EDI and the City of Whitehorse will be bringing their wildlife study and the results of the consultation out for public review on Thursday, November 3 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the High Country Inn.
It is important that everyone who is interested in protecting the McIntyre Creek wild life corridor show up at the meeting to see what the City is planning to do.
We need the support of all Whitehorse residents, regardless of whether they live in Riverdale, Wolf Creek, or Takhini.
The area that is proposed for the development of Porter Creek D, could be a wonderful park for all residents and tourists to enjoy, as well as allow us to preserve the wild life corridor for the wild life, (moose, deer, bear and other animals) that are currently using this area to pass through the City to the Yukon River.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Media Release October 28, 2011
Groups cry foul over McIntyre Creek Report
The Friends of McIntyre Creek and YCS are shocked at the City of Whitehorse‟s spin on a
McIntyre Creek Wildlife Corridor Assessment.
A City press Release says that the EDI report concludes that Porter Creek D and proposed roads
along and across McIntyre Creek would not negatively impact wildlife, provided mitigation
measures are undertaken.
“That‟s just plain nonsense,” said YCS Executive Director Karen Baltgailis. “Do City Planners
really think that Whitehorse residents are so stupid as to believe that clearing most of the forests
on all the flat land north of McIntyre Creek between the Alaska Highway and Mountainview
Drive, and building roads along and across the creek will not impact wildlife?”
City Planners say that the high level of recreational use of the area is already impacting wildlife.
And City Planners quote the EDI report as saying that the area should not be managed as a
movement corridor for large mammals like bear and moose because of the potential for human wildlife conflicts. The EDI report proposes that a 250 meter natural buffer will solve the human wildlife conflicts and provide sufficient habitat and travel corridors for wildlife.
“It‟s unbelievable,” says Friends of McIntyre Creek President Dorothy Bradley. “It is astonishing
that the EDI report suggests that developing all the flat land north of the creek except a 250
meter buffer will improve the situation. Just imagine all of the people, dogs and wildlife
crammed into 250 meters – now we‟ll really see human-wildlife conflicts!”
“The area is already a travel corridor for large mammals,” says Baltgailis. “Do the planners
really think that bears are going to stop coming into the area? Imagine the conflicts once there
are houses and garbage cans right in their path.”
The groups are critical of several aspects of EDI‟s study. It only looks at the area as a movement
corridor for mammals, rather than as habitat for the wildlife that actually live there. In particular, birds were not studied at all. And the study only took place from spring to early fall of one year.
“The City obviously wanted certain answers and it appears that EDI gave them those answers,”
said Baltgailis. “The City kept the parameters of the study narrow, and now they‟re „spinning‟
the results. Just because no species would go extinct if Porter Creek D is built does not mean that
this is not a special place for wildlife, and for people.”
YCS and the Friends of McIntyre Creek are considering resigning from the Porter Creek D
Working Group.
“We were told when we agreed to be in the group that no decisions had been made and our input
about the values of McIntyre Creek would be duly considered as the City decides whether to
move ahead with development in Middle McIntyre Creek,” said Baltgailis. It was extremely
inappropriate for the City to send out a media release about the EDI report before it is available
to the public, or even to the Porter Creek D Working Group.
And it was even more inappropriate to then „spin‟ this report to say that the wildlife that use McIntyre Creek are not important. The people who use this area every day all year long will tell you that McIntyre Creek is important to wildlife, and to people!”
The Friends of McIntyre Creek and YCS are shocked at the City of Whitehorse‟s spin on a
McIntyre Creek Wildlife Corridor Assessment.
A City press Release says that the EDI report concludes that Porter Creek D and proposed roads
along and across McIntyre Creek would not negatively impact wildlife, provided mitigation
measures are undertaken.
“That‟s just plain nonsense,” said YCS Executive Director Karen Baltgailis. “Do City Planners
really think that Whitehorse residents are so stupid as to believe that clearing most of the forests
on all the flat land north of McIntyre Creek between the Alaska Highway and Mountainview
Drive, and building roads along and across the creek will not impact wildlife?”
