Save the Fraser River and Our Furture - Demand the Gateway Plan be Discontinued

About the Pacific Gateway Project

The Pacific Gateway Project is a combination of the Provincial Gateway Project and Federal Deltaport Expansion as part of a Federal trade plan. It includes plans to build extensive road, bridges and port facilities in the Lower Mainland area of BC, to promote the an attempt at faster movement of vehicular transport carrying individuals and commercial goods.

The Gateway Project and Deltaport Expansion are being promoted by the Provincial Government of British Columbia and the Federal Government of Canada. Elected officials wish the Canadian and British Columbia public to believe that the economic benefits of this project to the local and national economy substantially outweigh the potential long-term impacts.

Even with mounting evidence to the contrary by government and private scientists, the government of BC and Canada believes that any impacts, regardless of their scope or extent can be mitigated. Or, they convince themselves and the public that creating this megaproject is simply the cost of doing business in todays world.

The Gateway Project Footprint and the Fraser River Watershed:

The Fraser River and its estuary is a globally recognized area for its diversity of plant and animal species. This rich natural capital sustained First Nations people for millennia and supported an extremely large commercial salmon fishery for over a century starting in the 1880s. Today, despite great setbacks, millions of salmon still use the Fraser as their freshwater highway. This journey is an integral part of their life cycle -- from the thousands of streams of their birthplaces to the Pacific Ocean and back.

The last 150 years of human activity in the Fraser Basin have been the most intensive, leading to widespread conversion of the watersheds landscape to industrial and settlement uses. The expansion of the human footprint has contributed to significant losses of historic ecological communities and the many services and economic values they provided. Hundreds of fish-bearing streams disappeared as massive forests were cleared for human habitation, transportation and industry, and further expansive development continues to this day.

The Fraser River drains one quarter of British Columbia. Countless streams from thirty-four watersheds draw billions of salmon fry every spring on their journey to the ocean. At the mouth of the river, the plume of sediments travels miles in all directions, thick with salmon fry. The adult salmon that survive travel back on the same route to their spawning grounds in the fall after they have completed their life cycle. For every 3,500 eggs laid in the shallows of countless streams, it is estimated that only two adults survive.

The Estuary - the area where the fresh and salt water meet is generally the richest wildlife habitat area. Yet this is exactly where further port facilities are planned. Construction, increased tanker traffic, pollution and loss of land and shoreline from additional ship berths, roads and container yards will profoundly affect salmon along with countless other sea and shore birds and animals, in ways we cannot imagine.  

Will Gateway Make an Existing Problem Worse?

The Pacific Gateway Project will certainly significantly undermine the biological integrity of the Lower Fraser River Basin and the complex ecological processes that support it. Regardless of efforts to mitigate impacts, technological fixes and mitigation efforts will not halt the ongoing pattern of the slow net loss of aquatic habitats and associated ecosystem values. This is inevitable given the magnitude of the projects large-scale construction activities, the duration for which development disturbance will take place and ultimately the fact that the project is designed to perpetuate dependency on the continued use and burning of non-sustainable fossil fuel resources.

As the largest salmon producing river in the world the Fraser River supports 6 species of salmon and 29 other fish species. Over 100 streams in the Fraser Lowlands account for 65% of all Coho, 80% of all Chum, and 100% of all sea run cutthroat trout (Schaefer 2006) The best science available indicates that salmon populations and the ecological process they depend on in places like the Fraser River watershed are near tipping points. Inevitably the Pacific Gateway Project and the long-term viability and integrity of the Fraser River ecosystem are on a collision course.

Some Statistics on what we have lost already:

1). Natural habitat losses from 1827 to 1990 in the Lower Fraser Valley (Boyle et al 1997)

- Wetlands composed 83,100 ha or 10% of the land cover in 1827 and dropped to 12,100 ha or 1% of the land cover by 1990.

- Forest cover composed 600,000 ha or 72% of the land cover in 1827 and dropped to 450,000 ha or 54% of the land cover by 1990.
 
-Locally About 96 per cent of the wetlands in the North Arm of the Fraser estuary have been directly lost since the turn of the century. (Levings & Thom, 1994.)

2). Conversion of natural areas to human settlement uses:

- In 1827 Urban land use composed 0%  of land cover in the lower Fraser valley, in 3% (25,000 ha) and by 1990 86,300 ha or 10% (Boyle et al 1997)

- Agricultural land conversion followed similar patterns going from 0% in 1827 to 9% (81,100 ha) in 1930 to 132, 100 or 16% by 1990 (Boyle et al 1997).

3). In 1997, of 779 historic streams in the Lower Fraser Valley (FRAP 1997)

- 15% are irrevocably lost.

- 57% are endangered.

