The G-8 summit will cause no lasting harm to the fragile Kananaskis ecosystem, says a newly released federal environmental impact assessment.
The report says the many "green" measures being taken by G-8 security and other summit officials will be enough to avoid lasting impact or harm to the region.
"I've got a lot of confidence that the whole Kananaskis summit will be conducted in a safe manner with no significant impact on the environment," said G-8 environmental director Bruce Leeson.
The summit will take place June 26 and 27 at Kananaskis Village, a collection of resort hotels nestled in the Rocky Mountains about 115 kilometres west of Calgary.
Environmentalists complain world summits have no place in fragile natural areas such as Kananaskis.
Stephan Legault, spokesman for Wildcanada.net, said "a better location for the summit would have been Calgary or Ottawa."
Legault and others are concerned about the impact of thousands of police and Canadian Forces soldiers patrolling the forests of K-Country during the summit.
The environmental assessment, however, recognizes that troops will be trained to identify and avoid wildlife and fragile plants.
They have also been trained on how to react during close encounters with grizzly bears, elk, cougars and other large mammals.
As much as possible, G-8 officials said security members are using existing structures for their command posts.
Troops stationed deep in the woods must carry out everything they bring into the wild areas, including personal body waste.
Security team members -- and indeed all G-8 visitors to Kananaskis -- are required to practise the three environmental Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle.
"We want to make sure the impact G-8 security will have on this area will be minimal," said RCMP Cpl. Kevin Beson, the force's G-8 environmental expert.
"Hopefully, at the end of the day, this place will be as beautiful and pristine as it is now."
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