For this lab, I was assigned to write a memo arguing for the completion of a proposed project in British Columbia, Canada. More details to follow in the report here:

“The proposed project I will discuss is a new endeavor by Northland Properties and Aquilini Investment Group of Vancouver who wish to build a year-round destination mountain resort on Brohm Ridge, 15 km north of Squamish on Highway 99. The name that has been given to this endeavor is ‘The Garibaldi at Squamish’ project. If this plan is approved, which in this memo I will recommend that it should be, it would include 124 ski trails, 23 lifts, in addition to resort accommodation and commercial developments. The Garibaldi as Squamish project is not only estimated to provide 900 construction jobs during its creation, but 3000 seasonal jobs during operation every year. The project area does have some topics of concern by some groups, however, these are all issues that can be overcome with effective strategizing in the initial stages. My role in this project is to act as the natural resource planner to gather information required to determine if this area would be suitable for the previously described project. In this memo, I will tackle the criticisms of the proposed project and present my findings in a map of the area that I created.

First, I would like to discuss the steps I took to analyze the data, which can be seen on the attached map named ‘Garibaldi at Squamish Project Environmental Assessment’. I took into consideration several factors such as the distribution of red listed species, rivers (including fishery habitat), roads, ungulate winter range and old growth management areas in the proposed area. All of these factors are important to assess in order to determine the local environment and consider whether it is appropriate to build in the area. I also created a visualization of areas that are under 555 meters and contour lines, to represent the slope of the land in the area. These features of the land are crucial in determining whether the land is able to support a viable ski hill.

After I created the map of the proposed project area, I was able to determine two key circumstances. The first of these, is the percent of the project area that falls in the sum of the protected areas at 47.1%; this includes impact old growth forest, ungulate habitat, red-listed ecosystems and fish. While this number may seem high, we cannot forget about the large area that will be needed for the resort accommodation and commercial developments planned, which could be built in conjunction with these projected areas. For example, small buildings could be constructed with the protected areas in mind without putting the species or their habitats in danger. Secondly, the percentage of the proposed area that is on the lower 555 meters of vertical is 29.9%. Again, there are many parts of the project that do not directly include skiing and snowboarding. Other facilities can be constructed here such as commercial shops, spas, accommodation and other less intensive recreational activities. The area that is climatologically viable for skiing and snowboarding is still at over 70%.

However, two principal environmental concerns remain. These are ensuring that the protected areas remain safeguarded and that old growth forests are not damaged. I have already briefly discussed that several smaller buildings could be constructed around the protected areas and species. These areas would be highly supervised and guarded during the construction and the operation of the project. A similar process would be implemented for the old growth forests. As long as these areas remain a priority for Northland Properties and Aquilini Investment Group of Vancouver, I do not have any concerns for the welfare of these spaces.

By keeping the safety of the protected areas and that of old growth forests at the forefront, I believe that the Garibaldi at Squamish project can be a fantastic success. The area of Brohm Ridge is physically and environmentally prepared for such a project, with space available for accommodation, commercial space and the appropriate slope and area for skiing, snowboarding and other recreational activities. With the implementation of protecting areas in the initial stages of the planning process, it can be ensured that this project can thrive environmentally and bring over 900 temporary and 3000 permanent jobs into the local Squamish area. As a natural resource planner, I endorse the completion of this project as a new, top winter trip destination for British Columbia.”

As you have read above, I was assigned to write from the perspective of a natural resource planner that works for Northland Properties and Aquilini Investment Group of Vancouver that wanted to see the ‘The Garibaldi at Squamish’ project implemented. This was a difficult task since I didn’t agree with the very point I was trying to prove in the memo I wrote. When I first saw that I was allocated to argue for the project to be completed, I was already trying to think of the points I could emphasize to try to make the project seem like a reasonable option.

In my own opinion, I would not support the project for these reasons:

• Red-listed ecosystems
• Ungulate winter range
• Old growth management area
• Fishery habitat

These areas simply take up too much of the proposed area to be able to build the project. Regardless of the point I tried to prove in the memo, it wouldn’t be realistic to build in between all of the red-listed ecosystems areas, the ungulate winter range and the old growth management area. Moreover, the rivers and their required buffer for the fishery habitat leave even less room for the project.

Though it was challenging to write the memo for the purpose of proving the legitimacy of the area, I’m glad that I was forced to look at the project in a way I definitely would not have otherwise. Unfortunately, ‘The Garibaldi at Squamish’ project just wasn’t meant to be.