Environmentalists slam CMH heli-ski operation

November 19, 2001
Source: CBC Vancouver
Original story - link verified on November 19, 2001

Environmentalists are unhappy the B.C. government has given a heli-ski company permission to expand its operations on crown land northeast of Williams Lake. Canadian Mountain Holidays was granted a 10 year tenure, covering more than 1,000 square kilometres. Chris Blake, of the Quesnel Watershed Alliance, says the government's decision will endanger Mountain Caribou already on the verge of extinction. "We're very disappointed that this would move ahead. It's clearly showing their lack of concern for this red listed species," Blake says. Blake says the B.C. Assets and Land Corporation fast tracked the decision without seeking public input. Sharon Whitely, a corporation spokesperson in Williams Lake. says the heli-ski company is adopting special measures to protect wildlife. "We feel the heli-ski and the caribou can co-exist and that it won't negatively affect the caribou", she says. The government says its decision to expand heli-skiing is final. But environmentalists say they'll continue their fight to save the Mountain Caribou.