WATERSHED UPDATE – November 5th,2007
The issue regarding the land grab by WFP is “heating up” in Victoria. The following article gives some idea of what’s beginning to happen and the pressure is building in the Premier’s office.
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Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
VICTORIA -- The University of Victoria's Environmental Law Clinic has asked the provincial auditor-general to investigate the government's decision to allow Western Forest Products to take private lands out of tree-farm licences on Vancouver Island without public consultation or compensation.
The law clinic, acting for the Sea to Sea Greenbelt Society and supported by taxpayers, unions, first nations and recreational groups, wants an opinion from acting auditor-general Errol Price on whether the public has suffered an economic or environmental loss.
"On the face of it, it doesn't seem to be very prudent management," said Calvin Sandborn, the clinic's legal director. "It's great for Western Forest Products, but not for the workers and local residents and environmentalists and people in urban planning and surfers and first nations."
The private lands question came to a head this week with Western Forest Products' conditional sale to developer Ender Ilkay of 1,800 hectares in several parcels west of Victoria -- around Shirley, Jordan River, Jacob Creek, Muir Creek and the Sooke Potholes.
Sales of the spectacular waterfront and forested land, including the Jordan River campsite and surfing beach, are a windfall for the forestry company, according to the law clinic.
"Government's apparent failure to obtain compensation from WFP and to adequately protect public interests threatened by the deletions suggests there has been uneconomic, inefficient and ineffective management of public resources," says the law clinic's audit request.
Another perspective from a gentleman named Loren Duncan whose e-mail reached my inbox today.
Not since Robert Sommers was
Minister of Forests(1955), have we seen a stench like this rise from the bowels
of the Ministry of Forests, and by inflection the governing party.
Something does not smell right about this decision, the public can smell it
clearly...and it smells
similar to the days of Minister Sommers mischief.
An astute and studied observer of politics counseled me once:
"There are no accidents in the universe" ...and that is particularly
true for politics.
Cheers, Loren Duncan
Finally, here is an excellent opportunity to send your very own personal message to Premier Campbell and let him know just exactly how you feel about not only the WFP (Jordan River) land grab but also how you feel you and this community has been treated by his government this past summer regarding WFP and the Chapman Creek watershed. Please click on the web address below and you can add your name to the “petition” against the WFP land grab issue.
http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/en/jordan_river_petition
Send your e-mail to the Premier and let him know what you think or feel about how he is treating our community and the rest of the Province with these land deals and refusing to protect our drinking water.
I would appreciate hearing back from any and all residents who think that we should perhaps “demand” a Town Hall Meeting with the Premier (or his designate) to have the Province explain to our Community, just exactly what the Province either intends to do, or is in the process of doing, to provide our Community with legal protection of our drinking water.
I feel that after all that the Community has done this past few months in trying to protect our drinking water, the very least Premier Campbell can do, is come to our Community and explain himself. We are all BC taxpayers and we deserve to have a opportunity to voice our concerns to the Province and hear what the government has in store for us, one way or another. This is only right and fair.
I would be interested in hearing your viewpoint on this suggestion. I believe that if sufficient numbers of residents were to agree with this idea, and make our feelings known to the SCRD Chair, then we would stand a good chance our demands would have to be met by the Province for a “Town Hall Meeting”.
Please provide me with your feedback, it will be most welcomed.
Regards
John Bebbington