The Livable Blog

9 Jul 2009 The Vancouver Sun
LARRY PYNN

The paving of the shrew 2

Discovery of endangered species prompts call for new highway alignment

The habitat of one of Canada’s rarest creatures, the Pacific water shrew, will be paved over for construction of the provincial government’s South Fraser Perimeter Road.

The mouse-like shrew — an endangered species found in Canada only in the Fraser Valley — was discovered as part of preloading work for the new truck route in Delta alongside Burns Bog.

The highway is part of the province’s Gateway Program.

Pam Ryan, director of planning and community relations for the Gateway Program, said in an interview Tuesday that contractors hired to look for species at risk before construction have live-trapped two of the shrews near 80th Street and Progress Way, and relocated them to suitable habitat not far away.

The province estimates there are about 20 hectares of potential shrew habitat associated with the road project in Surrey and Delta.

Red-legged frogs and pointed broom sedge, amphibian and plant species of concern, have also been moved. There are plans to mitigate the damage through a habitat enhancement program monitored by the environment ministry, Ryan said, but specifics have not been worked out.

“The potential discovery of the shrews was anticipated and won’t delay or deter the province from forging ahead with its construction plans. “It’s part of the construction schedule ... so the project can proceed,” Ryan said.

For conservationists, the discovery confirms their worst fears about the $1-billion project to build a four-lane truck route connecting Highway 99 to Highway 1 east of the Port Mann Bridge. The target opening date is 2012.

Eliza Olson, president of the Burns Bog Conservation Society, called on the province to come up with a new highway alignment that avoids the habitat of all species at risk, including not only the shrew but also the southern red-backed vole.

“It should be moved,” she said, arguing that mitigation is not possible giving the quickly shrinking habitat for these species. “Stop the silliness now and don’t create any more damage.”