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December 6, 2005: Fish study counters the Grove parking lot plans

B.C.

Fish study counters the Grove parking lot plans

By COLLEEN DANE

Dec 06 2005

Parksville Qualicum News

Two years of volunteer time has turned up six reasons why a parking lot should not be built in Cathedral Grove, says independent fisheries biologist Dave Clough.

"Six or seven channels on the river side of the highway that flow through ... their parking lot areas," says Clough, who completed the fish habitat assessment on the area last week.

All of those channels, he says, have the potential for fish habitat.

The report, he says, is another example of why the provincial government shouldn't be developing in MacMillan Provincial Park (also known as Cathedral Grove) at all.

"The rules that apply privately to a developer are, you understand what the ecological environment is and you follow the rules," says Clough.

"My understanding of these environmental areas are they need to be protected.

Clough, who originally became concerned with fish habitat in the park years ago due to Ministry of Highways activity, says that concern covers any potential plans.

"I didn't start out to find a reason to stop a parking lot," says Clough. "There's a huge amount of water running through those plans. Never mind the parking lot - they already have issues.

BC Parks, which is assessing 11 different options for a possible parking lot in Cathedral Grove, have been aware that Clough is doing the assessment.

According to Clough's final report, an overlay map of the drainage routes was created with an air photo provided by parks' staff. His concerns were also brought forward at a pubic meeting on the park options in Port Alberni.

BC Parks' Chris Kissinger said at those meetings that they recognized a fisheries assessment was something that needed to be added in their site assessments.

He said it would be looked into before their final report was sent to the Minister of Environment Barry Penner.

In the meantime, Western Canada Wilderness Committee mid-Island spokesperson Annette Tanner says she's trying to meet with Penner so they can share the results of Clough's assessment.

"That's just one of the studies that needs to be done on the area," before anything is done," she says.

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