March 24, 2008

Minister Barry Penner
Ministry of the Environment
Room 112, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Sent via email: barry.penner.mla@leg.bc.ca

Re: Private Power Application for Pinecone Burke Provincial Park

Dear Minister Penner,

The Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) is writing to express its concerns regarding the application for private power production and proposed provincial park boundary adjustment submitted by Northwest Cascade Power Ltd., a subsidiary of Run of River Power Inc.

Run of River Inc. has requested an amendment of the B.C. Parks Act to move the park’s boundary to accommodate a 4.6 km transmission line across the northern and southern tips of Pinecone Burke Provincial Park. The proposed 180 MW hydro facility project would adversely affect the eight tributaries of the Upper Pitt River and remove 52 acres from the existing park.

AWARE is strongly opposed to building a 42 km transmission line across the Class A park in the Upper Pitt River. This project sets a terrible precedent for the protection of the province’s parks and wild salmon rivers. Provincial park boundaries should not be altered to accommodate an environmentally damaging project, especially since it’s illegal to build power line right-of-ways in provincial parks.

If the province is serious about providing “green, clean” energy, then it should reconsider the feasibility of the existing Site C project on the Peace River. AWARE supports a moratorium on all of B.C.’s run-of-river projects, until a study can be done to assess the cumulative effects of the 500+ hydro projects and transmission lines on the surrounding environment and ecosystems.

Sincerely,

AWARE – Board of Directors
aware@direct.ca
cc: comments@northwestcascadepower.com
PineconeBurke@gov.bc.ca

AWARE’s next monthly meeting takes place on May 7, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the Westin Whistler Resort and Spa.

Guest Speaker: Ken Baker, Consulting Director, Environment Programs will present VANOC’s new Sustainability Update.

April 16, 2008
SEA-TO-SKY LRMP PLAN PROMOTES BALANCE & SUSTAINABILITY

VICTORIA – The Sea-to-Sky Land and Resource Management planning process is now complete, paving the way for full implementation, Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell announced today.

“We have worked on a government-to-government basis with local First Nations over several years to make sure the 2004 Sea-to-Sky LRMP recommendations are in harmony with their vision for land stewardship,” said Bell. “This final version now resolves the longstanding land-use conflicts in the Elaho, Sims and Douglas Creek areas. It provides certainty and greater stability to the region, allowing for local economic development while ensuring long-term sustainability of ecological values.”

The Sea-to-Sky plan and agreements cover an area spanning the headwaters of the Lillooet River to its outflow into Harrison Lake, and from Lions Bay and Indian Arm to D’arcy. The area includes the communities of Pemberton, Squamish, and Whistler, and will play host to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It covers approximately 1,091,000 hectares, and hosts a diverse array of cultural values, wildlife and wilderness features, and recreational opportunities.

The LRMP, now modified to reflect First Nations’ land-use agreements, provides management direction for a wide variety of these features and values, including:

• New conservancies in the Upper Elaho Valley, 100 Lakes Plateau, Upper Callaghan Valley, Upper Soo Valley, Upper Birkenhead Valley, Twin Two Creek and Upper Rogers Creek;
• Cultural places and cultural management areas, where resource management must maintain the cultural values and interests of First Nations;
• Wildland zones, where mineral development and tourism are permitted and maintaining cultural, recreational, and wilderness values is the focus;
• The front-country area, which follows the major transportation routes in the plan area and where visual quality and recreation values are key considerations; and
• Grizzly bear, mountain goat and marbled murrelet habitat, as well as riparian and floodplain ecosystems.

Four First Nations groups, the Lil’wat Nation, In-SHUCK-ch Nation, Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Squamish Nation, participated in government-to-government negotiations. In addition, a community-based planning forum, with sector representation by agriculture, environment, forestry, labour, recreation, tourism, energy, mineral resources and aggregates, provided input and direction, along with representatives from municipal governments and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the First Nations and community and industry groups who contributed their time and energy to making this planning process a success,” said West Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA Joan McIntyre. “First Nations as well as area recreation, business and environmental groups now have a framework for collaborative and sustainable land management.”