By Alison Taylor, Pique Newsmagazine, January 25, 2007

Olympic organizers have hired a wildlife consultant to review the impacts
recreation legacy trails could have on the grizzly bears in the Callaghan
Valley.

In late November the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Games hired
Enkon Environmental and wildlife ecologist Clayton Apps to study the impacts
of the 20 to 25 kilometres of trails proposed in the Madeley Valley. A
report is expected in February.

“They’re going to be looking at the trail plans and the impacts on wildlife
habitat, particularly grizzly and black bears,” said George McKay, VANOC’s
director of environmental approvals.
“It’s an important issue for us…”It’s also an important issue for local environmental group, The Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment. After a government study
conclusively proved grizzlies in the area last year, AWARE asked VANOC to
delay construction of its legacy trails by one year, calling for more study.
The two groups met in Whistler last week.
“It’s clearly a step in the right direction (hiring the wildlife ecologist)
now that we know there’s a documented population of grizzly bears in the
area,” said AWARE president Brad Kasselman.
“Ultimately we’d still like to see more time be put into researching the
grizzly bear issue… but we also were informed there’s a timeline that
doesn’t appear to have a lot of flexibility on it.”

VANOC is determined to move ahead with construction pending approvals from
government agencies. They hope to begin this summer and plan for some
limited use the following winter season.
“We’re anxious to do that because we’ll be active in there and that will
allow us to work with the current contractors and their crews who are on
site now,” said McKay.
“It’s cost effective, it’s beneficial to the contractors and we think it’s a
better way to develop the facility.”
Pique Newsmagazine got the first glimpse of those proposed legacy trails on
the province’s Integrated Land Management Bureau’s website this week. VANOC
has applied for tenure of 795 hectares (almost 2,000 acres) of land in the
Madeley Valley, adjacent and north of the Whistler Nordic Centre. A map
detailing that land has been posted online
(http://www2.lwbc.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/viewpost.jsp?PostID=7377)
The map, entitled “Callaghan Nordic Centre - Recreational Trails Layout”,
sent ripples of concern through the environmental community this week as its
legend clearly identified ATV trails in the area.
McKay explained those are existing trails and VANOC’s plans do not include
any motorized activity.
“We’re not anticipating any motorized activity on our trail system once we
get through the approval process and have the license to be in there,” he
reiterated.
“The only motorized activity that we anticipate would be groomers and
snowmobiles and maybe summer ATV use in terms of working and providing
services and emergency needs if anything like that arose. We don’t see
catering to any recreation demand on a motorized basis.”
The map also shows a dozen warming huts/viewpoints dotted throughout the
trail system. McKay said those would be appropriate to a cross-country ski
destination. They anticipate seeing 30,000 skiers in the valley every year.
The numbers for summer guests are not yet clear.
The tenure application with ILMB is one part of the process to develop the
legacy trails. VANOC is also submitting an application to the provincial
Environmental Assessment Office.
Project assessment director Archie Riddell confirmed VANOC has requested an
amendment to their original environmental certificate for the Nordic Centre.
He expects the application to come in the spring and the review will not be
as lengthy as the first assessment because it’s just an amendment to the
first assessment.
“It need not be as stringent as a full blown assessment,” he said.
There will be a public consultation period during that review.

Sylvia Dolson
Executive Director,
Get Bear Smart Society
204-3300 Ptarmigan Place
Whistler, BC V0N 1B3
Phone/Fax: 604-905-4209
www.bearsmart.com
“Coexisting with Bears”