An interesting article about wolf culling on The Province, a 49% increase in Caribou numbers after 4 years of wolf culling.
0 Comments
In September, 2019 the Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent (COC) held a conference that included participants from multiple Tribes, governments, non-governmental organizations (ENGO), conservation initiatives, land trusts, and universities. Their goal was discussing how they can take control over land use. Participants from Canada were also there, from Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park.
Areas they want control over include tourism, natural resources, habitat, and wildlife. There is also discussion about the need to protect areas for non-use, using conservation easements and designations as protected areas. This is a large area and will heavily impact both Alberta and British Columbia. The document can be read here. The Vancouver Sun published an interesting article about Caribou populations on October 8, 2019. "The population of three mountain caribou herds in the South Peace region has risen by 49 per cent just four years into an experimental wolf cull program, according to a new analysis released by the provincial government." This clearly identifies the reduction of Caribou herds is directly related to predator wolf activity, not development. Getting their panties in a wad, the B.C. Wildlife Federation scrambles to twist this news as something bad, even as much as they supposedly want to save the Caribou, and continues to hang on to their excuse that "industrial activity disrupts the landscape." If the Caribou issue is solved, then their agenda to protect or take land away dissolves. Culling wolves is another dilemma for them, high wolf populations present a danger to us, which also pushes people out of the area. Any bad activity works for them on that agenda. Let's support the right action, continue with wolf culling. Protect our right to live on our land. According to this Narwhal article the Kaska Dena has been working with the British Columbia government to protect land in the far north to prevent biodiversity loss.
In order to ensure economic activity forestry is just outside of the conservation boundaries and the conservation areas "avoid" resource extraction sites while opening up opportunities for recreation. The federal government is doing this while funding other conservation projects as it works toward its international land conservation commitments. Why is the government funding international conservation? As noted in previous posts, the ENGOs are targeting First Nation groups to join their efforts, looks like the federal government is doing the same. With the demise of the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives from their funding being cut off by President Trump, the environmental non-governmental organizations have now regrouped under the Network for Landscape Conservation (NLC). Having gathered up money from foundations, it appears they are more than willing to share with British Columbia First Nations.
With $25,000 over a period of two years, the "Chilkat Valley Working Group" will use the money to "...enable the Working Group to update its Strategic Plan and Communication Strategy and facilitate capacity-building trainings around bridging western and Indigenous worldviews and around pursuing just transitions to regenerative economic futures.", and "pursue a landscape conservation approach that heals the wounds of colonization, brings Indigenous land-use principles and understanding into decisions, and supports a culturally appropriate regenerative economy." All of this along with "working to move the region away from a prioritization of exploitative resource extraction". What will this do to the economy and those who are currently working for that industry? However, this does not appear to be consistent with what First Nations want. "Dozens of Indigenous groups are turning forcefully against the anti-pipeline agenda of Greenpeace and other U.S.-funded green and social justice groups." With the purchase of Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX), First Nations would benefit far more than what the NLC could ever come up with through regenerative economic futures, or their $25k. Chief of Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, Tony Alexis, understands ownership of this asset will make money for communities. This was reiterated by Eagle Spirit chairman Calvin Helin, “First Nations are completely opposed to government policy being made by foreigners when it impacts their ability to help out their own people”. So NLC, keep your foundation money out of Canada with your goals of destroying the economy of the First Nations, it isn't wanted or needed as they are capable of determining their own future. And stop using indigenous people to promote your agenda. Concerned Citizens of Caribou Recovery (CCCR) have created a petition because the provincial government has failed to include local government, industry leaders, communities, and back country recreationists in any of the Caribou Recovery planning. Nor has the government been transparent about the implementation of these plans.