- 27% are threatened

-  only 16% are in a wild state - usually upstream of a dam eg. Capilano, Coquitlam, etc.

4). Many populations and species of flora and fauna in the Lower Fraser Valley are endangered, have become extinct or are nearing thresholds of extirpation in BC and subsequently Canada (Source Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)

- Grizzly bears
- Nooksack dace
- Fraser River eulachon
- Lower Fraser Coho salmon
- Cultus and Sakinaw Lake Sockeye salmon
- White Sturgeon
- Spotted Owl

5). Environmental Quality indicators: (State of the Fraser Basin Report: Snapshots 1-3 Fraser Basin Council 2003-2006 and the Fraser River Estuary Management Program Monitoring Report 2003-2006)

- Resident fish in the Lower Fraser Valley now have large tumors on their bodies. This was not the case 30 years ago.

- Acid rain has increased over the past 30 years to the point where it now affects water quality and fish life.

While clearing natural features for agricultural use has contributed to species and habitat declines, such land use still provides natural capital in respect to habitat, carbon storage and a sustainable local food supply.

%u201CSince 1973 in Richmond the entire 3,500 acres of residentially zoned farmland exempt from the ALR has been developed, plus another 1,643 acres of farmland removed from agricultural zoning and the Agricultural land Reserve (ALR). There has been a total loss of 5,143 acres of food producing land and habitat since 1973 and over 14,000 acres since 1956. In addition, 39% of the ALR is in non-farm use, mainly because of two major highways through the ALR, eight golf courses, a row of churches and temples, and non-farm uses at the Richmond Nature Park, DND and Garden City Lands(Steeves 2007).
 
While proponents of the Gateway project report only a loss of 150 acres of farmland is expected, other estimates range up to 1000 acres potentiall double that if other components are added over time (Cuff et al 2007).

The overall effects of major infrastructure projects like Gateway hit the Lower Fraser valley bottom line as far as ecological services, especially those related to mitigating climate change. Net primary productivity or NPP which is the net flux of carbon from the atmosphere into green plants per unit time has decreased in the lower Fraser valley from about 11.0 to 10.7 million tonnes/ha/yr over a hundred year period (0.03 tonnes Carbon/ha decrease per decade) and to 9.5 million tonnes/ha/yr over the past 60 years measured up to 1997 (0.2 tonnes C/ha decrease per decade), a loss since 1827 of 15%. The greater decrease in NPP/ha since 1930 is a result of the increase in urban area and agricultural land and the decrease in forested area (Boyle et al 1997).

What Else do We Stand to Lose?

There are many more aspects of this project that will impact other vulnerable ecosystems and communities. Some examples:

1) Recent Environment Canada studies have shown that large resident populations of orcas and several million migrating Western sandpipers would almost certainly be severely threatened.

2) The hydrology of Burns Bog a peat bog which can be seen from outer space - and the numerous and diverse species of birds, reptiles, insects and mammals that dwell there, will undoubtedly be heavily compromised putting at risk what is called by some the "lungs of the lower mainland"

3) Many of the remaining fish-bearing streams in Delta will be impacted, potentially beyond the threshold of mitigation.

4) Acres of fertile farmland will be lost, communities of humans and animals will be displaced and threatened, construction will cause waste and pollution as well as encourage further development, greenhouse gases will increase and further First Nations archeological and historic sites will disappear.

5) The overflow of vehicles from freeways will spill into rural and urban communities, increasing traffic, noise and pollution.

The Lower Fraser Valley is less than 1% of BC yet it already supports over 70% of the present population and 70% of the BC economy. Considering these statistics, we would be wise to put some limits to the growth in the LFV to protect what we have left of our natural heritage.

Conclusion:

The UN has declared 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth. If governments are serious about environmental protection and maintaining a healthy environment and economy for the survival of future generations, it is clear that action on the Pacific Gateway Project must be taken now.

The public should not be forced into having to make trade-offs between a healthy economy and healthy ecosystems. The nearly unquantifiable value of the services that  natural ecosystems provide must be factored into the governments cost benefit balance sheets. We as a region should not be forced into accepting that producing, moving and consuming more goods is an indicator of greater economic wellbeing.

Considering the very recent destruction of the original wild ecosystems that were pristine not very long ago, it is obvious past governments have failed dismally to properly protect our natural wild lands during the past 150 years of constant economic growth. The failure continues, all too often, to this day. Because of this, our concerns are not adequately addressed by the kind of weak mitigation measures customarily offered.

