Room to Breathe at Galloway Lands
Endless trails, breathtaking vistas, abundant wildlife
Our Promise
Dedication of Land back to the Community
Of the 457 acres of the private land we own, we are proposing to transfer 51% – or 232 acres – to a conservation organization to additionally preserve the environment and maintain recreational trails.
Balanced Development will benefit Environment and Community
Following a number of extensive environmental studies, we are confident and committed to ensuring that environmental protection, recreational opportunities and a new neighbourhood will work together.
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Lizard Creek Protected by Setbacks that Exceed Requirements
Lizard Creek will be protected by setbacks that exceed all municipality and provincial requirements. This watershed is not currently protected. Our proposal will ensure the forested areas are never clear cut again.
Enhancing Recreational Opportunities for all to Enjoy
We know residents treasure the summer and winter trails on the Galloway Lands. We are working with respected local recreation groups to ensure the multi-use trails are thoughtfully managed into the future and are excited to announce that we have come to a mutual understanding with the Fernie Nordic Society that will ensure that they have a permanent home on the Galloway Lands. This, of course, is conditional on the success of our Land Use Application.
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FAQ
The land is currently operated as a managed forest and would be logged at such time as the timber is merchantable. The land is currently zoned RR-60 and RR-8 which means that it could be used for a variety of options from residential to industrial; from farming to logging. Shifts to these uses could be implemented with no zoning change.
It’s important to note – if this happened, the land would not be protected as it would be under this proposal.
We are excited to announce that 51% of the overall holding will be zoned PG-4 which preserves the land by zoning it a park. Of this, 20% of the land will be preserved as a forested area. Through these measures we’ll be protecting important wildlife habitats and recreation trails.
Cascade Environmental Resource Group Ltd. assessed potential impacts of the proposed project to animal movement in an Environmental Overview Report which was published November 2, 2022. Earlier on March 25, 2022, Cascade examined studies carried out by Dr. Clayton Lamb as well as Procter et. al (2015). Both studied grizzly bear movement patterns. The Procter et al. (2015) report was based on an analysis of a large area which showed that Galloway Lands have moderate movement potential limited to the southeast corner, near the ski hill, while most of the site has low movement corridor potential. The Lamb study suggested that grizzly bears commonly use the Galloway Lands as a movement corridor. However, Dr. Lamb’s study was based on an analysis of a small area which showed an isolated high quality habitat patch in May-July surrounded by low quality habitat. Analysis of small area highlights a few bears moving through an area but this does not make it a movement corridor.
In terms of the importance of the Galloway Lands for winter range for deer, elk and moose, Cascade noted that the presence of a potential winter range on the site should not be a constraint to the development. In addition, the proposal has the set aside 232 acres of the parcel that would itself be conducive to use as winter range.
A review of cumulative effects was conducted. It involved a review of all available materials published on the subject. The conclusions were contained firstly in Cascades memo of March 2022 and later in the November 2022 report. A further summary was published on April 21, 2023, which contained a summary of the cumulative effect of the proposal.
The conclusion was that the total development would represent a small area (less than 0.01%) of the built-up area in the Elk Valley. The Galloway Lands is unlikely to contribute to cumulative effects on grizzly bears. Secondly, should adequate environmental management measures be followed the proposed development is unlikely to contribute to cumulative effects on aquatic habitat or old growth forest.
Yes. Cascade assessed potential impacts of the proposed project to wildlife. In the March 25, 2022 Technical memo, Cascade examined studies carried out by Dr. Lamb as well as Procter et. al (2015). Both studies analyzed telemetry data and modeled grizzly bear movement patterns.
The Procter et al. (2015) was based on an analysis of a large area which showed that Galloway Lands have moderate movement potential the southeast corner while most of the site has low movement corridor potential. The Lamb study suggested that grizzly bears commonly use the Galloway Lands as a movement corridor. However, Dr. Lamb’s study was based on an analysis of a small area which showed an isolated high quality habitat patch in May-July surrounded by low quality habitat. Analysis of small area highlights a few bears moving through an area but this does not necessarily make it a movement corridor.
In terms of the importance of the Galloway Lands for winter ungulate range it is important to note that the presence of a potential winter ungulates range on the site should not be considered a constraint to the development given the nature of the ownership. In addition, the proposal has the set aside a vast portion of the overall parcel that would itself be conducive to the presence of winter ungulates. The conclusion to draw from the environmental overview is that all in all the parcel lends itself to the type of conservation development being proposed.
The recommendations from the Cascade report will form the basis for an Environmental Management Plan as a requirement of the Development Agreement with the RDEK. That plan includes the requirement to have a Qualified Environmental Monitor oversee the project during construction.
Recommendations provided in the Cascade Environmental Report will form the basis for an Environmental Management Plan as a requirement of the Development Agreement with the RDEK. A Qualified Environmental Monitor will oversee the project during construction.
Yes. As a result of our public engagement, we have updated our plan to guarantee access to Galloway Lands park area through a statutory right of way on the parcel of land being preserved. This right of way will include a multi-use, machine groomable trail connecting Fernie Alpine Resort to Mt Fernie Provincial Park.
We have made a commitment to preserve 70% of the natural area – this includes the current trails. As well, the development creates a framework for the ongoing use of trails plus the creation of new trails.