Editor’s Note: The following is a letter sent by Clearwater resident Randy DeBock to Premier John Horgan.
Dear Premier John Horgan:
I would like to bring to your attention one of the largest disruptions of wildlife in British Columbia’s history.
It has been allowed to grow with the blessings of all parties since before 1972. It’s called heli-skiing and snowmobiling in caribou and mountain goat winter areas. In some areas there are also mountain sheep.
Numerous studies by biologists prove that helicopters operating in critical winter habitat are capable of disrupting the wellbeing of these animals.
READ MORE: Rules do protect mountain wildlife (Dec. 6, 2012)
Do you know what a Bell 212 or 214 sounds like at low altitude? If you do, just imagine them flying at low altitudes over your house 50 to 60 times a day seven days a week from dawn till dark.
Does it give you a warm feeling thinking about what those poor animals are going through? Now just think what this would sound like in a very narrow mountain valley.
Any biologist will tell you what happens to the wildlife that is trying to exist there in the winter time. At least the grizzly bear is lucky. He is hibernating at this time.
Mr. Horgan, you shut down the grizzly bear hunting without looking at the science. All the sportsmen and women looked at this as a way to appease Andrew Weaver. Mr. Horgan please look at the science, the studies and recommendations made by B.C’s biologists since 1972.
I have never been able to run a computer much, but I was able to find dozens of studies done on mountain goats as well as caribou.
The first study I looked at was done for the Canadian Wildlife Service. It was done for the Mackenzie Valley pipeline investigations. It is called A Seasonal Distribution, Population Status and Behavior of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. It took place from 1972 to 1976.
Even back then they studied the effects of low flying aircraft, both fixed wing and rotary wing. Their findings were quite shocking.
The caribou would start to show signs of panic response from a Bell jet ranger at distances of up to 4.5 miles.
Do you want to bring back the caribou and the mountain goats? If you do and Mr. Weaver does, then there have to be tighter rules brought in, such as what Austria imposes on the heli-ski operations.
There they are not allowed to run rampant anywhere they want to go.
Some of your people will say they have reached an agreement with Mike Wiegele Heli-skiing to stay a good distance away from caribou and mountain goats. It was to be self policing. Ya right. Who does checks on him?
Have an aide bring up an article that Mike put in the North Thompson Times, March 19, 2012. He submitted these pictures that prove he was breaking the law and sweet nothing was done about it. If I had done this I would be on the inside looking out. But I guess money talks.
READ MORE: Snowmobiler Bill Karas responds to caribou article (Mar. 23, 2012)
This company claims 1.2 million acres of our province. He claims 1,000 peaks. Now he is petitioning the government to give him sole control of eight additional mountains in Blue River.
I would not be surprised that he will get it too. After all, money talks.
Now another mega-project, this time west of Valemount, has been given approval. Over 100 ski runs and year-round skiing. The proponents (not MWHS) want to ski the Kiwa Glaciers.
Darn, but those nasty mountains goats live there. Do not worry though, a couple of years and they will have driven them out, then they can say, “What goats?”
I am sending you just a small sample of the studies that have been done. Please take the time to look at them, talk to your big game biologists in Kamloops. They can tell you what they have seen firsthand.
There are over 34 heli-ski operations in B.C. and I have no idea how many cat-skiing operations. I have yet to find an environmental study done by any of them, yet they seem to be able to run rampant anywhere they want to.
READ MORE: Threats mar Eight Peaks discussion (Jan. 3, 2018)
READ MORE: Cooler heads needed in Eight Peaks controversy (Jan. 3, 2018)
Ask them why they did not start a ski operation in Europe. The answer to that is because some of the countries, such as France or Germany, do not allow heli-skiing at all. Switzerland will likely follow soon. They did this for environment concerns.
They have two mountain ungulates as well, the chamois and the alpine ibex. They are both members of the Caprinae sub-family, as are mountain goats. I look forward to hearing from you.
Randy DeBock
Clearwater, B.C.