From the Northeast News, Dec. 17

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Open House at MLA Richard Neufeld's Office

Richard Neufeld is having an Open House at his Fort St. John Constituency Office from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 19, 2008.

This is a good opportunity to voice any concerns or opposition towards the proposed Peace River Site C Hydro Project.

Mr. Neufeld's constituency office is located at the corner of 100th Street and 101 Avenue. The address is 10104 - 100 Street.

CUSP Meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 17

There will be a CUSP meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 7:00 p.m.

Place: Northern Lights College

Room: 2112 (in the new Trades building)- follow the signs!

Hope to see you there!

"Theirs to Keep" - Andrew Blaney's Poem

Theirs To Keep

For a thousand years, or really more,
We placed hoof and paw upon your shore.
Dance of lights, call of bird,
A wolf’s long howl I’ve often heard.
Rush of current, drip of spring,
Thrushes, first, bravely sing.
Four a.m.
- A bright, new dawn -
This year’s first, newborn, fawn.
Life you’ve cradled in your hands -
That’s what brought us to these lands.
Forest dark, and thick, and deep;
Ours to take,
Or theirs to keep?
“It’s for the greater good,” they say;
‘Twill keep us warm and bright,
On a cold, dark, winter’s day.
But how many valleys must we drown
To light the lights in Vegas town?
Trivialities, indeed:
Why flood a valley for lust and greed?
As humans, do we know what’s best -
To take them all,
Or leave the rest?
Slough of bank on silty shore,
This curse was on us twice before.
The meetings long, and dry, and bland -
They think they’ll flood our precious land.
Their smiling mouths are full of lies,
But who’s to pay, when our valley dies?
Moose and houses, yes, may drown,
But they’ll be somewhere else -
Another town.

© Andrew Blaney – Nov. 2008

Letter Writing Campaign

At the second very successful A-Peace-iation Coffee House on December 10, we printed and signed letters that will be sent to the Honourable Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources. There are two different letters: one protests the public consultation process and the other, the dam itself. Those who attended the coffee house had a chance to personalize and print the letters that will be sent to Mr. Neufeld's office, with copies to Premier Gordon Campbell and BC Hydro.

If you were unable to attend the A-Peace-iation Coffee House and you would like to send the letters, you can print the form, add your personal information, and send them youself.

The letters to our Premier and our MLA must have the proper amount of postage to be sent through Canada Post.

You can access copies of the letters below. Just select the text of the letter, and then copy and paste it into a wordprocessing document. {I just tried this, and it works!) Add your own information where indicated. You may have to adjust the font or the margins to make the text of the letter all fit on one page. Then print, put it in an envelope and drop it in a mailbox near you! Print and sign another copy for Premier Campbell and a copy to send to BC Hydro.

Addresses for the Premier and B.C. Hydro follow, as well as an alternate (Victoria) address for Mr. Neufeld:

The Honourable Richard Neufeld
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
PO Box 9060 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E2

(You can send the letters either to Richard Neufeld's FSJ or Victoria office)

The Honourable Gordon Campbell
Office of the Premier
PO Box 9041 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E1

BC Hydro
PO Box 2218
Vancouver, BC
V6B 3W2

If you don't have a printer, you can copy the letters by hand. Alternatively, e-mail us at cusp-bc(at)telus.net and we'll print a copy for you. If you send a letter, drop us an e-mail to let us know! Or send us a comment to this posting on the blog.

First letter (opposing the dam):
_______________________________________

[Put the date here]

{Put your complete address here]


The Honourable Richard Neufeld
Minister of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources
MLA Peace River North
10104 - 100 Street
Fort St. John, BC
V1J 3Y7

Dear Mr. Neufeld:

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Site C dam project that is proposed for the Peace River. Site C would cause the mass destruction of extremely valuable valley wildlife habitat, flood high quality agricultural land which would put local food security in jeopardy in a time when food security is increasingly important, and would force residents to leave generations-old farmsteads. Site C would also destroy a valued recreational area, cause mercury contamination of both water and fish and flood First Nations territory. In addition, Site C would contribute to global warming by releasing approximately 140,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent every year and stripping the valley of its rich forests and their ability to offset greenhouse gas emissions.

