Breaking: Juan de Fuca "Sprawl from Hell" Passes First Vote: Boycott, protest camps planned
by Victoria Forest Action Network
The
worst-case
scenario
is here.
On July 13. four Capital Regional
District representatives gave first approval to a massive vacation-home
complex on the boundary of Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Park between China
Beach and Sombrio Beach.
This "gang of four" (from Langford, Sooke,
Colwood, and Juan de Fuca; known as "Land Use Committee A") gave first
and second reading to bylaw 3783 for 270 private homes, businesses, and
lodges along 7 kilometers of the park.
Besides wrecking the trail and
destroying wildlife, this plan makes a mockery of the regional growth
strategy and opens former forestlands to urban sprawl on a scale never
seen before.
The plan goes to a public hearing, then back to Committee A for third
reading and adoption. CRD staff will announce the public hearing date —
probably sometime in August. We'll send the details the moment we have
them. That hearing is the last opportunity for public comment on the
resort, so let's make it a good one!
All 2500 people who signed the
petitions, sent postcards, and emailed directors and the province should
come on down to the hall. It'll be like a house party with everyone
together in one big room!
We had hoped for a democratic solution. But Land Use Committee A has
turned its back on the public (as several directors noted) and no
democratic solution is possible. So now we start on the practical
solutions.
Get out in the woods. RSVP (or suggest your own dates) Zoe@wildcoast.ca or 250-813-3569
- This Saturday, July 16, 10 am-3 pm – Day hike near Bear Beach.
Explore near phase 1 of the proposed vacation home complex. View
flagging tape, photograph natural features, and look for minerals (FAN
supporters own the mineral rights.)
- BC Day weekend, Saturday July 30- Monday August 1: Wild Coast Field
Training Camp, Port Renfrew. Learn and share wilderness tips, campaign
strategies, questions and answers about tactics, Tree Climbing 101, and
more. Free camping with some indoor accommodations at a large cabin on
old-growth acreage on the scenic San Juan River.
- Coming in September: Wild Coast Field Camp – two weeks of deep ecology in the wild forest. Stay in touch, more info is coming.
Dates are FLEXIBLE. Forest Action Network now has a full-time field
coordinator in Port Renfrew. So let us know when you'd like to visit and
study wildlife, map ecosystems, or paddle on the river.
What's at stake
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people flock to Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Park to glimpse bears, elk, cougars, seals, sea lions, otters, mink, eagles, herons, and wild animals of all kinds.
The 47-km wilderness trail starts an hour west of Victoria at China
Beach, passes through Sombrio Beach and Loss Creek, and winds up at
Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew. The 150-meter-wide coastal park
features breathtaking scenery, amazing old-growth forests, and remote
rocky beaches.
All this is threatened by a massive resort and vacation home
development. West Vancouver real-estate baron Ender Ilkay has applied to
build 267 vacation homes, complete with septic fields, reservoirs, paved roads, and a helipad,
on private land along the park boundary. A total of 17 km of trail
between China Beach and Sombrio Beach would be permanently damaged by
erosion, clearcuts, human impact, and loss of wildlife.
Worse, the developer is taking advantage of a loophole that gives full decision-making power
to a five-member subcommittee of the Capital Regional District (CRD).
Land Use Committee "A" has never seen a development proposal it didn’t approve immediately, and all the evidence indicates this one is no different.
Indigenous elders of the Pacheedaht First Nation are calling for a moratorium on development
in their traditional territory until treaty claims are settled. Forest
Action Network, Dogwood Initiative, the Wilderness Committee, Sierra
Club, and Protect Our Parks Alliance have joined the elders to demand
permanent solutions to stop destructive development.
Our legal fund may be the last line of defense for
the Juan de Fuca trail. Please support habitat preservation and due
process - contribute to the fund by clicking the PayPal button (top) or
by mail:
Forest Action Network, c/o Underhill Boies-Parker
1127 Fort Street, Victoria BC, V9C 4A1
Every dollar goes to the cause — we have no paid staff or office overhead. Thank you!
Check our action page for more events and actions to stop stupid sprawl and save our forests.
View maps and photos of the proposed Juan de Fuca resort plan on Flickr
Did you hear the one about the tree-huggers who bought up the mining rights to the Juan de Fuca resort properties?
