Turn the Flathead area into a National Park??

[my mod]

Below is something I read that we all should be aware of.
One more area gets closed down and then which area next?

"We have been approached by the Southern Rocky Mountain Advisory Committee for input on a national park in the Flathead. This has the potential to drastically affect or eliminate our use of the area. A survey has recently been publicized which claims that a majority of residents support a national park in the Flathead. This random survey is weighted heavily by Nelson, Cranbrook and Golden. A number of SRMAC sectors have indicated that they are opposed to the park"

 

[cat girl]

All I can say is NOoooooooooooooooooooo! I am going to google that right now!

 

[ferniesnow]

Not only is Wildsight wanting their Park, there is also hints at some land west of the Elk River, north of Sparwood to the Elk Lakes Provincial Park....

"A small strip of land over 3000 square kilometers or 75% of Area A of the RD."

It is getting interesting to say the least. All you Albertan's get in touch with the Corbin Country Club and the Inn on the Border and voice your concerns. The motorized sectors of the Southern Rocky Mountain Management Advisory Committee can only do so much and require input from all users.

 

[my mod]

So how can everyone get together to stop it?

 

[swabby]

this will probly be a loss in revenue for the locals if we looz these areas i would think ,we need some info or petition or something so us sled heads can offer our opinion and concerns to these closures .....

 

[foothills m8]

What are they going to do about all the coal inn the area, i don`t think they have it all out yet, There is a lot of gas there to inn the coal.What will the towns do. A National park ? Or Resources? Or Economy .

 

[gadzuk]

Coal mining in the area is pretty unlikely since the international joint commission ruled against a mine in the Sage Creek area in the 80's. However timber harvesting is still viable, gang-green forgets that the valley was clear-cut in the late 70's to stop the pine beetle and owes it's current health to good management practices of the day.

Wildsight and the Sierra club receive millions per year in US foundation funding from donors who prefer to remain anonymous. They promote only one side of the story in the media.

You can learn more about the other side of the story here:

 

[gadzuk]

Wildsight receives almost $1M / yr in US foundation funding to promote this park but residents are starting to fight back. For more info please visit

 

[gadzuk]

Wildsight receives millions in US foundation funding from anonymous sources to promote their one-sided agenda. Since the International Joint Commission decision in favor of Montana in the 80's mining is effectively outlawed in the entire Flathead drainage. MLA Bill Bennett has gone on record saying he won't support mining in that area.

Timber harvesting and a clearcut in the 70's to stop the pine beetle have a lot to do with the current forest health. Road de-construction and closure has been in high-gear and the Southern Rocky Mountains Management Plan with a committee of local users makes sound decisions to protect the area.

However Wildsight would prefer to lock it up and give the keys to Ottawa (Parks Canada).

We're fighting back, please visit our website: <link deleted>

Apparently we're not allowed to point to other websites??? My URL keeps getting swapped, try this:
www ekaccess ca

 

[team dirt]

you can go into that country and spend three or four days back there and most likely not see anyone. if they were to make this a park every idiot would be out there dumping there garbage and taking away the natural beauty. the people who use this now respect and take care of the land, when you advertise it will get overun.

 

[Wanderlust]

you can go into that country and spend three or four days back there and most likely not see anyone. if they were to make this a park every idiot would be out there dumping there garbage and taking away the natural beauty. the people who use this now respect and take care of the land, when you advertise it will get overun.

Used to live in the Pass and spent a lot of time camping and backpacking through the Flathead. Part of the reason for getting part of the area protected is to prevent more coal (read: strip) mining-which would also mean more roads in the area and hence more traffic. Just because a place turns into a park doesn't mean that there will be more tourists. There are lots of national and provincial parks that are simply preserved areas of wilderness. Love that area and would like to see it preserved-we're running out of great places like the Flathead! Do we have to exploit everything for industry? I'd like to see management plans in place for all user groups-ie. the Muskwa-Kechika area in northern BC.

 

[my mod]

Wanderlust, Are you saying you would like to see the flathead area turned into a national park and not allow snowmobiling there anymore?

 

[gadzuk]

Double-post

 

[gadzuk]

There are lots of national and provincial parks that are simply preserved areas of wilderness. Love that area and would like to see it preserved-we're running out of great places like the Flathead! Do we have to exploit everything for industry? I'd like to see management plans in place for all user groups-ie. the Muskwa-Kechika area in northern BC.

There are no national parks in Canada that allow snowmobile access, or hunting, or random camping, or cutting of firewood (even dead), picking mushrooms and berries.

The area is already protected by an Access Management Area under the Wildlife Act, that prohibits travel on all but a few designated roads. The entire region is under the Southern Rocky Mountains Management Plan, an open and transparent stakeholder-based approach. I sit on that table along with motor, non-motor, eco-systems, biologists, resident hunters and industry. It's a good process.

The International Joint Commission's decision in favor of Montana in the 80's effectively bans mining in the entire Flathead drainage. Despite being clearcut in the 70's to prevent pine-beetle, the forest and all its creatures are flourishing.

SE BC is already 16% protected areas. We don't need to "park" any more land.

A new National Park extension is not necessary. Wildlife are flourishing, road density is a fraction of what it was in the 80's. Why take away management responsibility from the people who live here and cherish it and give the keys to Ottawa (Parks Canada)?

 

[hosmersled]

Wildsight and CPAWS are well funded and organized groups dedicated to eliminating motorized use of the back country.
The local clubs (Fernie Snowmobile Assn and Corbin Club) are the voice for snowmobilers to the government ...please support them by becoming a member.

 

[Wanderlust]

Wanderlust, Are you saying you would like to see the flathead area turned into a national park and not allow snowmobiling there anymore?

For the record, a person can be into sledding, quadding, paddling, camping, backpacking, skiing AND still support management areas (including parks) and limited road access.

 

[my mod]

For the record, a person can be into sledding, quadding, paddling, camping, backpacking, skiing AND still support management areas (including parks) and limited road access.

Yes, You are right, everyone has the right to support what they want, but this region is already protected without turning it into a Park. A park will just close it down for eveyone, and I am sure even some busnisses will feel it. What I wonder is would you be so happy if it was the McBride region that was turned into a Park or shut down? Once they win in one area, you never know which area they will close down next. McBride? Revelstoke? Valemont?

 

[gadzuk]

The local clubs (Fernie Snowmobile Assn and Corbin Club) are the voice for snowmobilers to the government ...please support them by becoming a member.

Don't forget the Elkford snowmobile club, and the Sparwood snowmobile club. And the Elkford ATV club, and the Rod & Gun clubs.

There's also one lesser-known organization dedicated to fighting the park and taking on Wildsight: www ekaccess ca

 

[ferniesnow]

So how can everyone get together to stop it?

Join the area snowmobile club with strong representation on the Southern Rocky Mountain Management Advisory Committee to voice your concerns:

FERNIESNOWMOBILE.COM

or for more direct involvement in the process join gadzuk and the fighters at



and if the last one doesn't work as gadzuk suggests use

 

[bcskier]

For what it's worth not only are the snowmobile clubs and hunter groups are against this proposed park. A good number of the ski touring crowd is against it as well. All user groups gotta stand together and tell these puppets for Sierra Club that call themselves Wildsight where to stuff their national park and their Y to Y horsesh!t.

They come up with these bogus polls and petitions with support for this proposed park. 95% of the people polled couldn't show you where the Flathead is on a map. Wildsight has them convinced that it's gotta be saved by turning it into park.

Feel free to go to OurFernie | Fernie BC?s community portal and accommodation reservation service and chime in on some of the discussions in the forum and tell these Wildsight clowns your thoughts on the situation