All 6 endangered spotted owls released in Fraser Valley have died, B.C. says

The province is facing pushback from an environmental group about a proposed mountain resort in the Fraser Valley.

Concern is growing about the future of the endangered northern spotted owl in B.C.

CTV News has learned that all of the spotted owls released into the wild after being raised through a conservation breeding program in Langley have died.

“To date, six spotted owls raised through the program have been released into the wild. Unfortunately, all six have died, but each experience is providing valuable information to inform the program and approach,” said an email from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

According to its website, the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program was founded in 2007.

“Although a dedicated team that includes First Nations representatives is doing everything it can to help spotted owls recover in B.C., it is a long-term process with no guarantee of success,” the ministry said.

The news comes as the province faces pushback from an environmental group concerned about what a proposed all-season mountain resort in the Fraser Valley could mean to the owls’ habitat.

B.C.’s Tourism Ministry is currently seeking public feedback on the proposed Bridal Veil Mountain Resort that, if approved, would be built near Chilliwack. But the Wilderness Committee said there is key information that the ministry has not made clear.

“A portion of (the proposed resort area) sits on top of a wildlife habitat area set aside by the province of B.C. back in 2011 to protect spotted owl habitat. That’s very concerning, but what’s more concerning is that the province has not let people know about that,” said Joe Foy, protected areas campaigner for the Wilderness Committee.

Foy said the spotted owl population has seen a dramatic decline in B.C.

“At last count, there was only one wild-born spotted owl left on the landscape. That’s on Spuzzum Nation territory that’s in the Fraser Canyon,” he explained.

He said there used to be 500 breeding pairs in southwestern B.C., but industrial logging damaged habitat.

Jeff Wilson, executive vice-president of Bridal Veil Mountain Resort, said that the proposed project is following the province’s proven review process.

“The only way of knowing the affects of the area is to do the litany of environmental studies, and we’re waiting for those and for the opportunity to do those at the next phase,” he said.

Wilson said the proposed resort would create both employment and recreational opportunities.

“It would be a full-service, all-season resort that would include alpine skiing, mountain biking in the summer,” he explained.

Other activities listed online include skating, snowshoeing, and hiking.

“We hope to build some green, ecologically friendly gondolas to access the backcountry,” said Wilson.

He also said that if the project is eventually approved, it would be built in phases.

“There’s the potential of having a resort there that could host up to a million people a year,” he said.

There is a second project, by another company, also being reviewed for a gondola in the Chilliwack area.

According to spokesperson Barry Penner, the proposed Cascade Skyline Gondola Project would avoid the wildlife habitat set aside for the spottled owl.

This proposal would be for a sightseeing gondola.

The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said in an email that “both the proposed Cascade Skyline Gondola and proposed Bridal Veil Mountain Resort in the Bridal Falls area near Chilliwack are in the very early stages of project review by the province.”

“Provincial staff are collaborating with Sto:lo First Nations and are committed to working together to further understand the impacts and potential mitigation for these projects,” the ministry said, adding that there are “extensive Indigenous, environmental and public interests related to both the proposed Bridal Veil Mountain Resort and the proposed Cascade Skyline Gondola project.”

“These will be considered within the proposal review processes.”

The ministry said it is too early to set a timeframe for any decision on the applications.

The public can comment on the Bridal Veil Mountain Resort’s proposal through an online survey until Feb. 28.