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BCWF
03-18-2016, 03:47 PM
http://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca/regional-news/hunters-and-anglers-pack-meeting-on-site-c-crown-land-access-1.2197906

When hunters get mad, politicians jump.

That fact was on display at a packed town hall meeting on backcountry access in Fort St. John Saturday.

Nearly 300 hunters, anglers and other backcountry users came to hear from government officials and critics on land transfers to First Nations impacted by the Site C dam.

While details on the confidential negotiations are few, there are fears the transfers could privatize access to the Upper Halfway Valley, the Peace-Moberly Tract and other popular recreation areas.

While he could give few details on what lands were being considered, Peace River North MLA Pat Pimm said he would push for unimpeded access to Crown land adjacent to parcels deeded to First Nations.

"One of the commitments that I've been given (by government) is access is not going to be denied," he said. "We're not going to be denying access anywhere around the province to the backcountry, to recreation country. That'd better be a condition that sticks as far as I'm concerned."

Last week, Energy Minister Bill Bennett told the Alaska Highway News his government is looking at new ways of including local input on First Nations land transfers.

However, he stressed that the Constitution insists negotiations between the Crown and aboriginal groups be "nation-to-nation"—meaning those negotiations aren't subject to public consultation.

Critics also attended the meeting, including Kootenay West NDP MLA Katrine Conroy, who called government policy on wildlife allocations and land negotiations "divisive."



Moose plan criticized



Another hunting issue tied in with Site C is the B.C. government's plan to manage moose populations in Northeast B.C..

Jesse Zeman of the BC Wildlife Federation criticized the plan at Saturday's meeting, saying government needs a strategy to recover moose populations in the northeast.

He likened the current policy to dividing up pieces of a steadily shrinking pie.

"You can change the way you divvy up the pieces, or you can try to make the pie bigger."

In some cases, that has meant allocating a larger share of the moose hunt to aboriginal
hunters.

"We call it 'managing to zero.' You can call it a management plan, but really all we're doing is making sure hunting isn't the reason populations are in decline."

Among the reasons for that decline is land clearing for resource development, which creates ideal hunting grounds for wolves and other predators. Zeman added that wildfire management has reduced the size of burns where moose and other ungulates thrive.

He also said the government is underestimating the impact Site C will have on moose, deer and elk
populations.

The Joint Review Panel appointed to review the project agreed with BC Hydro that Site C was "not likely" to have "significant adverse effects" on those populations.

However, Zeman said an independent study by the Wildlife Federation found otherwise.

"If you talk about it in the context of all of B.C., there probably aren't significant adverse effects," he said.

"But if you look into an area like the Peace River Valley—you create a large (dam) on some of the best habitat in B.C., you're going to have a significant impact on wildlife populations. There's no way around that."

A 1975 study on the impact of the W.A.C. Bennett dam on moose found populations dropped from 12,500 to 4,000 due to habitat loss and drownings, Zeman said.

Site C will cost around $8.8 billion and flood around 83 kilometres of the Peace River Valley, including traditional territory belonging to First Nations.

reporter@dcdn.ca


© Copyright 2016 Alaska Highway News

Ride Red
03-18-2016, 04:01 PM
Quote "A 1975 study on the impact of the W.A.C. Bennett dam on moose found populations dropped from 12,500 to 4,000 due to habitat loss and drownings, Zeman said."


I can understand the habitat loss, but drownings? If someone has more info on this, I'd like to read it. In 40 years of hunting, I've only noticed how great a swimmer a moose is and how far they can swim.

kbellamy
03-19-2016, 08:10 AM
I can't find the original report (Bonar, 1975) but this report references it:

https://www.bchydro.com/pwcp/pdfs/reports/pwfwcp_report_no_001.pdf

Although moose are great swimmers, there is a difference between swimming across a crystal clear lake/river with no obstructions, and swimming across a freshly flooded reservoir that is full of floating trees and other junk. Every living creature has a limited amount of energy.

