For immediate release – Thursday, March 26, 2009

10,000 Voices Flood Premiers Office Today Wilderness Committee launches province-wide "viral" day of action calling for a moratorium on privatized power projects

Vancouver, BC – Today, the Wilderness Committee, Canadas largest membership-based wilderness preservation organization, launched a day of action using social networking tools Facebook and Twitter to help mobilize British Columbians concerned about the proliferation of privatized hydropower projects.

The day of action will consist of thousands of people from throughout the province contacting the Premier and their local Member of the Legislative (MLA) to request a moratorium on private power projects until they are regionally planned, environmentally appropriate, acceptable to First Nations governments and publicly owned.

Concern over private hydro projects has grown since 2002 when the BC government announced a new energy plan that stopped BC Hydro from producing new sources of hydroelectricity. This directive led to a gold rush by private power producers to stake BCs rivers and creeks. Since 2002, there has been a phenomenal 1,140 per cent increase in independent power project applications in the province resulting in 600 creeks and rivers being staked by private corporations.

"People in BC are strongly supportive of green power but they want to do it right," said Gwen Barlee, policy director with the Wilderness Committee. "Green power should be democratic, properly planned, accountable and environmentally appropriate. Unfortunately that is not happening in BC at this time."

The event, which is called "10,000 Voices for BC Rivers" was launched at the Wilderness Committees office at 341 Water Street (4th Floor) at 10 AM.

"Judging from the overwhelming response weve been receiving, it would appear most British Columbians want our rivers to remain wild and our power to remain public. The BC governments entire energy plan to privatize hydropower production has resulted in a chaotic situation where the public is losing control of our streams and rivers. Turning over our rivers to the likes of General Electric is a terrible scheme that needs to be switched off now," said Joe Foy, Wilderness Committee National Campaign Director.

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For more information please visit 10000voices.org or contact:
Gwen Barlee, Wilderness Committee policy director, 604-683-8220 (w) or 604-202-0322 (c)
Joe Foy, Wilderness Committee campaign director, 604-683-8220 (w) or 604-880-2580 (c)