Salmon friends can’t sway city

The Friends of Wild Salmon (FOWS) have failed to gain the city’s endorsement to immediately suspend coalbed methane exploration in the Klappan-Groundhog area.

City councillors vetoed the group’s proposed resolution to stop coalbed methane development in the area known as the Sacred Headwaters in a meeting May 12.

“I don’t like sweeping generalities that ‘we shouldn’t do this,’ period,” said councillor Marilyn Davies. “I think you do have to allow the other side to go forward.”

Shell Canada drilled three holes in the Klappan in 2004 and found enough evidence of coalbed methane to want to continue exploration. So far, protests and last year’s flooding have kept them away from the area, but they are hoping to resume drilling this fall.

FOWS argues that a growing number of Northwest residents are concerned about the planned development, and fear that there will be risks to salmon, wildlife, and other economic activities. The area in questions contains the headwaters for the Skeena, Stikine and Nass Rivers.

While rejecting the idea to halt exploration, most councillors did, however, agree with the group’s second resolution to engage in comprehensive consultations with all residents of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine watersheds and estuaries.

A third resolution put forward by FOWS requested the provincial government to not proceed with development in the area until there is compelling evidence of environmental safety, and residents of the region are satisfied that the development does not jeopardize their values and existing economic activities.

Councillor Brad Pollard noted that the group’s proposed consultation was the only resolution he was comfortable with.

“It’s a fear-mongering approach and it drives me crazy,” he said, adding that some words in FOWS’s information package were being used inappropriately to scare people. Pollard, a fish and wildlife biologist by profession, said later that although he does believe it is important to protect salmon in the Skeena River, there needs to be more information based on hard facts.

Most councillors agreed that while they have heard presentations both from Shell and other interested parties, there has not been sufficient information to make a decision.

The city will send a letter to the province encouraging the government to hold comprehensive consultations with all stakeholders, including involved industry and residents.