Upper Malamute now a Park!

[Access Society of BC]

B.C. ACQUIRES LAND NEAR RENOWNED ROCK CLIMBING SITE



SQUAMISH – The B.C. government has reached an agreement to acquire almost 10 hectares of land adjacent to Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, West Vancouver-Sea-to-Sky MLA Joan McIntyre announced today.



“This is an important piece of land to the community,” said McIntyre. “Thanks to the excellent work of BC Parks and our partners, we’re protecting important wildlife habitat and recreation features, as well as the extraordinary views of Howe Sound and the Squamish River estuary for residents and visitors.”



The land, valued at $1.66 million and located on the west side of Highway 99 across from Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, is an important access point for rock climbers and provides good falcon nesting habitat.



The parcel was acquired from Malamute Holdings Ltd., a private development company, through a land exchange involving provincial Crown lands valued at $1.25 million, a $333,000 gift from Malamute Holdings Ltd. through Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program, and $81,000 from the B.C. government.



“Malamute Holdings Ltd. was pleased to work with the provincial government to complete this transaction and protect the conservation and recreation values of this site,” said Steve Miles and Paul Turner, principals of Malamute Holdings.



Legislation will be introduced by Environment Minister Barry Penner in 2011 to add these lands to the provincial park following First Nation consultations. The Stawamus Chief holds significant spiritual, historical and cultural values for the people of the Squamish Nation and is a rock climbing area of international significance.



“This is a local success story about working together to sustain healthy and dynamic outdoor spaces,” said Penner. “The Land Conservancy of British Columbia got the ball rolling on this land acquisition. Since then, with the persistent encouragement of MLA Joan McIntyre, the provincial government, and the private firm have worked together to find a way to protect this important site for future addition to the park.”



With the addition, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park will span 526 hectares.





“The District of Squamish is pleased we were able to help deliver a significant recreational amenity and natural gateway to our community into the public trust,” said Mayor Greg Gardner. “The addition of the Malamute lands to the provincial park will help foster a legacy of Squamish as a climbing destination and the outdoor recreation capital of Canada for generations to come.”



The B.C. government has invested more than $107 million over the past five years to improve park infrastructure and acquire additional parkland. Today, 14.27 per cent – 13.5 million hectares – of British Columbia is protected, more than any other province in Canada.



Since 2001, the B.C. government has established 65 new parks, 144 conservancies, two ecological reserves and nine protected areas, and expanded more than 60 parks and six ecological reserves, protecting more than 1.9 million hectares of additional land.

[Dru]

So now that the Squaw has been renamed with a Squamish name, how about the Malamute?

Squaw is from Algonquian and Malemute is from an Alaskan native language and probably Papoose is a non-local word too.

[squamish climber]

Wow, this is awesome news but what exactly does it mean? How much of the Malemute climbs are protected? Does this mean the lower Malemute is once again open? -- doesn't look like this changes CN railway right of way. Anybody have details or in the know please post up.
Article in the Squamishchief:
http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20 ... -protected
Dave

[gearheart]

The land parcel that is now going to be part of the park includes the whole of the upper malamute climbing area and starts at the highway but only extends as far as the railway right of way. So this great news for the upper malamute does not change the access situation at the lower malamute.
Todd
Squamish Access Society

[Fre]

Didn't someone illegally log that stretch of land? Did it happen just before plans were made to sell it?

[slopr]

Didn't someone illegally log that stretch of land? Did it happen just before plans were made to sell it?

read



http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20 ... -protected

[J Mace]

Better news than trying to pave a forest service road...however I read the press release and it doesnt even mention the access society.

Is this something you guys were working on?

[Fre]

Oops
So, euh, no penalty then?
And they still got serious money for that stretch of land?
And Miller is on the picture with a bunch of other people, celebrating this crucial step in ecological recovery and access for the community?
Ah well, it's better without all those trees anyway, way easier to see the path now.

[slopr]

Ah well, it's better without all those trees anyway, way easier to see the path now.

Yeah much quicker now, and a few good boulder problems too which kinda makes up for the ones that got blown up on the other side of the road. This news will definitely reduce the squatting/camping that has become popular there the past few summers, finally. Nice! the upper Malamute finally has secure access, now lets get some fences next to those tracks and crack the bottom open! Great work by all parties responsible especially the politician lady thanks!

[Anders Ourom]

A success for everyone. Even during the initial discussions of making the Chief a park (~ 1994), and then of a master plan (1996 on), it was suggested several times that the Malamute be included in the park. Unsuccessfully. After the defeat of the gondola proposal on the Chief in autumn 2003, Mountain Equipment Co-op introduced The Access Society (Climbers' Access Society of B.C.) to The Land Conservancy of B.C., asked that we discuss issues of mutual concern, and committed $50,000 to whatever was identified. We indicated that getting the gravel pit (gondola base) off the market was the first priority, which was done - it was purchased in 2005, and a good part of the price paid by renting it to the highway project. TLC has been quietly working to put together a complex deal involving several parties since 2004, for the upper Malamute. I can't provide all the details here, but suffice to say that it took a lot of work and good will, and that The Access Society, and the 'Squamish Access Society' when it formed a few years later, were involved. The logging of the upper Malamute in 2006 (?) may have been a needed catalyst, somewhat like the logging in upper Olesen Creek Valley in 1992 catalyzed consideration of the Chief in the Protected Areas Strategy, for creation as a park.