On Monday, April 30, 2018 Wildsight held a Town Hall Meeting at Centre 64 in Kimberley to discuss two new, separate, tourism tenure proposals from Retallack and Northwest Mountain Experience.
The Bulletin followed up with Wildsight’s Conservation Coordinator Eddie Petryshen to see how the town hall meeting unfolded.
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“Wildsight hosted a public conversation in order to share our concerns about Northwest Mountain Experience and Retallack’s proposals, and facilitate a community conversation about the future of the South Purcells,” said Petryshen. “Our concerns are based on potential wildlife and wilderness impacts that we don’t believe the proponents have adequately addressed in their current management plans.”
Petryshen explained that a lot of community members had concerns and there was a large turnout, filling the theatre at Centre 64.
“People in the crowd shared concerns regarding issues ranging from the proposals’ potential impacts on our already declining wildlife populations, to how these tenures could affect current recreation usage. There was a lot of discussion around why the Cranbrook West Recreation Management Strategy isn’t being implemented. It is the government-driven public process and backcountry plan that the St. Mary’s tenure falls under,” said Petryshen.
He added that the meeting highlighted the fact that local residents are concerned about Retallack and Yaqan nu?kiy’ proposal for intensive heli biking and heli skiing in the south Purcells.
Related: Wildsight, locals weigh in on proposed tenure from Retallack and Lower Kootenay Band
“The proposal is much larger at 710 square kilometres and would see more intense all season use from helicopter based recreation,” Petryshen said. “So many people voiced concerns around how that intensive helicopter-based recreation from the Retallack and Yaqan nu?kiy’ proposal will impact wildlife and existing users and recreation.”
Tonight, Thursday, May 3, Wildsight will conclude their string of public meetings in Gray Creek.
“We need to take a lot of the concerns we’re hearing into consideration and communicate these issues to the proponents,” said Petryshen.
In terms of the next steps for Wildsight, Petryshen says they will continue to focus their energy on ensuring the sustainability of healthy wildlife populations and wilderness in the South Purcells.
“We will continue to have an open conversation with the proponents of both tenure applications, the local community, biologists, decision makers, and governments. We’re at a critical point for wildlife and any additional stress on our ecosystems needs to be looked at very carefully,” said Petryshen. “In terms of the Retallack and Yaqan nu?kiy’ proposal, we would appreciate the opportunity to sit down with representatives of the Ktunaxa Nation, Yaqan nu?kiy’, their staff, and independent biologists to bring together traditional values and knowledge with ecology in order to ensure healthy wildlife for generations to come.”