People and the Land
Living Cedar Artifact Photo credit: P.C.G.
Slide Show Goes to Ottawa
Environment Canada held the annual national conference of environment non-government groups (ENGOs) in Ottawa during the first week of May. At an earlier provincial conference Jack Miller of Western Canada Wilderness Committee was elected to represent forest conservation interests and Tom Schneider of Islands Protection Society to represent parks and wilderness concerns of B.C. at this meeting.
Using this opportunity to good advantage, they arrived a few days early to spend time educating key eastern decision-makers about the merits of South Moresby as a national treasure to be protected as a wilderness park. Both report that they used a nonpartisan approach because they believe that this issue transcends political affiliation and election posturing. A list of the VIPs contacted reads like a who's who of Canada. Not only did they get a chance to talk to them but also a chance to show them the South Moresby Slide Show.
Included in lists are Progressive Conservative Environment Critics John Fraser and Gary Gerbin; President of the Liberal Party, Iona Campagnola; President of the Manufacturers Association of Canada, Roy Philips; Environment Minister, Charles Caccia; Environment Deputy Minister,J. Gerin; N.D.P. Environment Critic and MP for the South Moresby area, Jim Fulton; and the ten top officials in Parks Canada.
All were very positive, and supported in principle the need to protect South Moresby according to Tom Schneider,who said,"Despite the good response,without more letters of support the governments might give it low priority, there is so much else competing for their attention."
Brummet Not Against Park
Minister of Lands Parks and Housing, Tony Brummet is "Not against the South Moresby Park". In an April 10th interview an Islands Protection spokesperson asked Brummet about the South Moresby Wilderness Proposal decision. He indicated that while he is not personally opposed to South Moresby as park, he must "deal with the political realities of the Cabinet". Brummet also said that a response to the . Federal proposal for national parks in South Moresby would not come till after the members of the Environment & Land Use Committee, the Cabinet committee he chairs, vists South Moresby, 'expected to be sometime in late June. According to the spokesperson, he also indicated there was no date set for a decision and perhaps it would be made after the Federal Election.
Haida Used Cadar_Lyell Island Photo credit: P.C.G.
Live Telecast Photo credit:Josette Weir
McCrory Wins Award
Colleen McCrory, one of the key persons behind the Valhalla Park campaign, a current Western Canada Wilderness Committee Director, was awarded the Tourism Industry Association of Canada Conservation Award for 1984. At their AGM she encouraged them to help protect South Moresby. They responded by unanimously passing a resolution asking that this world heritage area be made a park.
Largest Ancient Murrelet Colony Discouvered
The Canadian Wildlife Service has just found a large nesting Coloney of Ancient Murrelets and Cassin's Auklets on Ramsey Island in the South Moresby Wilderness. With 15,000 nesting pairs of murrelets, this makes it the largest known colony on the east coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands.
These small seabirds nest in burrows beneath the roots of mature trees generally on steep slopes. If logging occurs in such areas it ruins their habitat. Seabirds are not known to do well in second growth forests.
IPS Stumps across B.C.
Last January in the heart of winter three directors, of Islands Protection Society (IPS) Jack Miller, Josette Weir and Tom Schneider toured the interior of B.C. with a slide-show presentation on South Moresby.
Hosted by different environment groups and naturalist clubs they presented 15 shows. The slides included some of the best pictures from the soon to be published book, Islands at the Edge, taken from the pool of 10,000 donated for use in the book.
People of all social and political backgrounds pledged their support for the preservation of South Moresby. The tour was totally funded by generous donations from people along the way, the IPS directors donated their time. "It put us in touch with a very strong desire from the people of B.C. towards preserving places with special features like South Moresby. It made us personally aware, as we crossed the Rockies through Banff National Park, that South Moresby is just as important", said Josette Weir. She also wanted to thank all the concerned friends and members who have helped so much and remind them that "the battle is never over till its won" and urge people to keep writing letters to government.
Webster airs South Moresby
Jack Webster, who hosts the most popular T.V. talk show in Canada, interviewed Tom Schneider and Jack Miller about South Moresby. Perhaps a closet conservationist himself, Webster grilled the pair, bringing out the persuasive arguments why South Moresby is a place world-reknown for its natural and cultural resources.
