drain some water like a bath tub does. The one and only project that I would support is on th northern Island, they have at attempted this Idea and It's going to work (Almost complete now) which is a new step in hydro power. Maybe they don't need those hydro lines built through Tsawwassen after all. ::)
As for farms, Move them the Hell out of here!! We now know that they are indeed killing the fish (or helping) get rid of them. There will be now safe place to have except in large tanks on land. If the Salmon population returns we can just eat wild salmon instead of farmed... it's a no brainer people
That is just my opinion though
Jesse
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Another solution is to tunnel under a higher elevation lake that is large in size and tap in to it from the bottom. At least the way it doesn't directly effect the flow of the streams and rivers, in stead drain some water like a bath tub does. The one and only project that I would support is on the northern Island, they have at attempted this Idea and It's going to work (Almost complete now) which is a new step in hydro power.
And that would be the one near Zeballos.. They received 32+ feet of water in 2006.
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yup that's true, I was over there about a month ago, toured the northern Island for Steel. Probably th rainiest place other then the
Charlotte's. Why not use that to our advantage to make power the "true green way".
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wow it is intresting lol i was talking about this same project in class yesterday ahah.
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http://bcpolitics.ca/petition.cfm?petitionID=3
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This is a similar story and there is a reference to the Pitt proposed ROR project in the article so posted it here.
Miller Creek project failing: report
Power project is not meeting its commitment to go green and to protect species at risk
Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, April 28, 2008
An independent power project on Miller Creek near Pemberton is failing to meet its commitments to produce "green power" and to protect species at risk, according to an environmental consulting report.
The 33-megawatt power project, owned by the City of Edmonton's EPCOR Utilities Ltd., had an oil spill on site as well as fish kills resulting from "dewatering" of the creek for four hours during a malfunction last September, reports TRC Biological Consulting Ltd. of Port Coquitlam.
The December 2007 report also notes that harlequin ducks and tailed frogs, both species at risk, have vanished from the creek since construction of the plant in spring 2003.
The report suggests the generating station "does not produce green energy as identified by the BC Hydro power Green Criteria" and "has not fulfilled their commitment, as well as their responsibility respecting the oil spill clean-up and have not protected the species at risk."
The criteria require, in part, that projects "avoid unacceptably high environmental impacts such as damage to fish populations, endangered species or air quality."
The report, obtained by the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, finds that EPCOR lacks an "adequate environmental management system" and recommends "ongoing surveillance to ensure that these deficiencies are fully completed."
It urges removal of all fuel contaminants, re-vegetation of road slopes and annual ditch clean-outs, and compensation for loss of species at risk.
Miller Creek is only the latest in a slew of environmental problems dogging so-called green independent power projects, both run-of-the-river plants and wind turbines, all over the province.
"It's like the Wild West out here," said Gwen Barlee, a campaigner with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee in Vancouver.
Barlee complained the province continues to process scores of applications for similar projects without the ability to monitor them and avoid tragic environmental outcomes.
Tim Bennet, a water-allocation section head with the Ministry of Environment, said the province continues to meet with the company to ensure environmental concerns are addressed. He added the conservation officers' service has an active investigation into the dewatering incident.
Julia Berardinucci, regional manager for water stewardship, added that a lack of solid background data on species at risk in the creek means that further studies are required to better determine the impact of the power plant.
EPCOR spokesman Jay Shukin said that as part of its licence to operate, the company has undergone a five-year environmental monitoring project, ending in 2007.
The company has discussed the latest report with the ministry and is "committed to a second monitoring period using more rigorous methodologies" to ensure "all environmental standards" are met.
The company is already proceeding with road and culvert repairs, slope stability work and a remediation plan for the diesel fuel spill, which he said occurred in 2003 on the plant's access road during the construction phase.
Not more than 100 litres leaked from a fuel truck well away from the creek, he said, adding that some clean-up work was done, but further sampling indicated the "presence of hydrocarbons."
Shukin also noted that flood-control work not associated with EPCOR has had negative downstream impacts on fish in the creek.
He added that the consultant's report does not make the case that the Miller Creek facility is failing to meet its "green energy" obligations.
Email to a friend
Independent power projects elsewhere in B.C. have generated fears about environmental and visual impacts from transmission lines, roads and other infrastructure.
The province in March refused a developer's request to punch a transmission line through Pinecone Burke Provincial Park as part of a run-of-the-river development in the upper Pitt River.
EPCOR has water and power facilities throughout western Canada and Washington state, including the seven-megawatt Brown Lake run-of-the-river power plant near Prince Rupert and the Britannia mine water-treatment plant on the Sea-to-Sky Highway near Squamish.
lpynn@png.canwest.com
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No one there to monitor the bulk of these operations is exactly what we get. Then they just never mention any problems with them. It's like what they did to Britannia Beach with Annaconda mines poluting the beegeesus out of the creek there. Now the publics on the hook for the clean-up. If these companies screw something up real bad they claim bankrupcy (after they sell their shares) and walk away laughing.
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No one there to monitor the bulk of these operations is exactly what we get. Then they just never mention any problems with them. It's like what they did to Britannia Beach with Annaconda mines poluting the beegeesus out of the creek there. Now the publics on the hook for the clean-up. If these companies screw something up real bad they claim bankruptcy (after they sell their shares) and walk away laughing.
These projects, fish farms, gravel excavation projects on the Fraser River, not enough conservation officers make for a few reasons for a change in government come 2009. Their time has run out as they are running our environment into the ground, all at the expense of big business.
I even made a statement loud and clear a few weeks ago as I resigned from our local MLA's Riding Association because of some of the things I mentioned above.