East Kootenay Residents Land Use Coalition

This cry of a threat to the Flathead and environmental fear mongering has been going on for decades and oddly enough the special values have not been harmed by the province’s management of the region but in fact enhanced if we can believe any of the environmental groups’ rhetoric.

The Geological Survey of Canada found oil seeps in the Flathead in 1892 and since then the Flathead has seen continuous human activities over the past century including logging and fighting a major pine beetle outbreak in the Akamina/Kishinena.

The parks are in danger?  What is the threat?  Is it mining, oil and gas?  Tel us why you are doing this, tell us who funds your group for $1 million per year (your friends in the USA).

You say you don't want a park, but what do you want?  You say that mining and oil and gas has priority, but why has the Lodgepole project been sidelined for more than four years and BP has withdrawn their request for permits to the Flathead?

I feel it is important to provide relevant information on the other side of the debate in relation to the proposed National Park for the Flathead Valley. Contrary to what the media has portrayed along with the multimillion-dollar lobby groups of Wildsight and the Sierra Club of B.C, the claim that the majority of residents of the East Kootenays favor a National Park is misleading.

The mountain pine beetle has been the most important forest insect pest in the Province of British Columbia for decades.  One of the most significant of the outbreaks of this insect occurred in the southeast corner of the Province, in the Flathead River drainage, during the late 1970's and early 1980's.

It is rumoured that Hillary Clinton may wish to add her name to the list of proponents for a National Park in the Flathead Valley of South Eastern BC.  It is a concern of BC residents that many voices from the US have jumped on this "bandwagon" without doing their homework or taking into consideration the real needs, local wishes, or the economic consequences to British Columbians.

1. The residents in the Elk valley do not want a National Park in the Flathead.  They want to hunt and fish and access the land responsibly as they have for more than a century.  Wildlife are flourishing, populations are healthy.  Grizzly bear numbers have been on the steady increase since the 1980's.
2. The public stakeholder-driven Southern Rocky Mountains Management Plan provides adequate protection for the Flathead.  The conservation-minded people who've lived here for generations and recreate in the area know it best.
3. Control and decision making are presently in the hands of locals; National Park decisions are made in Ottawa and with UNESCO in France if World Heritage Site status is applied.
4. Does anyone think that National Parks are well funded or managed?
   

What's at stake?

If it succeeds:

MANAGING THE FLATHEAD

The eastern half of my Riding, next to Alberta, consists of two river valleys: the Elk River drainage and the Flathead River drainage.

The Elk River drainage starts high in the mountains to thenorth that separate Kananaskis  in Alberta from our Elk Lakes ProvincialPark. The valley is still high elevation at Elkford but decreases inelevation as it meanders south to Sparwood and then swings west through Fernie.

Harvey Locke and his ilk continue to visit the East Kootenay secretly and use their intimidation and money to persuade decision makers, corporate and government, that a park in the Flathead is necessary to preserve the high quality wildlife habitat in the Flathead. Locke was in Cranbrook the week of December 15th. Word on the street is that Tembec has had almost enough of Mr. Locke and that Mr. Locke will soon be asked to stop talking about the failed deal of a few years ago where Tembec was promised $15 million US if they would support a Flathead park.