位於加拿大溫哥華美麗西岸的格里夸灣Ahousaht第一民族，與當地塞爾凱克礦業簽署協議，同意該公司在貓面山進行銅礦開採測試的舉動，讓加拿大卑斯省環保人士感到相當訝異。
根據11日的《環球郵報》報導，此協議對於地處偏遠，且已無法再仰賴漁業為生的Ahousaht民族來說，是邁向經濟發展的重要一步，銅礦礦床就位於Ahousaht世襲的土地之中。
但環保人士長久以來努力捍衛貓面山和格里夸灣的森林小丘免受原木砍伐的破壞，現在他們也準備好要對開放採礦，這項將對生態系統造成破壞的行動，進行抗爭。
採礦可不只是一件小工程，為了運銅礦的貨櫃船，還需興建新港口、開闢數個特大型露天礦山、興建接收有毒廢棄物的新水壩和湖泊、串接用來排放有毒灰燼而綿延數十公里的輸送帶、加上柴油發電廠以及新道路的舖設等，勢必都將一一落實，而這些都可在托芬諾和Ahousaht都看得到。
針對貓面山採礦的提議進行超過1年研究的荒野委員會（Wilderness Committee）科學家米勒（Andy Miller），對於此項提案仍抱有疑慮。
米勒表示：「貓面山銅礦已存在了50年，而它未被開發的原因，在於低劣的品質（0.37%的銅品位）和冗長深入地底的缺點（超過350公尺），經濟效益相當微薄。」
與貓面山相當類似的銅礦提案，都出現了相當糟糕的環境記錄，例如位於蒙大拿孤峰的銅礦，就是美國有史以來投入最多經費，進行有毒廢棄物整治行動的礦址，而當地民眾罹癌的比例更高到無法估計。
鄰近華盛頓BC山脈的銅礦已摧毀草倫(Tsolum)河域的僅有的5種鮭魚品種。
但塞爾凱克礦業的開發經理奇沃(Graham Keevil)卻向《環球郵報》表示，他們認為在貓面山地底下約有1億5千萬公噸的銅礦量，是地球上銅礦礦床最為豐富的地區之一。
British Columbia environmentalists are appalled that the Ahousaht First Nation of Clayoquot Sound on the scenic west coast of Vancouver has signed an agreement with Vancouver-based Selkirk Metals to test drill for copper on Catface Mountain.
Reported today in the "Globe and Mail," the agreement is a step towards economic development for the remote Ahousaht band, who can no longer depend on fishing for survival. The copper deposit is on traditional lands of the Ahousaht.
But environmentalists fought long and hard to preserve Catface Mountain and the forested hills of Clayoquot Sound from logging, and they are ready to fight again to prevent open pit copper mining from damaging this ecosystem.
If mining takes place, plans include the development of a new port for container ships, several giant open pit mines, new dams and lakes to contain the most toxic waste products, kilometers of conveyor belts that can emit toxic dust, diesel generator power stations, and roads - all visible from the town of Tofino and from Ahousaht.
Andy Miller, staff scientist at the Wilderness Committee, who has been studying the Catface mine proposal for over a year, is also concerned.
"The Catface copper deposit has been known to exist for 50 years," he said. "The reason it was never developed is that it is economically marginal because the copper is of such low quality (0.37 percent copper), so diffuse, and so deep under-ground (up to 350 metres)."
Copper mines similar to that proposed at Catface have horrible environmental records. The Copper Mines at Butte Montana, for example, are the site of the largest and most expensive toxic waste cleanup in United States history, and cancer rates are off the charts.
The copper mine at nearby Mt. Washington, BC wiped out all five species of salmon in the Tsolum River.
But Graham Keevil, Selkirk's business development manager, told the "Globe and Mail" that the company believes about 155 million metric tonnes of copper lies beneath the surface of Catface Mountain, making it one of the richest copper deposits on Earth.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
