Preserve Biodiversity, Keep the Peace River Valley

The Peace River Valley in northeastern BC is under serious threat. The BC
government wants to construct Site C, a massive hydro dam that will destroy 107
km of major river valley, some of the best agricultural land in Canada (Class 1
and 2), wildlife habitat and archaeological sites including First Nations’
gravesites.

The Peace River Valley is currently home to a very unique and amazing ecosystem. Though this dam will be relatively small, the dam will flood roughly 100km of the peace river. This valley is a valued resource; this region is great for recreation, home to a unique and biodiverse ecosystem, is used for agricultural production, home of native gravesites, and home to many animal species which will lose habitat and access to resources. 

"Do you think that the BC government should put our hard earned
dollars towards subsidizing the cost of energy supplied to international oil, natural
gas and mining industries – especially given the volatility of these markets?"

"BC Hydro has resurrected, and is pushing ahead with, controversial plans for a huge dam on the Peace River. First proposed in the 1970s, and strongly opposed by area residents and ranchers, the Site C Dam has been on-again, off-again, three different times. If built, the facility would be the third massive dam in a series along the river. Results would also include the potential degradation of water quality, the loss of farmland as well as significant habitat loss for moose, deer, bull trout, and other wildlife species, not to mention the loss of important First Nations treaty land."

Watch a video:
http://vimeo.com/70351570#at=0

In order to contribute to the public debate about the Site C dam, Y2Y commissioned a report by respected wildlife biologist, Dr. Clayton Apps, to assess the combined impacts of development, including the proposed dam and reservoir, on six wide-ranging wildlife species.

"Dr. Apps concluded that grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, fishers, lynx, and caribou already have lost between 7% and 47% of their available habitat in the Peace Region. If futureprojected growth, including Site C, occurs, this loss will increase to between 11% and 55%, depending on the species. "

This loss of habitat due to development and reservoirs threatens the long-term stability and viability of these wildlife populations."

FULL REPORT: http://y2y.net/our-work/files-our-work/AppsY2YPeaceBreakCarnivoreCEAReportFINAL.pdf

20-Page Summary of Report: http://y2y.net/our-work/files-our-work/Apps_Summary_Y2Y_Peace_Break_Cumulative_Effects_Final.pdf

It is important to note that BC Hydro have not conducted an honest and accurate Environmental Impact Report:

Climate Data collected by BC Hydro is wildly innaccurate, and they say the valley (running east-west) is cooler than the regions above at higher elevations, which is exactly the opposite of what was noted during previous mapping. 

Agricultural land, initially classified as class 1 and class 2 (very good) has been relabeled class 2 and 3 in the exact same places, downplaying the uniqe ability of this valley to support agricultural production. 
http://www.alc.gov.bc.ca/alr/what_is_ag_land.htm

Although the growing season is shorter than in Vancouver, crop yeilds are actually greater in the northern part of the province. There is more exposure to warmer temperatures during the day and at night, and soils stay wetter during the harvest season because there is less drastic winds (which dry the soils). 

statistics:

canola production in peace river valley: 82 bu/acre
canola prodcuction in lower province: 67 bu/acre

wheat production in peace river valley: 78 bu/acre
wheat production in lower province: 54 bu/acre

BC Hydro claims the likelihood of agricultural use of the peace river valley was very low, due to location and smaller parcel sizes. However, their study fails to recognize much of the farmland in the peace river valley, which can absolutely support agricultural procuction (and may even support higher yields than in lower mainland BC). They discounted roughly 6,290 hectares of land that have been deemed by outside sources as suitable agricultural lands. 

Flooding organic alluvial valleys causes mathylmercury contamination in wish and wildlife, due to mercury content in the soils. This causes First Nations people and others eating fish and wildlife from the region to be effected by high concentrations of mercury in the wildlife (which can be poisonous).