Two interesting events in Langford this week
by Zoe Blunt
 Two interesting events in Langford this week; a public hearing, and the return of the free miners of Bare Mountain.
Mon, February 23, 7 pm: Greenbelt and native sites threatened. South Skirt Mountain Development Public Hearing at Langford City Hall, 877 Goldstream Ave. This latest proposal calls for 2800 condo units and unlimited height towers for the hillside from the Bear Mountain Interchange on Highway 1 up to Bear Mountain Resort.
Condo towers will rise from Florence Lake all the way to Goldstream Park, destroying a huge swath of Victoria's Greenbelt, wildlife habitat and native burial cairns. The development would wipe out half of the remaining "high-value" rare ecosystems on the mountain, like garry oak meadows and arbutus bluffs.
These ecosystems are listed as endangered by the government but there is no protection for them in law. Animals include Great Horned Owls, Screech Owls, Barred Owls, Nighthawks and many many other species. Overall, 60% of the mountain will be blasted and paved for "unlimited height" condo towers.
Come and speak out! More info:
http://insidelangford.ca/2009/02/15/environmental-report-re-south-skirt-mountain/#more-1366
Saturday, February 28, 9:30 am: The Return of the Bare Mountain Bonanza. A day-long expedition with the free miners who hold the mineral rights to Bear Mountain, South Skirt Mountain, the interchange site and beyond. Work crews are staking out the claim, doing GPS surveys and taking rock samples. This is an outdoor event, so folks are bringing picnic lunches, good hiking shoes, a water bottle, rain gear, and warm clothes to stay comfortable. For more info or to RSVP, send a note to zoeblunt@gmail.com.
Volunteer opportunities: we want to produce special T-shirts, buttons and stickers to commemorate the 2010 Olympics, Bare Mountain Bonanza and more. Folks can get in touch to help with that project, future expeditions, fundraising benefits and more.
Our non-profit group Forest Action Network is seeking contributions to fund expeditions, survey endangered ecosystems, and help defend the land. Please support our volunteers - the labour is free, but everything else costs money! ForestAction@gmail.com.
Thank you!
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ZoeBlunt@gmail.com
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