I'm still reeling from the wild and unexpected action British Columbia is taking to protect the Flathead River Valley in southeastern BC. The province has just announced a ban on any further mining, oil or coal extraction in the Flathead. What an incredible win for all the Canadians who supported the campaign to protect this precious eco-system. The ban was announced by Lt.-Gov. Steven Point in the BC throne speech, just days before the opening of the 2010 Olympic winter games.

 

John Bergenske, executive director of Wildsight, an organization that's been working tirelessly for Flathead protection, says he "applaud[s] the government for doing the right thing for the Flathead River Valley. It’s a giant step in the right direction....the next step is to connect the Flathead through the spine of the Rockies as a provincial wildlife management area."

 

In the days, weeks and months to come, we'll keep you up to date on how you can help protect the Flathead River Valley. For now, we'll leave you with this stunning shot of the Flathead taken by Garth Lenz as a reminder of what Canadians are working hard to protect.

 

 

For more information on the Flathead visit www.flathead.ca, and for more information on the International League of Conservation Photographers visit www.ilcp.com