Flathead Valley

Make it a National Park  



A very special valley lies in the very south east corner of British Columbia. The Flathead Valley is a wilderness treasure of international significance as one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems of the continent and a crucial corridor for large carnivores and ungulates. The Flathead Valley deserves the protection of national park designation not the threat of industrial development.

In 1895, Canada created Waterton National Park in recognition of the outstanding natural beauty and abundant wildlife in Alberta’s southern Rockies. In turn, the U.S. established Glacier National Park in the southern portion of the area known as the Crown of the Continent. In 1995, UNESCO designated Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park as a World Heritage Site but noted British Columbia’s Flathead Valley was a “missing element” to be added in the future.

Special Values:

• One of the most outstanding large mammal assemblages in North America, including 16 carnivore and six ungulate species. The highest documented density of grizzlies in inland North America: 65 to 80 for every 1,000 square kilometers.
• The watershed has 300 or more species of aquatic invertebrates and 10 fish species, including the rare bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.
• A unique community of carnivore species resides here that appears unmatched in North America for its variety (16 species), use of valley bottomlands, and density of species that are rare elsewhere including grizzlies, black bears, wolves, lynx, wolverine, cougars, marten and fishers.  
• The area is a crucial link between the Waterton-Glacier core wildlife reserve and the more northerly protected areas of Banff, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks frequented by wide ranging mammals such as grizzlies and wolves.
• The valley is a rare mixing zone for plant species from north, south, east and west, with stunning rainbows of wild flowers. It is home to the greatest variety of vascular plants (which include all seed-bearing plants and pteridophytes like ferns) in all of Canada.
• Largest undeveloped valley floodplain in southern Canada.
• The Flathead River is an international benchmark of pure water quality owing to the valley's pristine nature.

Major Threats:

• Cline Mining Corporation’s Lodgepole Mine proposal is mountain-top removal coal-mining that would see pollutants and slag from the removal of 40 million tonnes of coal dumped into a headwaters stream of the Flathead River. An environmental assessment of this proposal is underway.
  
• Energy giant British Petroleum has temporarily withdrawn plans to extract coal- bed methane (CBM) from the Flathead Valley but is still pursuing plans to develop the Elk Valley just upstream.
• Provincial regulations governing CBM extraction are currently inadequate. No minimum well density is required and an exemption from traditional waste regulations has been created for CBM waste water which allows companies to essentially monitor themselves with minimal government oversight.
• Industrial forestry has temporarily been halted as Tembec Inc., as part of the company's successful bid for Forest Stewardship Council certification in B.C. put this area aside to allow conservation groups to pursue more permanent protection. The company will likely require operational access to the area in the near future.

Key Opportunities:

• Protecting the Flathead Valley would complete the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
• British Columbia Blue-listed species: grizzly bear, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, northern goshawk, turkey vulture, Lewis’ wood pecker, tailed frog, bull trout, mottled sculpin, would benefit from habitat protection of a national park.
• One of the most pristine wilderness areas of North America deserves to be protected for future generations.
• Stewardship of this transboundary watershed is an international responsibility.