ISSUES FACING THE HEADWATERS
OF THE NORTH FORK OF THE FLATHEAD
DRAINAGE SYSTEM
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ISSUES FACING THE HEADWATERS |
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Victoria shifts away from development of Flathead ValleyBut permanent protection still needed for rare treasureBy Kathryn Molloy, Vancouver SunPublished: Monday, March 10, 2008 Nestled in British Columbia's southeast corner is a wilderness area of global significance called the Flathead Valley. Sometimes compared with Africa's Serengeti for its richness of species, the Flathead's rare convergence of wildlife and stunning vistas are under threat from industrial development. The Flathead should be B.C.'s top priority for protection. Instead, it is threatened by a land use plan that favours industrial activity of the most environmentally destructive kind. One plan the B.C. government is considering is for mountain-top removal coal-mining that would see pollutants and slag from the removal of 40 million tonnes of coal dumped into a headwaters stream of the pure and free-flowing Flathead River. Two weeks ago, it appeared that another major industrial threat to the Flathead was removed when the B.C. government -- citing the "environmental sensitivity" of the Flathead -- said energy giant British Petroleum was dropping plans to drill for coalbed methane there. While these are signs of a potential shift in the "business as usual" industrial development strategy for the Flathead, it by no means constitutes a permanent solution. BP says it is not withdrawing from the Flathead, but merely deferring its drilling, and that it intends to pursue coalbed methane there in the future. At the same time, B.C. Energy Minister Richard Neufeld called the Flathead "volatile" and said he couldn't speculate on future plans for industrial development in the valley. Victoria should end the speculation and protect this special place. It is time for British Columbians to do our part and place the missing jewel in what National Geographic magazine calls the "Crown of the Continent" -- by agreeing to permanent protection for our Flathead Valley and safeguarding it from destructive coal mining in adjacent areas. Sierra Club BC and other conservation groups are working hard to keep the Flathead Valley wild and free. We should be proud that B.C's Flathead has the greatest density of grizzly bears in North America's interior, and North America's biggest variety of other large carnivores like mountain lions, lynx and wolverines. The valley is a rare mixing zone for plant species from north, south, east and west, with stunning rainbows of wild flowers. It is home to the greatest variety of vascular plants (which include all seed-bearing plants and pteridophytes like ferns) in all of Canada. The Flathead River is an international benchmark of pure water quality owing to the valley's pristine nature. Flathead rocks contain fossils of the Earth's oldest life forms. We must preserve the most important trans-boundary corridor for wildlife moving north and south through the Rocky Mountains -- a connector of increasing importance as ecosystems face the stresses of climate change and the range of some species shifts. It is ironic that the primary threats to the Flathead are coalbed methane drilling and coal mining, significant greenhouse gas emitters both in their extraction and use. We must ask ourselves why we would encourage new sources of greenhouse gas emissions at a time when B.C. has committed to slashing provincial carbon emissions 33 per cent by 2020 -- particularly when the ecological costs to the Flathead are both unfathomable and irreparable. The proposed Flathead Valley National Park should be part of the solution. It offers a last chance to fill in the missing piece of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, established in 1932 by Alberta and Montana. UNESCO has already designated both Waterton Lakes and Glacier National Parks as Biosphere Reserves and has proclaimed the entire International Peace Park a World Heritage Site. Parks Canada has a long-standing interest in protecting the Flathead Valley and completing the International Peace Park. Studies have shown that national parks help diversify regional economies. This year is a fitting time to preserve the Flathead Valley, as 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the BC Parks system. The door to protection has opened a crack. British Columbians are now striving to throw that door wide open and gain permanent protection for this magical place of ours. Kathryn Molloy is executive director of the Sierra Club of British Columbia. © The Vancouver Sun 2008 |