Burns Bog - Choking the Lungs of the Lower Mainland

Burns Bog is the largest domed peat bog on the west coast of North America, and has been nominated as a World Heritage Site. It covers an area of about 40 square kilometers and occupies a quarter of Delta, British Columbia.

This unique ecosystem sustains a wide variety of wildlife, including 24 species of mammal and 150 bird species, including Sandhill Cranes. The bog is thought to be a major regulator of the region's climate, since there is little drainage and rainfall ultimately evaporates. Its role in purifying the air and moderating the climate is recognized in its nickname – the lungs of the Lower Mainland.

The previous construction of Highway 91 has already seriously damaged the bog by disrupting the natural water flows and draining part of the bog. When bog hydrology is disrupted large amounts of greenhouse gases are released, worsening global warming.1

One proposed Gateway freeway, the so-called South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR), would go through the “lagg” or transition zone between Burns Bog and the Fraser River. It would negatively impact the lagg zone and the bog itself via:

* Disruption of the water flows and thus the lifeblood of the Bog;
* Air pollution and road spray penetrating the Bog proper; and
* Destroying crucial wildlife habitat and disrupting wildlife movement between the Bog and the Fraser River

The endangered Southern Red-backed Vole and the Pacific Water Shrew are found in unprotected areas of Burns Bog right along the route of the SFPR.

According to Environment Canada, the bog ecosystem and the endangered wildlife that depends on it is under grave threat from Gateway.2

References:
1  UNEP (2007) Peatlands are Quick and Cost-Effective Measure to reduce 10% of greenhouse emissions. http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=523&Ar...
2  Environment Canada (Nov. 19, 2007) Re: South Fraser Perimeter Road Environmental Assessment   http://www.burnsbog.org/PDF/EnvCanadaLetterNov2007.pdf