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December
21, 2008
Hello All
Some notes of development . . . The Three Rivers
Project needs your support. I had the
opportunity to paddle down the Bonnet Plume - one
of the Three Rivers - some time
ago. There are very few spots like this left in
Canada - pristine, remote, clean and
clear. Without proper planning initiative, lands
like this are lost to development
and mining interests. There has been a 500%
increase in mining operation claims in
the watershed over the past four years.
Follow the link to the CPAWS
site and click on "Three Rivers Project"
then "What can I do to help?"
Consider sending
input to the Peel Watershed Land Use Planning
Commission and Yukon Government at three critical
times.
- Now: The Peel
Watershed Land Use Planning Commission needs
to hear people want large protected areas in
the Peel watershed. The entire tributary
watersheds of the Three Rivers (the Wind,
Snake, Bonnet Plume) and Hart River are
pristine and therefore invaluable to wildlife,
traditional values and wilderness tourism.
This input is needed now to ensure there is a
conservation theme in all the scenarios they
are presently creating.
- February 2009
when the Commission releases planning
scenarios for public
consultation, they need to hear strong support
for a conservation scenario.
- In March 2009
when the Commission distributes a draft Peel
land use plan for
consultation the public needs to support a
plan that is conservation-based.
The Three Rivers
may be 1000s of miles away from where you live but
that doesn't
mean you can't have an impact on decisions.
The other item of note is the positive
developments in the Georgian Bay Coastal
Trail project. For those who don't know, our
mandate is to develop a rugged coastal
hiking trail alongside the east coast of Georgian
Bay north of Pointe au Baril to
the French River as part of a shared vision of
sustainable ecotourism within the
Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve - similar to the
famous West Coast trail of
Vancouver Island.
We have been fortunate to have financial support
through the grant process of
$13,000 from Mountain Equipment Coop and funds
from the East Georgian Bay
Stewardship Committee. This will kick-start the
Feasibility Study and the help move
this project forward.
Today is the first day of winter . . . hard to
believe since we only have had about six
feet so far in Muskoka so it seems like it has
been winter since the middle of
November.
Happy Solstice and
have a Merry Ho Ho.
David |
