Forests or Sprawl: A public symposium on the future of 130,000 hectares of CRD wilderness
Victoria - An open, public symposium will be held Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the University of Victoria, at 7 p.m. in Room 159, Fraser Building to discuss issues around the largest land use change in Capital Regional District history, Ray Zimmermann, director of the Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt Society announced today.
"Bylaws are being prepared by the CRD that will allow parts of 130,000 hectares (500 square miles) of forest and wilderness - an area equal to two thirds of the CRD area on Vancouver Island -- to be chopped into two-hectare residential lots." said Zimmermann.
"The CRD board has so far allowed this initiative to progress as though it were of interest only to the few residents and forest landholders of this vast area and as though land use decisions will have no consequences for the CRD as a whole and for all of its residents," added Zimmermann.
The public symposium at UVic will be moderated by Budd Hall, Director of Community-based Research at UVic. Speakers will include Calvin Sandborn, adjunct professor of law at UVic; Richard Hebda, adjunct professor of biology, earth and ocean sciences at UVic; Michael M'Gonigle, eco-research chair in environmental law and policy at UVic; and Ray Zimmermann.
"The only opportunity to halt this sprawl is to inform the public and to encourage all municipal mayors and councillors to demand that the full CRD - not just a committee of the board -- vote on these issues," said Zimmermann.
Sept. 24, 2009
For Immediate Release
