From White to Green

I have finally made it to the coast of BC and am about to begin my work in silviculture again, the grass is green here, the flowers are budding slightly and the East Kootenay's and it's snow-chilled winter seem a long way away. I am looking forward to my spring return, however; open lakes and rivers, green snow capped mountains and fresh winter thawing air. I live in a very special part of the world and feel blessed to have found it's clean water and fresh air, two things that are becoming less and less available to people in the world. It is sad to think that most people in the world will never share that same clean breath or that clear, quenching sip but it is also something that could be eliminated from my part of the world if industry continues to push it's hunger for resource consumption and we have to protect this as well as the rest of the world where people are already living without these basic rights to life....clean air, clean water.

The mining business has gone out of control! As commodity prices rise the appetite of the beast increases and machinery exploits the ground worldwide ripping our mother earth open, selfishly exposing and removing her insides. In a previous blog entry I addressed the Cline Mining Project of the Flathead Valley that has seen great opposition from many groups here in Canada and the US and this opposition recently lead to the resignation of Bill Bennet (BC's Minister for Mining) after he responded to a letter of opposition using profanity. Sounds like Billy kind of snapped. This is the sort of pressure that can create change if people share their feelings strong enough to create a positive and forceful message. This does not mean the successor to the position will have a better objective when it comes to issues of mining but what it does show is that when people come together through word, song or congregation we can have an effect on our world and the people who attempt to control it. The struggle will continue but perhaps under a more watchful and caring eye.

It has been brought to my attention that there is currently another mining project proposed in the Alexandra Creek Drainage (main tributary of the Michel Ck) and I do not yet have full details on this, but will be gathering information shortly and posting it. For those of you who have fished these waters with me know, this area deserves special attention and should not be subjected to industrial exploitation. I will be back to you soon on this, however; I am still en route to my forestry workplace and have not yet had a chance to unfold the information regarding this issue. I will be back to you soon though.