RIVERS WITHOUT BORDERS

The Perfect Salmon Stronghold

by: Will Patric

In February I attended the 2009 “State of the Salmon” conference in Vancouver.  It was an ambitious three day gathering of distinguished fisheries experts from the United States, Canada, Russia, South Korea, and Japan.

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Who owns Canada’s rivers?

Recently, the Conservative government of Canada tabled its 2009 budget.  Buried deep in the budget is a provision that could drastically weaken the Navigable Waters Protection Act.  Watering down this act would lead to a diminished federal role in assessing fisheries, wildlife and water impacts related to mining and other resource development proposals.

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Will Alaska say yes or no to Tulsequah Chief?

Alaska agencies, fishing groups, conservation groups, the general public, First Nations and other interested parties are by and large, not impressed with Redcorp Ventures’ latest plan to access the Tulsequah Chief mine via hoverbarge on the Taku River.  The state of Alaska has just pulled the plug on the 30 day public comment period clock since Redcorp has failed to adequately explain how it intends to safely transport ore and fuel on one of the world’s premier salmon rivers. 

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Atlin-Taku Land Use Planning - 2nd stakeholder workshops

The 2nd Atlin-Taku land use plan stakeholder workshop sessions took place in Taku River Tlingit territory on Friday and Saturday Nov 21-22.  The workshops were highlighted by a series of interest statement presentations from stakeholders.  BC government and Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) representatives listened to a majority of interests speak to the importance of conservation, responsible fish and wildlife management and accessibility to land in the planning area.  

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Whither Galore?

In November 2007, NovaGold’s drive towards production came to a sudden halt when the Galore Creek project cost estimates soared to $5 billion from $2.2 billion.  A revised feasibility study made the company rethink its approach. In August, 2008 a class-action lawsuit was launched by a NovaGold shareholder.   The plaintiff alleged certain officers released misleading statements about costs, progress and project viability.  While this legal challenge proceeds, NovaGold is making plans to move ahead with its stalled mega-mine.   NovaGold will soon announce major changes to the project’s direction, perhaps just in time for the one year anniversary of its shelving?

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BC First Nations Mining Summit

First Nations delegates, government officials and industry representatives gathered in Prince George October 7-9, 2008 to discuss the state of mining in BC.  The objective: to produce a comprehensive BC First Nations Mineral Exploration And Mining Action Plan.   Visit http://www.bcfnms.ca/ for further details.

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Land Keepers

Many First Nations are responding to mining proposals on their traditional territories.  Now there is an online resource that has consolidated relevant media stories, legal documents, reports and studies that shed light on the state of mining in the British Columbia context and beyond.

Check:  http://landkeepers.ca/ 

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Taku Land Use and Wildlife Management

Congratulations to the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) for their recent Framework Agreement signing with BC for shared decision making respecting land use and wildlife management. 

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Trout Unlimited: Fish in a dangerous time

Trout Unlimited (TU) recently completed a comprehensive study assessing threats to the long-term well being of trout and salmon in the United States.  Their findings are somewhat grim, but TU proposes a number of practical solutions to slow the impact of rising water temperatures and human encroachment upon trout and salmon habitat.  Healing Troubled Waters: Preparing Trout and Salmon Habitat For A Changing Climate is download-able in pdf format from the TU website. 

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Galore Creek Collapse Provides Lessons for Alaska

With the Galore Creek mine dead in the water, British Columbia’s plans for an electrical line into the Stikine region are also now in question. Investor confidence in the BC mining industry has been shaken, while the problems of mining companies underestimating costs and relying on faulty feasibility studies are in the spotlight. People and communities that bet on the promises of Galore Creek will take a hit. Alaska should heed several key lessons from this situation.

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