LAST HOURS OF BIDDING

ARTIST SUSAN FALK WITH HER WORK "MCLELLAN FOREST"

You have less than six hours to put in your bid for the Susan Falk painting now being sold in silent auction. Bidding ends at midnight tonight. Remember if the winning bid is at or over 2000 dollars the winner will receive an autographed copy of David Suzuki's book "Tree A Life Story". Bidding is currently at $450.00.

Send your bids to Susan Falk at  susanjfalk@shaw.ca  .

DAVID SUZUKI

Watchers of Langley Forests is pleased to announce that it recently received two autographed copies from David Suzuki of his book "Tree A Life Story" . This winner of the Canadian Science Writers Association Award was co-authored with Wayne Grady and illustrated by Robert Bateman.. Both books have an inscription in them from David Suzuki that reads in part "Thank you for supporting WOLF"

 An accompanying letter from Dr. Suzuki's assistant reads in part;

"Please keep up the great work, Dr. Suzuki is always delighted to hear about the great work of groups like yours and though he is unable to visit you personally he is always there with you in spirit."

WOLF would like to thank Dr. Suzuki for his generous gift. It will help greatly in our fundraising. WOLF understands the constraints that Dr. Suzuki has on his time and attention. We hope to report to him one day that we have been successful in saving all of the Mclellan Forest East.

As regular readers of this blog will know since mid January WOLF has been auctioning off by silent auction a painting by artist Susan Falk. .Funds raised will go towards our general expenses. This silent auction concludes at the end of February. WOLF is pleased to announce that should the winning  bid for the the painting be $2000 or more WOLF will give one of the autographed books without further cost to the winning bidder.

People can give their bids in person at the Fort Gallery or by sending their bids to Susan Falk at susanjfalk@shaw.ca. 

Please remember that bids should be made in increments of fifty dollars. There are only eight days to go until bidding concludes so act soon. Better yet ACT NOW. By doing so you could not only become a proud owner of a beautiful painting and an autographed book by an eminent Canadian but you will be helping Watchers of Langley Forests speak up for the forests of Langley Township.

Respectfully
Kirk Robertson
Chair
Watchers of Langley Forests

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT LETTER

On December 10 a member of WOLF received a letter from the provincial Ministry of the Environment regarding the Mclellan Forest East or the Gray Pit Lands. This letter was presented to Township Council at the Council meeting that night. Due to some technical issues it has not been accessible to the general public until now. Most recently the letter was featured in Global News story featured in the blog post below. We hope that the image is large enough to read.

The letter was written after a survey of the property by Ministry officials and after the Ministry was provided with  a number of relevant documents.. As you can read the letter identifies the property as having "high ecological value" and being an "high acquisition priority" but "Unfortunately the Ministry of Environment is unable to contribute" .

WOLF urges members of the public to write to the Minister of the Environment  Terry Lake. Given the Township Council's failure to heed this and other documents identifying this property as having environmental value the involvement of the Provincial Government may be the only thing that could save this ecological gem.
NOTE Although the letter refers to the "Langley Forest" it should be clear by it's description as being east of 257A street that it is referring to the land variously know as Mclellan Forest East or the Gray Pit Lands.

Global News Story on Protecting Our Natural Heritage

UPDATE: You can read the Ministry of Environment letter mentioned in this report here.

THE LEAST THAT CAN BE DONE

Watchers of Langley Forests Society (WOLF)

RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS NEEDED IF PROPERTIES ARE TO BE SOLD! Township of Langley Council announced their intention on Monday to sell 10 acres of McLellan Park Forest plus an additional 10 acres of the adjoining Grey Pit. The Township of Langley did not discuss their final plans with any members of WOLF prior to making this decision and announcement. The 10 acres of the McLellan Park Forest that you have been working hard to protect is the most easterly section located off of 260th Street. This section of the forest is more wetland and bog habitat. It is the intersection of these wetlands and the drier, more trail friendly conifer sections to the west that has been identified as potential habitat to species at risk such as the Pacific Water Shrew, Oregon Spotted Frog and even possible nesting sites for the Great Blue Heron. This 10 acres is currently configured as two - 5 acre lots and COULD BE SOLD AT ANY TIME!  If the Township of Langley Council is at all serious about PROTECTING habitat for SPECIES AT RISK then they must place RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS  prior to the sale of these properties. These restrictive covenants are the bare minimum that is required to ensure that this valuable remnant of a once abundant ecosystem is preserved. Several Council members and even one local builder/developer have tried to assure members of WOLF that all care will be taken to protect the forest even while development of these lots and the construction of new homes takes place. If that is truly the case then Council, potential developers and future buyers of these properties will also want to ensure that the critical habitat for species at risk has not been destroyed and they will also want to guarantee that these habitats are protected in the future by placing an appropriate restrictive covenant on them prior to their sale. Please contact the Mayor and Council today! Let them know that you demand that HABITAT FOR SPECIES AT RISK MUST BE PROTECTED. Insist that, if they are determined to sell these properties, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS must first be added to the properties. Thank you for your continued assistance and support! Watchers of Langley Forests

Copyright © 2013 Watchers of Langley Forests Society (WOLF), All rights reserved.

COUNCIL FAILS

As you can read below the Township Council voted Monday to sell two of the lots of the forest that were already for sale as well as two lots that were not for sale. This would be all the lots along 260th. All the lots along 257A are to be preserved. The Township is presenting this as an acceptable compromise. It is not. The forest is a whole ecosystem and must be preserved as such. When you loose half a forest in size you get something less than half a forest. This land has been identified by the provincial Ministry of Environment as having regional ecological significance and as being an important candidate for an ecological reserve. The Council is aware that Minister of Environment has been asked to get involved in order to save this property. Rather than adding their voice  to ours  they have chosen to ignore these issues. This is not any kind of balance that respects the environment. This is lip service.

Let the Mayor know what you think.

Please continue to write to the Minister of the Environment. Barring Township Council changing their mind only timely intervention from the provincial government can save this forest now.

More soon.

Press Release from Township of Langley

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Monday, January 28, 2013

GLEN VALLEY LAND SALE: STATEMENT FROM MAYOR JACK FROESE

I am pleased to announce that Council made a decision during tonight’s in-camera meeting regarding the sale of the east Glen Valley properties commonly known as Gray Pit. After much deliberation, Council decided that the Township will keep all of the parcels to the west along 257A Street – totaling 25 acres, more than half of the total property – while authorizing the sale of the four lots to the east along 260 Street. This decision comes after hearing much input from the community, from people passionate about preserving these lands. Council agreed that this forested land is an important and valuable environmental area and is significant to our community. The area being retained is the treed portion of the former gravel pit site and remediation work will be done to the property where necessary and Council may consider designating as parkland in the future. Of the four eastern lots to be sold, the sale of the two lots to the north will proceed immediately. Improvements to and remediation of the two lots of the south will be made before those can be sold. In the meantime, Council has also authorized the use of borrowing from other Township surplus and reserves, including short term borrowing of less than five years, to fund the Aldergrove Community Centre until the land sales occur. Staff has been directed to allocate $1.5 million per year from the Township’s annual surplus to the Land Reserve Fund for five years. This follows Council’s decision in July not to sell 21 acres along 84 Avenue, between 252 and 254 Street, commonly known as McLellan Forest. Now, in total, nearly 50 acres of Glen Valley land will be retained, and approximately 20 will be marketed. This was an issue that truly mobilized the community and Council was grateful for your contributions and input. With this decision, we feel we have struck a balance between retaining environmentally significant land that residents have shown is a much valued resource and the need to raise funds for a new recreation centre for the community.