A group of East Shore residents that calls itself Citizens Information Ad-Hoc Group is rallying to quash a heli-skiing proposal for the South Purcell mountain wilderness.
The group is asking the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources to reject a proposal by a backcountry adventure tour outfit to start a major heli-ski operation in the pristine wilderness in their backyard.
In a press release received on Monday, the group said it has set up an information booth that has statements of support and a petition against the proposal (more than 600 signatures have been collected online). At the time of the press release, no one had signed the statements of support.
Residents’ objections to the proposal have been growing since it first became public about two months ago. Retallack, a nearby cat-skiing business, has partnered with some members of the Lower Kootenay Band (Yaqan Nukiy) and submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources to start a 45-year term for a backcountry adventure tourism operation using nearly 71,000 hectares of wilderness in the South Purcell’s above the shores of Kootenay Lake.
“Retallack and the Lower Kootenay Band have been invited to attend follow up meetings in the community and were also asked via email to answer specific questions to help clarify their proposal but, at the time of release, have not attended nor responded (beyond a press release stating that they are waiting until after the feedback deadline to present their amendments),” the release says.
“A substantial portion of the tenure area is under the Cranbrook West Recreation Management Strategy which was approved April 15, 2005, by the Government of British Columbia (Strategic Land and Resource Planning). This management strategy restricts helicopter-based recreation in much of the proposal area due to its extreme ecological sensitivity. The government initiated this management plan and consulted with many stakeholders to finalize.”
Some Yaqan Nukiy members have also expressed their opposition to the band’s involvement.
Citing articles by Wildsight the ad-hoc group says that the proposal threatens not only residents’ quality of life, but would have a detrimental impact on wildlife, some of which—grizzlies and caribou—are already struggling with shrinking habitat.
“On behalf of the communities affected by this proposal, and in consideration of the overwhelming community opposition (including opposition from beyond the affected area) the Citizens Information Ad-Hoc Group asks that the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources of the Government of British Columbia to impose a full moratorium on the Retallack application #1155768 B.C Ltd, as well as any subsequent forms of the proposal or others of similar nature.
“East Shore residents welcome people to visit the area to take in the natural beauty and explore the backcountry on their own via non-commercial means, but it is clear that commercial adventure tourism operations – especially those employing mechanized means of transportation into such areas – are not welcome. Residents and current recreational visitors strongly believe that the natural landscape of the Kootenay Lake region and adjacent Purcell Mountain range should be kept intact with minimal future disturbance to wildlife or residents.”
