URGENT – Your help is desperately needed! PLEASE e-mail YOUR SCRD representative on the SCRD board requesting that the SCRD file a “notice of appeal” with the BC Appeals Court.
Last Friday I spent the return trip from Vancouver discussing the watershed issues and the LBH order and appeal with SCRD director Lee Turnbull (My SCRD representative for West Howe Sound Area “F”).
My impression from the conversation was that unless the residents quite literally “pour in” hundreds of e-mails over the next few days (prior to Thursday, November 1st, 2007) to the SCRD board, there is a very strong possibility that the SCRD will not change their earlier decision “not to appeal” and instead file a “notice to appeal” similar to what the Sunshine Coast Conservation Associated has done. (See SCCA press release – click here)
My impression is further strengthened by an e-mail yesterday from Dan Bouman, Executive Director, SCCA who states in his e-mail “a little bird” told him unless the SCRD receives significant public input requesting that the SCRD reverse their earlier decision not to appeal the ruling, then there is a strong likelihood, the SCRD will not be swayed by the public attending last weeks SCRD board meeting.
So, please send your e-mail message to the following e-mail addresses using strong language that you expect the SCRD and your own SCRD representative especially, to join with the SCCA and other respondents in “appealing” the BC Supreme Court ruling. See list of SCRD directors at: http://www.scrd.bc.ca/the_board.html
There was some confusion over which e-mail address to use last week, so I would suggest that you use both. Send your e-mail to info@scrd.bc.ca (Lee Turnbull informed me that all e-mails sent to this address MUST be counted and recorded by SCRD staff) and send the other copy to watersheds@scrd.ca
WATERSHED e-mail addresses. (Send to both to be sure your e-mail is received and counted)
OR
use the address in the box at http://yourwatershed.com/contacts.html
as it sets up an email to both.
I wish we didn’t have to report this information received today from Digital Debbie. In this weeks Coast Reporter, my letter to the Editor was printed where I repeated the quotes made by Duncan Kerr regarding the fact that WFP was not going to go back in and harvest the remaining Old Growth trees on the 60% steep slopes because it was “to cost prohibitive”.
Well that was another piece of mis-information! WFP have gone back in and taken out the remaining old growth trees. Digital Debbie will be releasing the video footage early next week, of this further devastation to our watershed and old growth 1,000 year old trees.
So if nothing else, this is yet another reason why we should demand that the SCRD appeal the ruling and respect the wishes of the community.
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, another example of Corporate greed and insensitivity to the Community
=========================================================================
Copy
of Digital Debbie’s e-mail:
Western
Forest Products HAS gone back in and CUT the rest of the STEEP SLOPES!
Did a fly over of the cut blocks Friday morning with the intention of
documenting the top cuts.
The cuts on the steep slopes appeared bigger from the air so...
Spent Friday until after dark and Saturday going into these cut blocks and
documenting this.
The cuts are devastating.
Video will be up on You Tube beginning of the week
but figured everyone should know now!
The announcement by Western that they would not be going back into the steep
areas was a smoke screen for everyone to let their defenses down....
All the more reason to back the appeal!
Forcing a cheer,
Debbi
So please take the time to e-mail NOW the SCRD and please forward this e-mail to has many friends, family, neighbors as you can. We really need a “huge response” to this e-mail request.
A bit of an aside, in the Saturday’s Vancouver Sun, last page of the “C” section, there is a “full page” ad paid for by the Royal Bank of Canada, where the Bank has set up a 10 year $50 million plan to fund global solutions for the preservation, conservation and access to fresh water. The RBC Blue Water Project will supply grants to local and global organizations to help improve access to fresh water, to SUPPORT WATERSHED PRESERVATION, to fund advocacy and research. These funds will be made available to registered societies, associations, etc. We will discuss this opportunity with our SCCA and also West Coast Environmental Law Society.
The events over the summer will probably make our Sunshine Coast Community a strong candidate for receiving some funding under the RBC program. This would greatly help in our legal battle and associated costs.
Regards
John Bebbington