The British Columbia government is carving land from a park for the Northwest Transmission Line, a project the mining industry has said it needs to increase development.

Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Park will lose 10.5 hectares, under amendments to the Protected Areas of B.C. Act introduced in the B.C. legislature on May 19.

"The western route of the Northwest Transmission Line requires the use of lands in Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Park," said a government explanation. "The Nisga'a Lisims Government supported the western route and has consented to amending the boundary of the park to facilitate construction of the Northwest Transmission Line."

The province shouldn't be taking even small amounts of land from parks for development, said Gwen Barlee, policy director for the wilderness committee.

"It's always a concern when a protected area is compromised due to development pressures," she said. The Northwest Transmission Line in paricular "will see a lot of environmental degradation take place due to subsidized mines and unchecked private power projects," she said.

"Eighty-six per cent of BC is already open for development, you would hope that industry could stay out of the remaining 14 per cent," she said.

The project received its environmental assessment certificate on Feb. 23 and got its federal environmental approval on May 6.

Created in 1992 and expanded in 1995, Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Park is 179 square kilometres. It is jointly managed by the provincial and Nisga'a governments.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.