That was us! Now no one can threaten to open a mine on the park
boundary if the resort plan is rejected. Read the whole story at Vancouver Media Co-op.
How does your local land-use committee make decisions? Land-use committees are supposed
to listen to the public and make intelligent choices that uphold the
community plan and benefit the whole region. But then there's the Juan
de Fuca committee! Want to see what actually happens in these meetings? Brace yourself.
View funny photos and captions at Marine Trail Resort Reviews and Photobucket.
Sprawling resort would damage Juan de Fuca trail
Warning! West Vancouver developer Ender Ilkay is
planning a big new resort along Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Park. The
latest version of the plan calls for 263 cabins, three lodges, paved
roads, and septic fields on the steep Pacific slope. Over the next 12
years, blasting and bulldozing within meters of the park would damage up
to 16 kilometers of the Juan de Fuca trail between China Beach and
Sombrio.
Right: Survey stake on the Juan de Fuca Trail marks
Ilkay's private property. The park is less than 250 meters wide, and the
volunteer-built trail crosses onto Ilkay's property in several places.
(Photo: John Hasell.) Left: flagging tape shows a proposed road in the deep forest along the Juan de Fuca trail. (Photo: Alysha Tylynn Jones.) View the full set of maps and photos on Flickr
Ilkay wants to take advantage of a process that gives five people
the power to make decisions about Juan de Fuca. The mayors of Langford,
Colwood, Sooke, and Metchosin, plus regional director Mike Hicks, make
up Land-Use Committee A.
Left: hikers on the Juan de Fuca trail. Right: Proposed site of vacation homes and septic fields on a steep slope 200 meters from the trail. (Photo: Alysha Tylynn Jones)
**THANK YOU for telling the regional government what you think about
sprawl in the Juan de Fuca forestlands of the Wild Coast. Director John
Ranns, mayor of Metchosin, reports he received ONE THOUSAND emails and
letters about the proposal. How many like the idea of vacation homes at
the park? Ranns says, "Three."
Community groups are taking action to stop this proposal.
* Forest Action Network
* Dogwood Initiative
* Wilderness Committee
* Protect Our Parks Coalition
* Sierra Club of BC
* Council of Canadians
Right: A volunteer stands over a hole dug by developers to test soil drainage for a future septic field, 200 m from Juan de Fuca Trail. (Photo: Alysha Tylynn Jones.) Left: Elk on the Juan de Fuca trail. (Photo: Jeff Danielson.)
Note: The developer has presented three different
"development concepts" to the public at different times. This one from
October 2010 shows two of the seven development properties adjacent to
(and on top of) the Juan de Fuca trail. Another "development concept"
supposedly leaves this parcel intact, but the developer still wants
rezoning that would allow dozens of cabins on the existing trail.
Shown: Juan de Fuca trail (green line), proposed
roads (grey lines), proposed cabins (black dots), perc pits for future
septic systems (blue dots). Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Park is dark
green. Private property is red and light green. Click the map to view full-size. Click here for the whole set. Map: John Hasell.
Read the official project report (large pdf)
Please pass it on. Thank you!
Forest Action Network, Dogwood Initiative, Wilderness Committee, Protect Our Parks, Sierra Club,
Sea to Sea Greenbelt Society, Jordan River Community Association, and
Jordan River Steering Committee have joined with students and local
communities to make a super-group! Our goal: save the Juan de Fuca
Trail, stop urban sprawl, and restore sanity to land-use planning on the
south Island.
Where we stand: Vancouver Island's natural heritage
Mapping the Wild Coast
Students and community groups are working together for a new land-use
vision on the south coast of Vancouver Island. The community mapping
project focuses on the public's interest in preserving forestlands,
rivers, and creeks. From Port Renfrew to Sooke and beyond, residents and
visitors can witness the far-reaching effects of clearcut logging on
the landscape, water, and wildlife. Support our work mapping old-growth
groves and special places before it's too late.
Thanks to all these good folks, without whom this work would not be possible:
This work is carried out with the aid of a grant from the Freedonia Cooperation.
Special thanks to Mountain Equipment Co-operative for its generous support of the Wild Coast Mapping Project.
Evidence of karst found at Avatar Grove
Fragile geology may require protection under the law
Go here to view the map. Go here to read more about the grove.
