Economic prosperity of first nations hangs in the balance

By Fred Glendale And Dallas Smith, Vancouver Sun, June 14, 2010

The Da'naxda'xw, K'omoks and Campbell River first nations have a vision to create one of the most sustainable clean energy developments in North America.

The Kleana run-of-river hydroelectric project, proposed on our traditional territories on B.C.'s central coast, would provide enough clean electricity to power 230,000 homes.

It's a $2.5-billion economic investment that would provide lasting economic and social benefits to coastal communities and all British Columbians.

However, it seems as far as the BC government is concerned, a line on a map is more important than the economic prosperity and social well being of our people.

At issue is the province's failure to keep its promise to set aside a tiny piece of Da'naxda'xw traditional territory on the edge of the Upper Klinaklini Conservancy, before it was established in law, to enable an environmental assessment of the project.

In fact, two years before the conservancy was established, the Ministry of Environment assured the Da'naxda'xw that the boundary would be adjusted to allow the investigation, planning and environmental assessment of the project. The ministry told the Da'naxda'xw that if the project was approved, it would be kept outside the conservancy.

Yet when the conservancy was created in 2008, the promised boundary modification was absent from the legislation. For another two years, the government continued to assure us it would right its wrong and modify the ill-conceived boundary. Then, this April, the government made it clear its promises were empty.

We do not wish to resort to the courts, but there is much at stake for our people and the Da'naxda'xw were left with no option but to take legal action to compel the province to honour its promise and legal obligations.

For the Kleana project offers a better, more prosperous future for our people. It will create new opportunities, more than a thousand new jobs and millions of dollars of revenue for our communities.

We have long suffered from the chronic unemployment and poverty common to many first nations across the province. It is our aim, and our right, to improve the lives of our people.

We are guardians of our traditional territories. We were intimately involved in developing the eco-based management system for the Coast Land Use Decision, otherwise known as the Great Bear Rainforest.

After all, we contributed over 95,000 hectares of our traditional territory to protect regional habitat and the grizzly bear.

All we asked was for the province to set aside a minuscule piece of our territory from the proposed conservancy to scientifically assess the environmental impact of the proposed project, which in the end would require no more than 200 hectares.

If an environmental assessment demonstrated that the project would have a net adverse impact on the environment, the land would be put back into the conservancy.

If the project proved to be environmentally viable, we could add an equal amount of land from our territory to the conservancy to keep it whole.

The Kleana project is a true run-of-river project with very high capacity. It does not require an earthen dam or a large storage reservoir.

It requires only a 10-metre-high intake weir with a 900-metre-long headpond to divert water through a long, underground tunnel before it is returned to the river, unaltered.

In fact, the generous gradient and flow of the Klinaklini River make the Kleana project a truly unique source of clean energy. Per kilowatt hour of energy created, it would have the lowest environmental footprint of any new power project in B.C.

At the same time, four years of field study have demonstrated that there will be no negative impact to oolichan, salmon or grizzly bear.

Our environmental consultants have verified that with the appropriate environmental design and compensation measures, aquatic production in more than 15 kilometres of the river will increase following project operation, creating the opportunity for a net benefit to the fishery of the Klinaklini River.

Moreover, Kleana Power has committed to fund a $5-million trust, co-managed by the Da'naxda'xw and conservation groups, to finance an continuing salmon recovery plan to restore what were once productive salmon grounds along the lower Klinaklini River and Knight Inlet.

The Coast Land Use Decision is meant to protect biodiversity while advancing the economic self-sufficiency of first nations and well-being of coastal communities.

At the same time, the government's long-awaited Clean Energy Act suggests first nations' involvement in clean power opportunities.

By honouring its word to our people, the government can right a wrong and these clean energy opportunities can be fulfilled.

Fred Glendale is the resource manager of the Da'naxda'xw First Nation. Dallas Smith is president of the Nanwakolas Council, representing eight coastal first nations.

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