I believe that this project is unnecessary and completely unacceptable.

I call on you to fulfill your responsibilities, both as my MLA and as the Minister of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources, to act responsibly with regard to this project and not allow the destruction of an irreplaceable river and valley. There are many intelligent alternatives that suit today’s world.

Sincerely,



[Type your full name here; after you have printed, sign above.]


Copies to:
Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia
BC Hydro

___________________________________________________
Second letter (protesting against the consultation process:

___________________________________________________________

[Put the date here]

[Put your address here]



The Honourable Richard Neufeld
Minister of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources
MLA Peace River North
10104 - 100 Street
Fort St. John, BC
V1J 3Y7

Dear Mr. Neufeld:

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the consultation process that BC Hydro has conducted regarding the proposed Site C dam on the Peace River. During the consultation process, BC Hydro has acted in its own self-interest instead of from a neutral position, and was either unable or unwilling to provide satisfactory answers to questions that were asked about the Site C dam.

The decision to destroy high quality agricultural land and wildlife habitat is not one to be taken lightly. As both my MLA and the Minister of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources, you have a responsibility to ensure that projects such as this are not forced on the people that you represent. Millions of tax payers’ dollars have already been spent on a consultation process that was overseen by a party with a vested interest, and I feel, as do many other British Columbians, that I have not been consulted on the primary question of whether or not the Site C dam should be considered as an option. This consultation process has proved itself to be extremely inadequate in every way.

I therefore call on you to fulfill your responsibilities and ensure that a meaningful and unbiased consultation be carried out by a truly independent third party. This kind of process has been recommended by the World Commission on Dams as "best practice."

A fair and meaningful consultation regarding projects such as this is imperative. There is still time for you to live up to your obligations to British Columbians, both those who live here now and future generations.

Sincerely,




[Type your full name here; after you have printed, sign above.]

Copies to:
Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia
BC Hydro

____________________________________________________

A-Peace-iation Coffee House - Wednesday, Dec. 10

Once again, at Whole Wheat & Honey Café, CUSP will present the second A-Peace-iation Coffee House. It's a chance for us to appreciate the Peace river, the valley, and the good living it provides to all its inhabitants.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Whole Wheat & Honey Café is located at the corner of 100th Street and 100th Avenue in Fort St. John. Join us for an evening of stories, photos, videos, and song as we celebrate and appreciate the treasure of the Peace.

Sincere thanks go out to Whole Wheat & Honey Café for providing such a great venue for this event!

What about the Fish?

Site C would create many problems, including changes in water temperature, turbine mortality, loss of migration routes, and poisoning by mercury for both the fish trapped inside the reservoir and those living downstream.

The switch from river to reservoir habitat has an acute effect upon resident fish. Raised water temperature in the reservoir and for kilometres downstream alter their normal life cycle. In addition, some fish die when trying to pass through the turbines. Another problem is that toxic mercury from the reservoir collects in fish tissues and is passed on throughout the food chain. The Canadian Marketing Standard for mercury levels in fish is 0.5 ppm (parts per million). Bull Trout in Williston Reservoir have tested at 0.6 ppm, and an advisory has been issued limiting human consumption "as a result of dam impoundment."

Bull Trout are a native, migratory fish and would become trapped inside the Site C reservoir. Bull Trout are on the Blue List (species "of special concern") of the BC Forest and Range Practices Act. The American Fisheries Society identified "fragmentation and disconnection of migratory corridors (associated with the operation of hydroelectric dams)" specifically as a danger to Bull Trout.

Once again, we point out that the cost cannot be calculated in dollars only. It must be calculated in dollars and sense . . . and it makes no sense.