Although not a scientific report, "Under These Waters" gives the account from someone who worked on the reservoir.http://www.bcfs100.ca/docs/pdf/0/380.pdf
Page 97
A pilot of some acclaim who flew the area frequently reported that many moose were trapped amongst the floating debris as the waters rose. Apparently there were enough dead carcasses floating to disgust the hardest of hunters. The local residents confirmed the tremendous loss of wildlife!

I'll try and find a picture of when they initially flooded the dam, and had all of the logs laying on the water.

Chopper
03-19-2016, 08:17 AM
However, he stressed that the Constitution insists negotiations between the Crown and aboriginal groups be "nation-to-nation"—meaning those negotiations aren't subject to public consultation.

This is a pretty loose interpretation of the Constitution. In other words the Gov. is going to do whatever suits them and to hell with the rest of us and the wildlife. Nation to nation...what a crock. Who keeps voting these idiots in?

Its not an election , its a selection, Trudeau is a prime example. He is not qualified, the only reason he is in, is because of his dad and the media. Yes they are elected, But the media manipulates the public to swing the votes , Hence the " Selection " comment.

Anyway , not trying to highjack this thread into another Trudeau bashing ... This is a crock of shit

MRP
03-19-2016, 08:20 AM
Quote "A 1975 study on the impact of the W.A.C. Bennett dam on moose found populations dropped from 12,500 to 4,000 due to habitat loss and drownings, Zeman said."


I can understand the habitat loss, but drownings? If someone has more info on this, I'd like to read it. In 40 years of hunting, I've only noticed how great a swimmer a moose is and how far they can swim.

When they blocked the water on W.A.C. dam, it came up fast. Floating logs and ground derbie made in impossible for moose to swim. There's lots of stories of people bearly getting out alive. Today there is miles of shoreline that are so steep and sheer rock from the high water line down, if any animal fell in theirs no way for them to get out.

Ride Red
03-19-2016, 06:14 PM
I can't find the original report (Bonar, 1975) but this report references it:

https://www.bchydro.com/pwcp/pdfs/reports/pwfwcp_report_no_001.pdf

Although moose are great swimmers, there is a difference between swimming across a crystal clear lake/river with no obstructions, and swimming across a freshly flooded reservoir that is full of floating trees and other junk. Every living creature has a limited amount of energy.

Although not a scientific report, "Under These Waters" gives the account from someone who worked on the reservoir.http://www.bcfs100.ca/docs/pdf/0/380.pdf
Page 97
A pilot of some acclaim who flew the area frequently reported that many moose were trapped amongst the floating debris as the waters rose. Apparently there were enough dead carcasses floating to disgust the hardest of hunters. The local residents confirmed the tremendous loss of wildlife!

I'll try and find a picture of when they initially flooded the dam, and had all of the logs laying on the water.


When they blocked the water on W.A.C. dam, it came up fast. Floating logs and ground derbie made in impossible for moose to swim. There's lots of stories of people bearly getting out alive. Today there is miles of shoreline that are so steep and sheer rock from the high water line down, if any animal fell in theirs no way for them to get out.

Good info, thanks guys. Ride Red.

GoatGuy
03-19-2016, 07:10 PM
https://www.bchydro.com/pwcp/pdfs/reports/pwfwcp_report_no_001.pdf


It has been estimated that loss of critical winter habitat, drownings, and more subtle (less direct) effects of the hydro development resulted in a moose population reduction, in the entire WillistonBasin, of from about 12,500 animals pre-flooding to less than 4000 afterward (Bonar 1975). A further, relatively quick reduction to "around 2000" over-wintering animals has been hypothesized, due primarily to the effects of expanding local forestry operations--possibly compounded by the effects of flooding on timber supply. As suggested by MOE (1982), "With the high committment of remaining timber, there are little or no opportunities for integrated forest management to protect the remaining moose population."

Whonnock Boy
03-19-2016, 10:07 PM
That's pretty tough to read.


"With the high committment of remaining timber, there are little or no opportunities for integrated forest management to protect the remaining moose population."

Arctic Lake
03-21-2016, 11:02 AM
It's a sad topic indeed when you talk about the loss of moose / wildlife and wildlife habitat !
Arctic Lake