The B.C. government has formally asked Ottawa to transfer control of 200 square kilometers of land in the province’s southeast, rich in coal reserves, for conservation purposes. The request, made in a letter by four provincial ministers last spring, was obtained through freedom of information laws.
The land in question, referred to as the Dominion coal blocks, is located in the Elk and Flathead valleys within Ktunaxa Nation territory. This area, nestled in the Rocky Mountains, is recognized as a crucial wildlife corridor, particularly for species like grizzly bears, wolverines, and lynx.
The smaller of the two parcels, known as 73, spans 20 square kilometers in the Elk Valley, northeast of Fernie. The larger parcel, 82, covers 180 square kilometers and includes the headwaters of the Flathead River. The river is home to species like bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout, flowing south into Montana. The federal government has owned these parcels since 1905, after acquiring them from the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. In 2013, Ottawa considered selling the land, which could have opened the area to mining for the first time in over 100 years.
B.C.’s request focuses on the land’s potential to serve conservation goals. “The parcels, especially 82, are essential for realizing a critical habitat corridor and achieving our conservation objectives,” said B.C.’s former ministers of environment, Indigenous relations, and lands in their letter to Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. They referred to the provincial and federal goal of conserving 30% of land and waters by 2030, in line with Canada’s global biodiversity commitments.
B.C. had hoped the land transfer would occur by 2025, with a memorandum of understanding finalized before the 2024 provincial election. However, a government spokesperson indicated that discussions are still in early stages.
Federal government officials have acknowledged the request and are considering conservation options for the Dominion coal blocks. However, no decisions have been made. Ottawa is also engaging with First Nations in the region to discuss how to use the land in a way that benefits both Indigenous communities and conservation efforts.
John Bergenske, a strategic advisor at Wildsight, a Kootenay-based conservation group, expressed support for transferring the Dominion coal blocks to Ktunaxa Nation. He highlighted the importance of these areas in mitigating the environmental impacts caused by a century of coal mining in the region. “Conservation is crucial to counteract the significant damage from coal mining,” he said.
The Elk Valley has faced substantial environmental degradation from coal mining, including the destruction of grasslands and the pollution of rivers. Additionally, extensive logging has affected the valley’s ecosystems, home to several communities, including Fernie, and a major highway prone to wildlife collisions.
The 2021 Parks Canada report raised alarms about the declining wildlife populations and the loss of important high-elevation ecosystems in the Elk Valley. It called for urgent conservation action. The Flathead Valley, which spans the Canada-U.S. border, is also of global significance for biodiversity, with a variety of terrestrial and freshwater species.
While mining and oil and gas extraction have been banned in B.C.’s Flathead Valley since 2010, logging is still permitted, and some parts of the Dominion coal blocks remain vulnerable. The federal government transferred forestry management to B.C. in 1978.
The Elk and Flathead valleys are critical for maintaining wildlife corridors between Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. and the Yukon. The region’s cooler rivers offer important habitats for wildlife, especially in the face of climate change. Protecting these areas would allow species to adapt by shifting to higher elevations.
Bergenske hopes that the federal, provincial, and Ktunaxa governments will collaborate on a comprehensive conservation plan to protect the area’s water, landscape, and wildlife populations. However, he expressed concern that ongoing political changes might disrupt progress. “Each time there’s a change in government, it feels like we’re starting over with these initiatives,” he said.
The fate of the Dominion coal blocks and the broader conservation efforts in the Elk and Flathead valleys remain uncertain, with federal and provincial governments continuing to deliberate on the best course of action.
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