From the Wednesday, September 26, 2007 online edition of the Flathead Beacon . . .
U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester on Wednesday urged top U.S. officials to help add Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park to the "List of World Heritage in Danger," as part of their efforts to prevent mining and drilling proposals north of the Montana border.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named the park a World Heritage site — a property having "outstanding universal value" — in 1995.
World Heritage sites can be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger if they face a "serious and specific" risk, the Democratic senators said in a release.
According to the World Heritage Web site, the list is designed to "inform the international community of conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List, and to encourage corrective action."
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North Fork residents Jerry and Linda Wernick were the subject of the lead story in the Sunday, September 23, 2007 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .
When Jerry Wernick was a young teacher just starting his career in southern California, he was determined to build a house for himself and his wife, Linda.
“The American Dream today is to own your own home,” he said. “It used to be to build your own home.”
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Columnist Joel Connelly takes aim at B.C.'s environmental policies, including their plans for energy development on the Canadian North Fork, in the Friday, September 21, 2007 online edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer . . .
As a gloves-off crusader against global warming, ex-Vice President Al Gore has labeled as a "complete and total fraud" the Canadian government's climate change program.
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What's going to happen when Gore takes the podium at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver next Saturday, Sept. 29th?
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The province has made a much-touted commitment to reduce its current greenhouse gas emissions 33 percent by the year 2020. It pledges a policy of zero net greenhouse gas emissions from existing thermal power generating plants by 2016.
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While pledging to curb emissions from coal-fired power plants, however, British Columbia is feeding Asia's carbon economy with its coal mines, and acting to facilitate major new mine projects.
It's a political tactic nicknamed "greenwashing." Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana has called on Premier Campbell to walk his talk.
After soliciting bids, the B.C. government has begun a process that could lead to approval of a massive coal-bed methane project proposed by British Petroleum for the upper headwaters of the Flathead River valley.
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From the Thursday, September 20, 2007 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .
Fire restrictions on public lands in Northwest Montana have been lifted, according to Flathead National Forest officials.
On private land in Flathead County, however, no open burning is allowed through the end of September.
The lifting of restrictions affects public lands in Flathead and Lincoln counties, Lake County outside of Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribal lands, plus all of Kootenai National Forest, Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park.
Fire restrictions also have been lifted in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
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From the Tuesday, September 18, 2007 online edition of the Missoulian . . .
In a pair of recent letters, Canadian leaders delivered a sharp response to Montana concerns about coal-mine plans upstream of Glacier National Park.
Yet despite the ongoing disagreement, both sides appear committed to keeping negotiations alive.
“British Columbia and Montana may differ on what ultimate measures may be required in each of our jurisdictions to protect environmental values in the Flathead,” said provincial Premier Gordon Campbell, “but there is also significant common ground.”
Campbell made those comments in a Sept. 14 letter to Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a four-page response to an Aug. 22 letter from Schweitzer.
At issue are British Columbia's plans to mine coal and tap coalbed methane in the Canadian Flathead, a wild river drainage bordered to the south by Glacier Park.
Downstream interests have for decades fought energy plans there, citing environmental concerns.
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From the Tuesday, September 18, 2007 online edition of the Flathead Beacon . . .
Three leading Montana representatives should reconsider their efforts to intervene as officials in Canada consider potential mining and drilling on the northern side of the transboundary Flathead River Basin, Canada's U.S. ambassador and British Columbia's premier indicated in letters.
Ambassador Michael Wilson on Monday told Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester they were off base in proposing an international panel review environmental aspects of potential coal mining and coal-bed methane work in southeastern British Columbia. In a separate letter to Gov. Brian Schweitzer last week, Premier Gordon Campbell sent a mixed response to the governor's proposal that state and provincial representatives meet to discuss environmental issues spanning the border. Campbell also questioned Montana's environmental record.
"We recognize in particular that Montana's land-use and resource development decisions elsewhere in the state mean the Flathead Basin is the only remaining major protected area in Montana," the premier wrote. Most of the state is "pretty pristine," Schweitzer responded Monday in a telephone interview.
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From the Saturday, September 15, 2007 online edition of The Globe and Mail . . .
British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell yesterday sent a toughly worded letter to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer declining his offer of a December meeting on cross-border environmental issues and challenging the state's environmental performance.
Stung by a letter from Mr. Schweitzer three weeks ago that takes B.C.'s performance to task, Mr. Campbell took his own gloves off and offered up a detailed defence of the province's environmental assessment program while casting aspersions, in diplomatic language, on the Montana record.