City Planners say that the high level of recreational use of the area is already impacting wildlife.
And City Planners quote the EDI report as saying that the area should not be managed as a
movement corridor for large mammals like bear and moose because of the potential for human wildlife conflicts. The EDI report proposes that a 250 meter natural buffer will solve the human wildlife conflicts and provide sufficient habitat and travel corridors for wildlife.
“It‟s unbelievable,” says Friends of McIntyre Creek President Dorothy Bradley. “It is astonishing
that the EDI report suggests that developing all the flat land north of the creek except a 250
meter buffer will improve the situation. Just imagine all of the people, dogs and wildlife
crammed into 250 meters – now we‟ll really see human-wildlife conflicts!”
“The area is already a travel corridor for large mammals,” says Baltgailis. “Do the planners
really think that bears are going to stop coming into the area? Imagine the conflicts once there
are houses and garbage cans right in their path.”
The groups are critical of several aspects of EDI‟s study. It only looks at the area as a movement
corridor for mammals, rather than as habitat for the wildlife that actually live there. In particular, birds were not studied at all. And the study only took place from spring to early fall of one year.
“The City obviously wanted certain answers and it appears that EDI gave them those answers,”
said Baltgailis. “The City kept the parameters of the study narrow, and now they‟re „spinning‟
the results. Just because no species would go extinct if Porter Creek D is built does not mean that
this is not a special place for wildlife, and for people.”
YCS and the Friends of McIntyre Creek are considering resigning from the Porter Creek D
Working Group.
“We were told when we agreed to be in the group that no decisions had been made and our input
about the values of McIntyre Creek would be duly considered as the City decides whether to
move ahead with development in Middle McIntyre Creek,” said Baltgailis. It was extremely
inappropriate for the City to send out a media release about the EDI report before it is available
to the public, or even to the Porter Creek D Working Group.
And it was even more inappropriate to then „spin‟ this report to say that the wildlife that use McIntyre Creek are not important. The people who use this area every day all year long will tell you that McIntyre Creek is important to wildlife, and to people!”
Thursday, October 6, 2011
6 day photo challenge
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
This photo challenge is being run before the election by Archbould Photography. Check it out, and send in your photos.
Check out the link below for entries to the Photo Challenge.
http://www.facebook.com/ArchbouldPhotography
This photo challenge is being run before the election by Archbould Photography. Check it out, and send in your photos.
Check out the link below for entries to the Photo Challenge.
http://www.facebook.com/ArchbouldPhotography
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
CBC Interview Oct 4, 2011
Doris Bell interviewed Friends of McIntyre VP Gerry Steers at the McIntyre Creek during a walk with Reg Steers and the family pets. This video was filmed from the TV screen, and the barking dog is the black rottie, adding her comments to the video.
Trans Canada Trail Bridge over McIntyre Creek
The bridge that was built for skidoos and ATV's to cross the creek
was built too wide, and now there are cars using the bridge to cross.
The previous pedestrian bridge was damaged by recreational vehicles driving over it,
and now that it has been rebuilt to handle recreational vehicles, I am
concerned that cars driving over it will damage it, making it
unuseable.
McIntyre Creek Educational Value - Oct 4, 2011
For the second time in two weeks, a grade 4/5 class from Jack Hullund School was cycling in the area, scouting out where they would return for their Thursday science class. With so much educational activity and value in the McIntyre Creek wildlife corridor, it is really important to preserve the area, and stop the proposed road from Whistle Bend across the creek, and the development of Porter Creek D.
We need more than assurances from the City that they will set aside a mere 100 meter belt where construction would not happen. We need the Territorial Government, who own the land, to protect it and give it Park status where housing developments would not be allowed.
The Yukon College has not received their endowment lands for their educational purposes, and this should also be finalized before there are any discussions about putting either a road or houses in the area.
