CAUSS speaks out against private power project in Pinecone Burke Provincial Park

March 4/08: Over 300 concerned citizens packed the public information meeting in Mission to speak out against the proposed Run of River private power project in the upper Pitt River. The project will divert all 8 tributaries of the Pitt River, devastating the largest remaining wild coho and sockeye salmon runs in the Fraser Valley. The project will build a transmission line through Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, threatening critical grizzly bear and elk habitat, and setting an appalling precedent for industrial intrusions in other provincial parks. “BC Parks has a commitment to protect and manage for all time the natural heritage conserved in the provincial protected area systems” said CAUSS chair, Dr. Tracy Lyster. “This project enables and perpetuates sprawl. By the time the project is complete, the demands for power arising from urban sprawl will exceed what the project contributes. Is the plan to sacrifice every river and stream in BC to feed urban sprawl? What is really needed is better conservation, efficiency and growth containment”. Citizens can voice their concerns at an upcoming public meeting, 6:30 pm, March 25 at the Pitt Meadows Secondary School, 19438- 116B Avenue, Pitt Meadows. If you cannot make the meeting, you have until April 2 to oppose the deletion of land from Pinecone Burke park by emailing: PineconeBurke AT gov.bc.ca. For more information, see www.ourrivers.ca.

2 thoughts on “CAUSS speaks out against private power project in Pinecone Burke Provincial Park”

  1. URGENT: Help Save the Upper Pitt River

    Mission Public Meeting
    March 4, 2008
    4:00 – 9:00 p.m.
    Best Western Mission City Lodge
    32281 Lougheed Highway

    I invite you to join me in the most important environmental fight in BC… the fight to protect our rivers (535 are at risk) from run-of-the-river power projects that will simultaneously steal our power (and sell it back to us at prices faaar beyond what we now pay), destroy our fisheries and wilderness habtiat. Immediately at risk is the Upper Pitt River, one of the most richly biodiverse areas of British Columbia

    Please watch the video Power Play http://saveourrivers.tv/powerplay_player5.html then join the group Save Our Rivers on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5680590325

    We are aiming to grow this group to 5,000 by Friday, so in addition to signing up, please forward this message to EVERYONE you know.

    Every person in British Columbia NEEDS to know what is happening to our power.

    Please – ACT NOW. We have less than 45 days to save the Upper Pitt and then start fighting for the others.

    Donna Passmore,
    Fraser Valley Conservation Coalition
    Farmland Defence League of BC
    Gateway 40 Citizens Network… and
    Save Our Rivers Society

  2. To: The Editors, The Post; Mission Record; Mission Times. March 10, 2008

    Dear Sir,

    The absence of Mission’s Mayor, Council members and Environmental Services Manager, MLA Randy Hawes, from the highly charged and volatile “Power Grab” meeting, held at the Best Western, Mission on 4th March, was significant. Indeed, their absence was insulting to the taxpayer and conveyed at the least, disinterest and disregard for the environment and for future generations.

    How aptly named “The Power Grab” meeting was, being all about Northwest Cascade Power Company wanting to extract water from 8 major tributaries in the Upper Pitt River Watershed. The company also wants to build their transmission line through Pinecone Burke Provincial Park as part of their massive 180 megawatt private hydro project.

    Northwest Cascade Power displayed contempt for the 400 plus concerned and vexed attendees, as most questions were not answered. The representatives of B.C. Parks and Environmental Assessment Office were nothing short of pathetic nonentities as they too did not actually provide any answers of substance or display any protective concern for Provincial Parks.

    Provincial Parks are priceless gems, the envy of countless countries and should be treasured and preserved for future generations. They are, apart from this, a source of revenue when left in their beautiful natural state.

    Forewarned should be forearmed. Stave Lake is the next area under attack as Alpine Power and Transmission Inc. has applied for disposition of Crown Land.

    Yours truly,

    Jeanette Smith.
    Silverhill.

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