WATERSHED UPDATE – April 17th,2008

 

The following letter was sent by the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association to the Sechelt Indian Band, thanking the band for being consistent over many years in taking a leadership position of “protecting the drinking watersheds” on behalf of all Sunshine Coast residents.

 

 

LETTER TO THE SIB

 

 

April 15, 2008

 

 

Sechelt Indian Band

5555 Highway 101

Sechelt, BC, V0N3A0

604 885-3490 (fax)

 

Regarding:  Selection of Interim Measures and Watershed Protection

 

Dear Chief and Council,

 

We are writing today on behalf of the membership of the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association to say thank you for your recent initiative to protect the Chapman and Gray community watersheds by nominating this area for “interim protection” as part of the land use negotiations between the Sechelt First Nation and British Columbia.

 

It is apparent to us, and we hope it is apparent to everyone, that there are highly significant benefits for the entire Sunshine Coast community inherent in the reconciliation of British Columbia with the Sechelt Nation.

 

Again, we thank you for your consistent approach, over many years, to management and protection of this critical resource area which is so important to the daily lives of the vast majority of residents of the Sunshine Coast.

 

 

Yours truly,

 

Daniel Bouman, Executive Director

Brad Benson, Co-chair

Gail Riddell, Co-chair

 

Sunshine Coast Conservation Association

 

cc

 

Hon. Gordon Campbell, Premier of BC

Hon. Pat Bell, Minister, Agriculture and Lands

Nicholas Simons, MLA

Sunshine Coast Regional District

Powell River Regional District

Town of Gibsons

District of Sechelt

The Coast Reporter

The Local

The Peak

 

 

 

 

The attached “draft document” contains several “principles” and “recommendations” aimed at “improving” the current situation as it relates to the “process of community involvement” with respect to the Sechelt Community Forest (CF).

This Document will be discussed in detail at a meeting with several residents and the CF advisory committee on May 6th,2008

 

Many residents feel that the present process is not working, as evidenced by the recent need to “blockade” the tree spacing program which had been started by the CF in the Chapman Creek watershed. Had there been adequate public consultation and involvement prior to starting the tree spacing project, perhaps there might have been no need to “protest” or “blockade” the activities of the CF.

 

Several residents will be meeting with the CF advisory committee (this is the official arm of the CF that represents the public input) and the objective is to try to develop a better method for public input to “shape” the direction and provide community input to the CF activities.

 

Since the watershed lands have now been placed “off limits” due to the “interim protection of these lands” requested by the SIB, the CF is in the process of obtaining “replacement lands”. While this process is still underway, perhaps now is a good time to provide the CF with some input from the community regarding all sensitive and important areas on the Sunshine Coast.

 

Towards this objective, if you can spare a few minutes to review the “principles” and “recommendations” outlined in the attached document and provide any comments, ideas, suggestions, improvements, etc that you might have, all of this would be most welcomed.

 

You can e-mail your feedback to myself directly and I will organize and summarize the information prior to our May 6th,2008 meeting with the CF

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this “draft document” and hopefully the information will help put back the “community” into our Community Forest.

 

Regards

 

John Bebbington