A year-round backcountry tenure for heli-skiing, heli-biking and heli-hiking and more is proposed for the heart of the south Purcell wilderness. Covering 700 square kilometers, it stretches from the mountains just above Kootenay Lake all the way to St. Mary’s Lake near Kimberley. The proposal has been put forward by adventure tourism operator Retallack, and it has recently been announced that the project will be in partnership with Yaqan nu?kiy, the Lower Kootenay Band.
“We’re concerned because this area is prime wildlife habitat,” said Eddie Petryshen, Wildsight’s Conservation Coordinator. “Besides being crucial for wildlife connectivity in every direction, it has important huckleberry patches for grizzly bears and sustains mountain goats, wolverines, moose, trout and more. And the surrounding area supports the struggling South Purcells mountain caribou herd.”
Wildsight is holding public town hall meetings to discuss the potential impacts to wildlife and ecosystems of this proposal and another in the same area. There will be a meeting in Kimberley at Centre 64 on Monday, April 30 at 7p.m.; in Nelson at the United Church Hall on Wednesday, May 2 at 7p.m. (co-hosted with the West Kootenay Ecosociety); and in Gray Creek at the Gray Creek Hall on Thursday, May 3 at 7 p.m.
The proposed tenure includes building 33 helicopter-accessed bike trails that cover more than 160 km. The operation would bring a hundred people or more into the backcountry every day, says Wildsight.
“With this many downhill bike trails, so many people on them and all-day helicopter traffic in the summer and winter,” said Petryshen. “We’re looking at a pretty fundamental change to the backcountry in the upper St. Mary’s Valley and the mountains above Kootenay Lake.”
At the same time, Northwest Mountain Experience is also asking for a 110km2 tenure in Dewar Creek, near the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy, for a helicopter-accessed backcountry lodge with ski touring and hiking.
The B.C. government is accepting public comments on both tenure proposals. Comments on Northwest Mountain Experience’s proposal are accepted until May 6 and on Retallack’s proposal until May 13. See www.wildsight.ca for more details.