Editor: Re: Gloucester neighbours hope to put brakes on truck park proposal (Langley Times July 6, 2016).
A recent incident in the wetlands in Gloucester Industrial Estates underlines the importance of the Township’s call for an Integrated Storm-water Management Plan (ISWMP) for the entire West Creek watershed.
During alterations to a flood control valve, a significant number of salmonids, which are protected under the Fisheries Act, went through a pump and their remains were flushed out onto the bank.
The incident was reported to the Department of Fisheries for action and although the harm to these fish could probably have been avoided with some preliminary study of the pond denizens, it confirmed the fact that salmon definitely live and thrive in the streams and tributaries that form the headlands of the sensitive West Creek watershed.
The proposal for a truck parking, trailer storage/staging facility that is currently being considered by the Township is one of the least environmentally friendly uses for land this close to a fish-bearing stream and the wildlife habitat surrounding it.
We feel it is imperative that this proposal be put on hold until such time as the ISWMP and all pertinent environmental impact studies are completed.
Furthermore, any future development in this important watershed should only be undertaken in accordance with the most current regulations, offering maximum protection for our environment.
We expect excellence.
Robert Puls, president
Langley Field Naturalists