The City has clearly demonstrated that environmentally sensitive and protected areas as well as green belt areas are not safe from their land grab when they want to build houses. City Planner Mike Gau was quoted in the Whitehorse Star stating "times change, and so do needs", which puts any green space in Whitehorse in danger.
We need more than assurances from the City that they will set aside a mere 100 meter belt where construction would not happen. We need the Territorial Government, who own the land, to protect it and give it Park status where housing developments would not be allowed.
The Yukon College has not received their endowment lands for their educational purposes, and this should also be finalized before there are any discussions about putting either a road or houses in the area.
The City has clearly demonstrated that environmentally sensitive and protected areas as well as green belt areas are not safe from their land grab when they want to build houses. City Planner Mike Gau was quoted in the Whitehorse Star stating "times change, and so do needs", which puts any green space in Whitehorse in danger.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Great Miss-Stake - Press Conference September 29, 2011
The Friends of McIntyre Creek held a press conference today at McIntyre Creek to inform press and the politicians running for election where the proposed Porter Creek D development would be place, and how the proposed road from Whistle Bend would run over the McIntyre Creek and damage the surrounding area.
It was well attended by both press and members of the political parties running in the current territorial election. A local school group cycling through this area during the Press conference, also stated their love of the area, and desire to see it remain undeveloped.
The attached map is what the City was last proposing as a development for Porter Creek D in the McIntyre Creek area.
It was well attended by both press and members of the political parties running in the current territorial election. A local school group cycling through this area during the Press conference, also stated their love of the area, and desire to see it remain undeveloped.
Sept
28, 2011
Media
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
“The
Great Miss-Stake”
Before You Vote Consider What Middle McIntyre
Creek Could Look Like.
The
Friends of McIntyre Creek have staked part of Middle McIntyre Creek to show
where housing and roads could be constructed if City of Whitehorse proposals go
ahead. Middle McIntyre Creek is the part of the McIntyre Creek watershed
between the Alaska Highway and Mountainview Drive.
The
Friends of McIntyre Creek’s intent is to help residents better understand where
the proposed Porter Creek D subdivision and
roads connecting Whistle Bend to the Alaska Highway would be. The City of
Whitehorse intends to consult about the proposed Porter Creek D subdivision,
and roads across and parallel to McIntyre Creek, in the near future.
“In
my experience people often don’t pay attention to consultations because they
don’t fully understand what is being proposed,” said Friends of McIntyre Creek
Vice President Gerry Steers. “We want to give people an idea of what Middle
McIntyre Creek could end up looking like unless people who care about this area
make this into an issue in the territorial election. The land is owned by Yukon
government, it would be sold by Yukon government for housing, and the roads would
be developed and paid for by Yukon government. People really need to ask their
candidates in the territorial election whether a government led by their party
would protect McIntyre Creek.”
The
Friends of McIntyre Creek (FOMC) also say that the Yukon College Endowment
Lands, which have not been designated and transferred, are a Yukon government
issue. FOMC fears that the College Endowment Lands could end up being a nothing
but a sliver of land.
“This
is a really important area for education. There are diverse types of habitat,
including wetlands and old growth forest here,” said Steers “and it won’t be
any good for nature education if it is full of roads and houses – except
education about the fact that after a natural area is destroyed it can’t be re-created.”
The
Friends of McIntyre Creek are encouraging Whitehorse citizens to have a look at
the area that FOMC has staked, and then look at the development in Whistle Bend
to get an appreciation for what could occur if Porter Creek D and roads to link
Whistle Bend with the Alaska Highway are built – before voting.
“The
City says that the huge clear cuts in Whistle bend were a result of a mistake –
well it would be a huge mistake to build any roads and houses in Middle McIntyre
Creek at all,” said Steers.
The
attached photos are of the construction ongoing in Whistle Bend Phases 1 and 2 (Sept. 23, 2011) and what
a new road clearing looks like.
The
Friends of McIntyre Creek are working to maintain urban natural habitat and
preserve a valued area for future generations of Yukon people. This issue is
already being raised at the door with political candidates in the ridings near
McIntyre Creek.
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