The two leaders are sparring over potential resource development in the Flathead River area of southeastern B.C. and the possible impact on that river as it flows into Montana. Festering for years, the issue has exploded into a war of words in the past three weeks.
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From the Friday, September 14, 2007 online edition of The Globe and Mail . . .
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer is accusing Premier Gordon Campbell of breaching a four-year-old pact to protect environmentally sensitive areas that straddle the border.
Mr. Schweitzer, in a three-page letter sent Aug. 22, says the province's decision to allow two projects - a coal mine and a coal bed methane development - to proceed through the early stages of permission is of "continued concern" to the state and a breach of the 2003 Environmental Cooperation Arrangement between Montana and British Columbia.
"Since the signing of the Environmental Cooperation Arrangement there have been five separate proposals for exploratory and industrial fossil fuel development in the British Columbia Flathead," the letter states. "I believe the intent [of the arrangement] is not being met and the proposed fossil fuel developments over the past five years run contrary to the language of the arrangement ..."
The governor's letter - combined with combative language on Monday from Montana's two U.S. senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester - points to an escalation of the cross-border war of words over potential resource development in southeastern B.C.
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From the Tuesday, September 11, 2007 online edition of the Flathead Beacon . . .
In a Washington D.C. meeting with executives for British Petroleum, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., issued his harshest rebukes yet for BP’s coalbed methane exploration proposal in the Canadian Flathead, according to a release sent from his office Monday afternoon. Baucus also called for public meetings in Kalispell to allow Montanans to weigh in on the project.
BP can expect “a knock-down, drag-out fight” and “a massive and unpleasant fight from Montana that will end badly” Baucus told BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone and BP Canada chief Randy McLeod, according to the release.
Baucus’s threats refer specifically to BP’s intent to file an exploratory permit for what it calls its “Mist Mountain” coalbed methane (CBM) extraction project in southeastern British Columbia.
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From the Tuesday, September 11, 2007 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., met with British Petroleum chiefs Monday, warning them to expect a “knock-down, drag-out fight” if they pursue coalbed methane development in the Canadian Flathead.
Baucus met face-to-face in his Washington, D.C., office with BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone and BP Canada chief Randy McLeod.
He told them to expect “a massive and unpleasant fight from Montana that will end badly” for the company if it pursues its “Mist Mountain” coalbed methane project. Exploration would focus on the Crows Nest coalfield, which straddles the Canadian Flathead drainage and the Elk River drainage.
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From the Thursday, September 6, 2007 online edition of the Bigfork Eagle . . .
For a company that tries to sell itself as a green corporation, British Petroleum is expected to go ahead with plans that could industrialize the Canadian Flathead, watchdogs on this side of the border claim.
The Flathead Basin Commission recently learned that BP will seek an exploratory permit to drill for coal-bed methane in the Canadian Flathead River drainage.
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From the Thursday, August 23, 2007 online edition of the Hungry Horse News . . .
Montana Sen. Jon Tester has raised opposition to coal bed methane exploration and development in the Canadian Flathead. But the company that plans on doing the drilling claims it will do the work in an environmentally sensitive manner.
Tester, in a letter earlier this month to Andy Inglis, the chief executive of energy and exploration for British Petroleum, said he had "serious reservations and opposition" to BP Canada Energy Company's recent proposal to begin coal bed methane exploration in the Flathead.
The river forms most of the western boundary of Glacier National Park. Opponents in the U.S. claim CBM development in Canada would harm not only the water quality here, but would also harm large carnivores like wolves and grizzly bears, which routinely cross the border into Canada.
Coal bed methane development requires a large network of football field-sized well pads and roads to serve them.
The disturbance is compounded by millions of gallons of wastewater from the operations that in, in most cases, is unpotable and toxic to fish and anything else that consumes it.
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This Associated Press story appeared in the Wednesday, September 5, 2007 online editions of the Daily Inter Lake and the Flathead Beacon . . .
Montana's U.S. senators Wednesday asked Canada to give Montana scientists a voice in assessing potential environmental effects from proposed coal mining and coal-bed methane work in southeastern British Columbia.
Industrial development in that part of the province, north of Montana's Glacier National Park, has raised concerns in the state about possible harm to water quality in the transboundary Flathead River system.
Montana scientists should have a place in Canada's federal environmental assessments for a mining proposal by Canada-based Cline Mining Co., and for potential coal-bed methane extraction by British Petroleum, Democratic Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus wrote Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States.
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