Dear editor,As many readers may know, major tree-topping has been proposed (by Transport Canada/Department of National Defence) for the forested area along Kye Bay Road and Wireless Road.What some may not know is the extent to which this will alter/damage the environment for the herons, eagles, and other wildlife that thrive within the area.I purchased a property on Kye Bay Road 25 years ago and felt privileged to live alongside an intact little forest of impressive trees, some 150 years old. A total of 30 trees in this 1.3 acre lot are marked for “topping” (from five to 33 per cent of their height), with a possibility that even more “might be altered in the future” — despite the objections of home owners. Arborists agree that the topping would inevitably lead to trees dying as well as other trees being taken down if they fall due to disease. The survival of the forest is essential for the 85 heron nests (the largest heronry on Vancouver Island) and eagles in an adjacent property.It was only in June of this year that the Department of National Defense (DND) reported that many of these trees (which are grandfathered under the Aeronautical Act), were intruding into the airspace for 19 Wing Comox. Fog, snow, and high winds admittedly could cause safety concerns for pilots, but the trees are not in the flight pathway and have not been considered a problem for the past quarter century.In this technological age, surely there is a solution for flight safety in lieu of destroying this valuable forest? I am very concerned by the fact that DND controls the airspace within a four-kilometre radius of the airport. Could this result in an ever-increasing loss of forest land? I sincerely hope that everyone in the Comox Valley will question whether extensive forest loss can be avoided. I have to believe it can!Margaret Dawson,Kye Bay

Comox Valley Record