Impact of Site C on Wildlife

Loss of Wildlife Habitat

The Peace River Valley is very important to a wide range of wildlife species, including endangered species, and its loss would have numerable and serious implications. One of the foremost of these is straight habitat loss. The valley sustains some of the best possible conditions for moose, deer, and elk, which find browse and graze on vast willow flats. They also use some of the large islands to raise their young ones. The valley has a subclimate of its own, and in winter, when weather gets harsh, the animals count on the valley to provide refuge. South-facing slopes are not found in many places besides river valleys, and wildlife make good use of these many slopes along the Peace River valley, as a good portion of the river runs east-west. The south slopes provide good feeding areas, warmth in winter, and early vegetation growth in spring.

Once it's gone, it's gone forever. We need to persist in saying "NO" to Site C!

Don't Miss this NEAT activity: Wed., Dec. 3

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m., at Whole Wheat & Honey Café, the Northern Environmental Action Team (NEAT) will present "The Story of Stuff," a fast-paced, 20-minute film about production and consumption. "The Story of Stuff" exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something; it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

There will also be great music by Ryan Hennessey and Jennifer Morissette.

Come on out and learn something useful! Bring a friend or two!

A-Peace-iation Night Returns - Wednesday, Dec. 10

Mark it on your calendar! Our second A-Peace-iation Night is coming up next week!

When: Wednesday, Dec. 10
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Whole Wheat & Honey Café
(at the corner of 100th Street and 100th Avenue, Fort St. John)


More stories, poems, slides, photos, videos--all shared by Peace-loving people.

Bring a friend ~ Bring yourself! See you there.

CUSP to Attend Y2Y Conference

Several CUSP members will attend the Yellowstone-to-Yukon (Y2Y) conference on Dec.3-4 in Prince George.



A workshop on the role of the Peace River Break landscape (see Figure 1 below) in the Yellowstone-to-Yukon Region will be held immediately following the B.C. Protected Areas Research Forum at the University of Northern B.C.

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative has identified the Peace River Break as a priority for conservation action. This landscape provides a critical habitat connection for large mammals between the protected core areas of the Canadian Rocky Mountains National Parks (including Willmore and Kakwa provincial parks) and the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area complex. It is the narrow waist of the entire Y2Y region and is threatened with fragmentation that will sever wildlife populations in the northern and southern halves of Y2Y. The Peace Break region is under intensive development pressure, ranging from forestry, oil and gas exploration and development, coalbed methane development and coal mining to new gas pipelines, wind energy infrastructure and the proposed Site C dam.

There is an urgent need to understand better the ecological functioning of this landscape, identify core habitats and movement corridors, and develop a collaborative strategy for pursuing conservation opportunities and addressing conservation threats.

Within this context, the purposes of the workshop are to:

- engage scientists in the importance of this landscape within the overall Y2Y region

- increase our understanding of the current state of knowledge about the ecological functioning of the landscape from a focal/keystone species perspective (especially grizzly bears and woodland caribou)

- identify major gaps in knowledge

- generate interest in the Peace River Break within the Y2Y region as an area of research focus

- build relationships between scientists, activists, academics, First Nations and land managers active in the region

- discuss strategic issues facing the landscape

The following format is proposed:

- introduction to Y2Y and the Peace River Break priority area

- a series of presentations followed by discussions, arranged around the themes of:

1. species/connectivity research

2. land use patterns and impacts

3. Aboriginal interests and conservation opportunities

4. areas for future research/strategy and

5. Y2Y’s role and next steps

Those who have conducted or are conducting research in this landscape related to ecological function, key habitats and linkages, population dynamics, land use impacts or other topics related to conservation, will make presentations at the workshop.

The workshop will start on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 3rd, immediately following the B.C. Protected Areas Research Forum, and will conclude at noon on Thursday, December 4th.

To participate in the Y2Y Peace River Break workshop as a presenter or audience member, please contact Wendy Francis at wendy@y2y.net or 403.763.8633.

A session on Y2Y and the Peace River and Muskwa-Kechika landscapes will also be held as part of the concurrent sessions during the B.C. Protected Areas Research Form.

To learn more about the B.C. Protected Areas Research Forum, visit its web site at http://www.unbc.ca/bcparf/