We urgently request that our present day senior governments, turn away from acting so disrespectfully and myopically towards an admittedly non-voting but nonetheless vital sector of the web of life. We ask that they give immediate attention to showing the world how British Columbia and Canada can honestly, effectively and efficiently provide real environmental protection and make a rapid transition to an ecologically sustainable version of economic well-being. We urge them to take joint action to reverse whatever past damage done to the Lower Fraser River ecosystem can still be reversed and to prevent any further damage. Only this will show our children that we care about their childrens future and the welfare of the natural life that shares this remarkable ecosystem with us.

Next Steps Continue to Make Your Voice Heard - Sign The Letter:

The plan is to have many members of as many organizations as possible to sign the attached letter. Examples of possible groups are StreamKeepers, Faith, Arts & Culture, First Nations, Business, Labour, Recreational and Environmental non-government. And of course individuals, are welcome to sign too. Those who sign can come from the local area, up the Fraser (those who value their salmon populations will be very interested), across Canada and around the world.

"The salmon runs are a visible symbol of life, death and regeneration, plain for all to see and share. The salmon are a test of a healthy environment, a lesson in environmental needs. Their abundant presence on the spawning beds is a lesson of hope, of deep importance for the future of man. If there is ever a time when the salmon no longer return, man will know he has failed again and moved one stage nearer to his own final disappearance."
Roderick Haig-Brown was a well-known British Columbia conservationist, author and magistrate.

This quote is from his book The Salmon written for Environment Canada in1974:


This Backgrounder was prepared by Celia Brauer, Michael Barkusky and Otto Langer. Editing and Technical Review contributors and research: by Pamela Zevit - Adamah Consultants BC and Fin Donnelly - Rivershed Society of BC

Contact information:

To contact us, email sad_salmon@live.ca

Citations and References:

C. A. BOYLE, L. LAVKULICH, H. SCHREIER, E. KISS. 1997. Changes in Land Cover and Subsequent Effects on Lower Fraser Basin Ecosystems from 1827 to 1990.  Environmental Management Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 185%u2013196. http://www.springerlink.com/content/3uterh7pk0mn17g0/fulltext.pdf

COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)
http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct5/index_e.cfm

Cuff, N & Geoff Senichenko. 2007. GATEWAY to global warming. Common Ground Magazine November 2007. http://commonground.ca/iss/196/cg196_gateway.shtml  

Fraser Basin Council - State of the Fraser Basin Report: Sustainability Snapshot 1-3. 2003-2006. http://www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/publications/indicators.html

Fraser River Estuary Management Program, reports - various: 2003-2007. Established in 1985, FREMP and its partners have provided a framework to protect and improve environmental quality, to provide economic development opportunities and to sustain the quality of life in and around the Fraser River Estuary.
http://www.bieapfremp.org/fremp/publications/index.html

Fraser River Action Plan, reports - various. 1991-1998. Fraser River Action Plan (FRAP) was a joint initiative of Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans with the following 1) to develop a cooperative management plan based on the principles of sustainability, through partnerships with all levels of government, industry, communities and aboriginal groups in the basin; 2) to restore habitats to enhance fish and wildlife productivity and abundance; 3) to prevent and clean up contamination of the basin's aquatic ecosystems and the biota. http://www.rem.sfu.ca/FRAP/PDF_list

Levings, C.D.; North, M.S.; Piercey, G.E.; Jamieson, G.; Smiley, B. 1999. Mapping nearshore and intertidal marine habitats with remote sensing and GPS: the importance of spatial and temporal scales. OCEANS apos;99 MTS/IEEE. Riding the Crest into the 21st Century Volume 3, Issue , 1999 Page(s):1249 - 1255 vol.3

PHILIPPA C.F. SHEPHERD. P, LESLEY J. EVANS OGDEN & DAVID B. LANK. 2003. Integrating marine and terrestrial habitats in shorebird conservation planning.
Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/IWSGB/v100/p00040-p00042.pdf

Schaefer, V. 2006. Improving Biodiversity in the GVRD. Workshop on Building An Action Plan for the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for the Greater Vancouver Region.

Steeves, Harold. 2007. A Proposal for the Protection and Management of Richmond and Delta Farmland and Fraser Wetlands. Updated and revised.
http://www.landcommission.gov.bc.ca/application_status/37379/Agriculture-A_Commitment_to_the_Future-2007.pdf  

Taylor, E and Bill Taylor. 1997. RESPONDING TO GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND YUKON Volume I of the Canada Country Study: Climate Impacts and Adaptation. Aquatic and Atmospheric Sciences Division, Environment Canada, Pacific and Yukon Region, and the Air Resources Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.
http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/En56-119-1997E.pdf

Wild, Threatened, Endangered, and Lost Streams of the Lower Fraser Valley. 1997.
Lower Fraser Valley Stream Review, Vol. 3. Precision Identification Biological Consultants Vancouver, British Columbia. http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/maps/loststrm/loststreams_e.htm