Wilderness Committee picks 12 favourite environment good-news stories for 2008

Christmas Eve – December 24, 2008 Vancouver, BC – In the spirit of the season, the Wilderness Committee today released a list of the organizations 12 favourite environment good-news stories for 2008. "Its time once again to consider and celebrate the years good fortune," said Wilderness Committee National Campaign Director, Joe Foy. "What a year its been – with First Nations, citizen activists, environment groups, community leaders and governments of all stripes pitching in to deliver hope for the planet... more

Wilderness Committee applauds Newfoundland and Labrador for taking back control of public lands and waters

Tuesday, December 23, 2008 The Wilderness Committee is congratulating the Newfoundland and Labrador government decision to repatriate provincial lands and waters from multinational corporation AbitibiBowater. A century-old contract gave AbitibiBowater the rights to lands and waters in central Newfoundland in exchange for operating a mill and providing employment in the area. When the mill announced closure, the government stepped in to take back control over the provincial lands and waters... more

B.C.s quiet war on wolves - The Globe and Mail

Monday, December 15, 2008 VANCOUVER -- Its a dirty business killing wolves and the British Columbia government would rather the public didnt think about it much. Reports on how many wolves are being shot, trapped, sterilized, and otherwise hounded out of existence under predator-control programs in beautiful B.C. arent readily available. When they do occasionally surface, it is a reminder of just how grim the battle is that is being waged out there against wolves... more | Wolf kill reader

Wilderness Committee wades into Private Power fight on the Sunshine Coast

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Vancouver, BC As the fight to stop the exponential growth of private hydropower projects across the province grows, a number of hotspots around the province have emerged. High on that list is the Sunshine Coast-Powell River region, which is home to over 180 river diversion applications more than any other area in the province. Wednesday December 10th is the first public hearing on an application by Stlixwim Hydro Corp for an environmental assessment certification for their "Stlixwim Renewable Energy Initiative" project... more | Visit our Rivers at risk campaign for more information!

Alexandra Morton receives 2008 Eugene Rogers Environmental Award

Saturday, December 6, 2008 Vancouver, British Columbia – Today the Wilderness Committee is honouring Alexandra Morton of Echo Bay, BC with the 2008 Eugene Rogers Environmental Award. The award is being presented at the Wilderness Committee’s Annual General Meeting at the SFU Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver. The Wilderness Committee’s Eugene Rogers Environmental Award is given out once a year to a grassroots environmentalist who has made an outstanding contribution towards protecting the environment of BC. This award has been presented for 16 years and this year, for the first time ever, is accompanied by a $1,000 prize... more |

BC's refusal to protect endangered species prompts Auditor General complaint

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 Victoria, BC – The Province is breaking federal laws and wasting taxpayers dollars by tossing out the research of its own scientists and failing to protect valuable endangered species and their habitats. This squandering of public resources is documented in internal government records according to a complaint submitted to the BC Auditor General. Acting on behalf of the Wilderness Committee, the Environmental Law Centre and Ecojustice filed a submission Tuesday (November 25) with the BC Auditor General requesting an investigation of the provincial governments failure to identify and protect the critical habitat of endangered species as required by the federal Species at Risk Act... more | You can read the Auditor General's submission here, and the appendices here | Visit our Safeguarding BC's wildlife campaign for more information!

Wilderness Committee congratulates government on protecting most of Manitobas parks

Friday, November 21, 2008 Winnipeg, MB - The government of Manitoba announced an end to nearly all park logging today. The citizens that make up the Wilderness Committee from across Canada would like to congratulate Premier Doer and Conservation Minister Struthers for this historic step. While more work remains to be done with Duck Mountain Provincial Park, today will be remembered as a great and historic day for wild lands in Manitoba... more | Visit our Manitoba Office's website for more information!

Wilderness Committee expedition to Clayoquot's Bulson River yields insight on misguided "IPP" private river diversion plan

Monday, November 17, 2008 November 24, 2008 - Vancouver, BC – In the midst of a Clayoquot Sound monsoon this week, Wilderness Committee volunteers including the Executive Director of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce boated and then trecked into the remote Bulson River valley 13 kilometres east of Tofino, BC. The Bulson River valley, a high priority for legal protection, is one of the few remaining pristine valleys on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island. Synex Energy and the BC government are planning to construct a 20 megawatt river diversion hydro project here as part of the BC governments drive to privatize and export BC power... more | Visit our BC Rivers at risk campaign for more information!

Emergency meeting sought with BC ministers Pat Bell and Barry Penner over BC government sanctioned logging at rare Spotted Owl site

Friday, November 14, 2008 Vancouver, BC – An emergency meeting has been requested with the BC government over the fate of the critically endangered spotted owl. The owl has suffered a 99% decline in historic numbers, with only 6 spotted owls now remaining in the wild in BC. At the current rate of decline the owl will be extinct in BC in 2009 or 2010. The meeting has been requested with BC Government Ministers Pat Bell and Barry Penner because of their current and historic involvement with the spotted owl file... more | You can view images of our research camp here! | Visit our Spotted Owl campaign for more information!

Citizens of Mission declare victory against GENSTAR

Monday, October 27, 2008 Vancouver, BC – In yet another bizarre twist in the decade long saga of GENSTARs attempt to double the population of Mission with their huge Silverdale luxury housing project, Mission mayor and council recessed the public hearing process until after the municipal election... more | October 27 - GENSTAR Hearings To Continue To Week # 2 | October 24 - Mission Mayor and Council make midnight announcement popstponing public hearing | October 23 - Mission Mayor and Council pass emergency motion terminating Public Hearing |

Major Campaign aims to protect B.C.'s Endangered Species; Groups take a poke at Province's identity as "The best place on Earth"

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Vancouver – Four of British Columbias leading environmental groups launched a major campaign today calling for provincial endangered species legislation, and taking a poke at the provinces brand as the "best place on earth," unveiling a re-worked version of the governments official logo, featuring unhappy endangered species... more | Check out the video here! | Visit the campaign's website, lastplaceonearth.ca

2700 People Rallied for Ancient Forests and BC Jobs in Victoria, BC

Saturday, October 25, 2008 Victoria, BC - Today, 2700 people including environmentalists, forestry workers, First Nations, students, seniors, and children showed up at a rally at the British Columbia Legislative Buildings in Victoria calling on the BC government to protect Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainlands remaining old-growth forests and BC forestry jobs. BC largest environmental protest was a rally in Vancouver in 1993 for Clayoquot Sounds old-growth forests, which was reported as having about 3000 participants... more | Read our Mid-Island Chapter's press release | Check out images of the rally here!

Silver Star resort clearcuts former Provincial Parkland for sewage effluent disposal

Thursday, October 9, 2008 Vancouver, BC - In a bizarre move, Silver Star Mountain Resort, near Vernon, B.C. has started clearcutting land recently removed from a provincial park and has begun building infrastructure to spray sewage effluent on the clearcut areas, apparently in preparation for a long-planned, but as of yet unapproved golf course. The proposed golf course is located at the headwaters of Coldstream Creek, which feeds into Kalamalka Lake, Vernons water supply. Recent associated sewage lagoon excavation has also resulted in sewage effluent and possibly contaminated soil, being dumped only metres above a tributary of Vance Creek, which supplies drinking water to rural Lumby residents... more

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