Caribou Closures for the BC South Peace include closing backcountry recreation, proposing a complete shutdown of the area south of Williston lake, west to Mackenzie and south to the bottom end of the Narrow Way. Affected areas include Carbon Creek, Silver Sands, Calazon, Beaver Creek, Powder King, Mackenzie, Hasler, Burnt, Sukunka, Bull Moose, Wolverine, Core Lodge, Upper Bulley, Red Deer, Narrow Way, and Kakwa and there will be no hunting of any sort for any species in the closed areas. All of the hiking trails around Tumbler Ridge in the caribou closure will be closed and no river boats on the Murray or Wapiti rivers (portions in BC). Closures for the operating coal mines between Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd are being discussed as well. The petition demands that all negotiations cease and to consult ALL users, businesses, and local government, begin economic and socio economic impact studies on the North East region, and provide data on populations and relevant science based studies to support closures and recovery plans. Protect British Columbia and SIGN the petition, then share with everyone you know! Another talk by Jody Hilty, Yellowstone to Yukon President and Chief Scientist, reveals a rather disturbing picture of a false narrative of information. Ms. Hilty either has chosen to deliberately misrepresent the truth, or lives in some sort of fantasy world. In this Scaling Up Webinar, Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative, November 14, 2017, Ms. Hilty covers a variety of issues from both Canada and the U.S., skipping back and forth between the two countries. In the standard Y2Y mantra, she declares wildlife need "room to roam" which usually means at the expense of where people live and their use of land in all forms. What is so ironic when describing how a Wolf traversed between Canada and the U.S., there is ongoing claims that animals are unable to survive without connectivity, taking more land for protection so they can migrate. Isn't that what the Wolf was doing without the Y2Y connectivity agenda? And while the Wolf doesn't recognize the boundary between the two countries, she fails to understand that these two countries do have jurisdictional boundaries between them, which supercedes what any Wolf may understand. Blanket descriptions are given for historical ranges for Grizzlies, without any factual verification. However, this is deliberate as Y2Y intends to use Grizzlies as an umbrella species. Throughout the webinar, Ms. Hilty repeatedly states, "science says", not understanding that science is not a person, it can't think or speak but can be manipulated by people to give a desired outcome. In her "collaborative" description, elected officials and local citizens are not included. The Peace River and Caribou are discussed at the 13" mark. At the 19:20 mark, the Crown of the Continent that engulfs ID/MT/Canada, a path for Grizzlies is created on conjecture that it must be protected based on potential genetic problems. Next is the Cabinet Purcell area with ID/MT/BC involved, and three Grizzly "corridors" for connectivity, and work with land trusts to take land with conservation easements by Vital Ground, stopping development. Wildlife crossings are discussed at the 25:15 mark, with safety used as an excuse, and overpasses needed for connectivity. The "huge threat of growth", with people "gobbling up land" is also introduced at the 31:20 mark. Ms. Hilty thinks people should live in high rises, except for herself. She also thinks protected areas are being "ringed with development" again discussing the need for local officials in Canada to have "national standards" for how their communities are designed and managed at the 50:05 mark. This is clearly not true, local communities, and the people who live in them, know what is best. None the less, she calls these "gateway" cities and the plan is on for going in and telling these cities how they should live, holding Mountain and Resort Town Planner Summits. Listen to the webinar and learn more about all the work Y2Y is doing to spread their propaganda and misinformation. For those who live near Highway 93 South through Kootenay National Park, Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) is targeting the area for wildlife overpasses. Parks Canada even paid Y2Y for GPS units to allegedly track wildlife "hotspots" for crossings. Surprise, surprise, this data supported earlier Parks Canada data in the "Dolly Varden area for the installation of 4.7 km of fencing and three wildlife underpasses." As in other areas where they want to put overpasses for their connectivity agenda, they lie about the data and this partnership with Y2Y was nothing more than to support an already preconceived number and agenda. Once these overpasses are built, and wildlife is forced to change their route due to fencing, Y2Y will pursue the whole area as a migratory corridor and demand it is designated as protected, fulfilling the ultimate goal of non-use. This isn't about safety, or protection of humans and wildlife, it is about taking land use away, and the Canadian government is part of it.
Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) engages in the same deceitful tactic in every issue they have inserted themselves into. It is no exception for British Columbia. As usual, they have created a canned statement on the B.C. draft agreements for Caribou. Anyone who follows Y2Y, from the United States to other countries, can use this pre-written statement in support of protecting Caribous by ending all logging, wolf culls, and motor vehicle use. As if that weren't enough, they also want to include other species for protection, all Caribou herds, and increased the amount of protected areas. The full pre-written comment can be found here. This type of tactic distorts the opinion of the local populations and their right to representation in spite of Y2Y's claim of accountability and transparency. There is nothing ethical about Y2Y and how it conducts itself.
Wildsight is an environmental non-governmental organization (ENGO) in which Caribou is one focus area, identified in this map. They also have branches located throughout British Columbia and a rather large staff. Wildsight has other programs besides Caribou, one of which is habitat protection. Like Yellowstone to Yukon, Wildsight has a pre-written letter that can be sent to McKenna and Heyman in support of Caribou protection, which any individual can sign, including U.S. citizens, or even from Europe. The intent is falsifying support. Learn which Wildsight individuals work in your area and expose them.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
July 2019
Categories |