A LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT REVIEW for the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission By: Environmental Law Centre Clinic University of Victoria, Faculty of Law In collaboration with: Steve and Kathy Berman Environmental Law Clinic University of Washington School of Law February, 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction..........................................................................1 A. The Upper Skagit Valley...................................................1 B. The Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission .............4 C. This Project....................................................................6 D. The Dramatic Difference in Legal Protection of the Watershed in the Two Countries. ......................................................7 E. The Key Recommendations ..............................................8 II. Executive Summary .......................................................... 10 A. Threats Facing the US Upper Skagit ................................ 10 1. Recreational Pressures and Overuse.......................... 10 2. Invasive Species .................................................... 10 3. Mining Activities ..................................................... 10 a. Active Claims................................................... 11 b. Inactive/Abandoned Claims ............................... 11 4. Timber Harvest ...................................................... 12 5. Glacial Retreat ....................................................... 12 6. Use of an Environmental Monitor .............................. 13 B. Threats Facing The Canadian Skagit ................................ 13 1. The Need to Expand Protected Areas:........................ 13 2. Use of an Environmental Monitor: ............................. 14 3. Canadian Tools Available, If Protected Areas Not Extended: ............................................................. 14 a. General Tools .................................................. 14 b. Tools to Deal with Forestry Issues ...................... 15 c. Tools to Deal with Mining Issues......................... 15 d. Tools to Address Water and Fisheries .................. 15 e. Tools to Address Road Development ................... 16 f. International Tools to Influence Canadian Governments................................................... 17 III. Report on U.S. Issues........................................................ 18 A. Ownership and Management of the American Skagit.......... 18 i 1. The Pasayten and Stephen T. Mather Wilderness Areas 21 a. History, Purpose, and Statutory Mandates of The Wilderness Act of 1964...................................... 22 b. National Park Service Management of the Stephen Mather Wilderness............................................ 23 c. National Forest Service Management of the Pasayten Wilderness ...................................................... 24 2. National Park Service and National Forest Service Management of Non-Wilderness Area Lands ............... 27 a. National Park Service Management of Non- Wilderness Area Within the North Cascades National Park Complex .................................................. 28 i. National Park Service Management of the North Cascades National Park/Ross Lake Recreation Area Complex Under the National Park Service Organic Act of 1916.................................... 28 ii. National Park Service Management of Ross Lake National Recreation Area ............................. 30 b. United States Forest Service Management of National Forest Lands Outside of the Pasayten Wilderness Area ............................................................... 31 i. National Forest Lands History: The Organic Administrative Act of 1897 .......................... 32 ii. National Forest Lands: the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 ......................... 33 iii. National Forest Lands: The National Forest Management Act of 1976 ............................ 34 c. The Highway 20 Corridor ................................... 36 3. Conclusion............................................................. 37 B. Threats to the American Skagit....................................... 38 1. Introduction........................................................... 38 2. Recreational Pressures ............................................ 38 a. Wilderness Areas.............................................. 38 b. Recreational Pressures on Non-Wilderness Areas .. 40 3. Invasive Species .................................................... 41 4. Mining in the American Skagit .................................. 43 a. The Azurite Mine .............................................. 44 b. Other Mining Claims ......................................... 46 5. Timber Harvests in the U.S. Portion of the Upper Skagit Watershed............................................................. 47 a. Logging in the Wilderness Areas ......................... 47 b. Logging in the Ross Lake NRA ............................ 48 ii c. Logging in National Forest Lands Outside of the Wilderness Area and the NRA............................. 48 6. Cross-Border Traffic................................................ 49 7. Wildfires................................................................ 50 8. Potential for Raising Ross Dam as Outlined in the Treaty and Associated Agreement....................................... 53 9. Glacial Retreat ....................................................... 54 IV. Report on Canadian Issues................................................. 56 A. Ownership and management of the Canadian Skagit......... 56 B. Overview of the Land Management Framework ................. 57 1. Protected Lands ..................................................... 57 a. The Class A Parks: Skagit and Manning ............... 57 b. Skagit Valley Provincial Park .............................. 57 c. The Recreation Area: Cascade Recreation Area ..... 58 2. Management Plans for the Two Parks and the Recreation Area ..................................................................... 58 a. Skagit Valley Provincial Park Management Plan Highlights........................................................ 59 b. Draft E.C. Manning Provincial Park and Cascade Recreation Area Management Plan – Key Recommendations:........................................... 60 c. Ecological Reserves: Skagit River Forest, Skagit River Cottonwoods, Skagit River Rhododendrons and Ross Lake ....................................................... 60 3. Unprotected Crown Lands ........................................ 61 4. The BC Forestry Regime .......................................... 61 a. Tenures .......................................................... 61 b. Control of Annual Allowable Cut.......................... 61 c. Forest Practices Regulation ................................ 62 5. The BC Mining Framework ....................................... 63 a. Characteristics of mineral tenures....................... 63 6. The Integrated Plan for the Donut Hole – The Silverdaisy Integrated Management Plan ................................... 65 7. Privately Owned Lands ............................................ 68 C. Threats to the Canadian Skagit....................................... 69 1. Forestry ................................................................ 69 a. The Kinds of Tenures Held in the Canadian Skagit. 69 i. Forest Licence (FL) ..................................... 69 ii. BC Timber Sales – Timber Sales Licence........ 70 iii. Major Timber Sales Licence (TSL) ................. 70 iii a. An Exacerbating Factor – The Weakening of Forest Practices Laws ................................................. 72 Key Changes Under New Forest Practices Legislation ......... 73 i. Less Information in Forestry Olans................ 73 ii. Reduction in Protection of Environmental Values. ............................................................... 73 iii. Standards Ultimately Determined by Industry.74 iv. Reduced Enforcement Staff.......................... 74 v. Companies Less Likely to Be Found Liable for Environmental Damage............................... 74 vi. Reduced Opportunity For Public Input. .......... 75 2. Mining .................................................................. 75 3. Water Extraction .................................................... 76 D. Tools for Protecting the Canadian Skagit .......................... 77 1. Status Quo Tools to Protect the Canadian Skagit......... 77 a. Overview of the Toolbox.................................... 77 i. Who Could Use the Tools Discussed Below? ... 78 ii. An Environmental Monitor – The “Skagit Keeper” ............................................................... 79 2. General tools to Protect the Canadian Skagit .............. 80 a. Fisheries Act.................................................... 80 b. Environmental Assessments............................... 82 i. Canada Environmental Assessment Act ......... 83 c. Endangered Species Legislation and Policies......... 84 i. Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) ............... 86 ii. The British Columbia Wildlife Act .................. 88 iii. Spotted Owl Management Plan..................... 88 iv. The Identified Wildlife Management Strategy.. 90 v. The US Pelly Amendment ............................ 92 vi. Conclusions on Endangered Species.............. 92 3. Additional Tools to Address Specific Industrial Activity . 92 a. Forestry .......................................................... 92 b. Mining ...........................................................