The new B.C. Creek Protection Society is calling for the provincial government to put a moratorium on small hydro development until a province-wide environmental assessment is completed.
The Protection Society is one of many groups speaking against the amount of independent power project (IPP) development in the province.
David Collings, one of the founders of the society, said the goal is to align the concerns of many residents into one strong voice."We are all about a common attack and trying to be active in terms of lobbying governments and educating the public," Collings said.
"We want to see a sustainable approach to hydro projects."
The society is based in Victoria but Collings admits the Sea to Sky corridor draws attention by the sheer number of proposed projects and lack of local government power.
The group looks at the province as a whole but certain projects garner public attention more than others, such as the Ashlu River project in the Upper Squamish Valley.
Although the Ashlu project garnered a lot of attention, said Collings, the issue merely fuels the fire of society members.
"The Ashlu is interesting because it seems Bill 30 [which stripped local governments of authority over most IPPs] was created to keep it going. There are a lot of reasons to be concerned. It might be a great site for a project but it doesn't have municipal consent," Collings said.
"There is a huge need for planning."
Collings said that with IPPs springing up across the province with the provincial government's blessing, time is one thing the society has in short supply.
The goals of the society are to protect free-flowing natural watercourses in Canada, particularly B.C., to raise awareness about issues that affect watercourses and to conduct and support research on the impacts of run-of-the-river projects on society and on ecosystems.
In the past few years, Collings admits the provincial government has not been receptive to IPP planning. But it's now going to great lengths to keep the IPP ball rolling.
The Sea to Sky corridor has been in the middle of the IPP controversy because of more than 60 water licence applications on nearly every river and creek with a gradient.
And the group questions the sustainability of one major dam compared to 50 or 60 run-of-the-river projects.
Collings said the secret weapon of the B.C. Creek Protection Society will be public opinion.
"I think the government is receptive to pubic opinion. The problem is a perception that run-of-the-river projects are green. There is no public opinion beyond that and we intend to change that," Collings said.
"One of our main objectives will be to reverse the Bill 30 decision."
B.C. Hydro has given IPP projects "green" power status but Collings said the designation is misleading.
He said the concern goes beyond green energy because the energy purchasing agreements involving B.C. Hydro and IPP developers are inflated, meaning B.C. Hydro pays more for IPP power than for power generated by other means.
The society is still in relative infancy and relies on fundraising to keep working.
"We are currently pursuing grants, which takes time, but again it is one thing we don't really have," Collings said.
Collings said society membership includes kayakers, environmentalists and average residents of B.C.
"I guess our main focus at this point is trying to pull together all the different stakeholders, which is challenging. Everyone seems excited about what we are doing," Collings said.
The society's website features resources such as videos and articles.
For more information, check out www.bc-creeks.org.
