To the Editor:
On April 1, I made a trip to Duck Lake to see if the gate was open. It was open. Being busy I couldn’t explore until April 3. Every year for the past 18 or so years, I have made a record of the osprey and eagle nest activities on the east Kootenay River channel.
On the way out before reaching the cross, I noticed a pruning of the trees along the road done with a slashing tool, probably a hydraulic-driven thrashing blade making an absolute mess, and debris left on the roadside. This continued all the way along the cross dike. The amount involved could have been accomplished with a hand pruner.
Upon entering onto the dike and heading north for the six-kilometre trip, it was shocking to see the absolute mess on both sides of the road where this machine had slashed the growth and left the debris on the ground almost, in most cases, blocking access off the dike to explore. There were also large shards that would result in absolute injury to any person or small animal, like a fawn, if falling on it.
The only way I can describe it is absolute physical and esthetic destruction and major loss of bird habitat. This area is as much a conservatory to this valley as Stanley Park is to Vancouver. One can drive and stop at their leisure and enjoy the landscape and nature and not be hassled by other rushing traffic.
Who are these management people that manage the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area who feel they can destroy such a grand locale in our valley? A designated Ramsar site — what a joke.
It is an absolute disgrace to the people of this valley, including me, to allow this to happen. I wish to challenge all our elected representatives — MLA Michelle Mungall, MP Wayne Stetski, Mayor Ron Toyota and all the councillors and, finally, all the Regional District of Central Kootenay directors and chamber of commerce representatives — to circle your wagons and put an end to this nonsense and appoint a public representative to the CVWMA, one of the stature of the retired Steve Bullock, with no academic letters. This is not the first time this has happened. You are elected to protect our limited natural assets in this valley. It is not happening. Get with it before there is nothing left to be proud of.
Wynndel