July 14, 2010 - There's more than meets the eye in Avatar Grove. This
strange forest of twisted giants near Port Renfrew, BC may be home to
ecologically-sensitive karst (limestone formations) as well as huge
gnarly trees. Researchers with Vancouver Island Community Forest Action
Network (VIC FAN ) have documented landscape features that appear to be
karst bluffs or outcrops and karst streams.
"If our initial karst survey is confirmed, we have a compelling case
for permanently protecting this grove," said Shayn McAskin, mapping
coordinator for VIC FAN.
The surprise discovery could halt plans to log the massive, gnarled
trees on Crown land along the Gordon River two hours west of Victoria.
"I expect we'll find the largest trees are growing on karst terrain,
and they should be protected by the 2010 provincial order for karst,"
McAskin said.
McAskin, a second-year environmental technology student at Camosun
College, spotted limestone formations during a VIC FAN field trip to the
grove in June. Subsequent research turned up evidence of karst
potential from first-hand observation and in provincial geology maps.
VIC FAN director Zoe Blunt said, "We have advised Teal Jones, the
company that was planning to log the grove, about the consequences of
damaging protected karst features. They have all the information we've
gathered so far, and we'll be following up with more detailed reports as
the surveys continue."
New map is a community project
A resident of Langford, McAskin is the author and primary researcher
for the Baird Creek/Avatar Grove map, released today by the Wild Coast
Mapping Project and VIC FAN. Two dozen students and Island residents
have contributed their time and energy to this grassroots project so far
this year. The map initiative aims to cover the southwest coast of
Vancouver Island from Sooke to Port Renfrew, relying largely on local
knowledge and first-hand observation to highlight world-record-size
trees, salmon and trout habitat, drinking watersheds, rare species, and
recreation areas.
Forest Action Network’s mapping project is carried out with the
generous support of a community involvement grant from Mountain
Equipment Co-op.
Langford Development: Out of control
Update: The verdict is in - a split decision on Langford's abuse of power. Thanks for all the support!
In March 2010, the BC Supreme Court heard our challenge to aggressive
development in Langford. The proposed South Skirt Mountain development,
like its neighbour Bear Mountain Resort, would destroy 5,000-year-old
native sites and untouched garry oak and arbutus ecosystems. Langford
city council suppressed archeology assessments of the site, bullied and
abused citizens at a public hearing, and refused to allow discussion
about the unfunded "Bridge to Nowhere" - an integral part of the
development.
Two sacred caves have already been destroyed by Bear Mountain Resort and the Bear Mountain Interchange.
Vancouver Island Community Forest Action Network, a local non-profit
environmental group, petitioned BC Supreme Court to quash the bylaw for
due process violations.
Western Forest Products Open House "Hijacked"
Western Forests Products, the company attempting to turn thousands of
hectares of forest land into subdivision development, held an open
house on September 9, 2008 in the town of Shirley, BC.
VIC FAN volunteers, along with members of Dogwood Initiative and
other environmental activists from the region took control of the event
and turned it into a public meeting, a move the media has been calling
'guerrilla organizing'.
Hundreds attended this spontaneous rally, demanding that WFP withdraw
their subdivision application and help facilitate more public
participation in forest land management decisions.
For its part, WFP sent a lone representative to its own event; chief
operating officer Duncan Kerr, who is slowly learning that destruction
of forest lands in this region is something the public will not
tolerate.
VIC FAN volunteers are committed to keeping this issue in the public
eye, collecting comments, information, scientific data, and being on the
ground to witness the violations that this company are committing, such
as unapproved subdivision work in the Sandcut Creek area.
Keep visiting this site for the latest on this issue.
See the mainstream media's story of VIC FAN's 'guerrilla organizing'.
Forest Land or Urban Sprawl? Who decides?
We are walking along the bed of a stream older than any European
settlement on this island. The water is clear and bright, I dip my cup
in and feel perfectly refreshed. We are on the site of a proposed
suburban development put forward by Western Forest Products near Jordan
River. Although the project has yet to be approved work appears to be
continuing here none the less. We reach some flagging tape marking the
point where WFP wishes to put a residential street, one of many that
will crisscross this stream.
The CRD has passed a bylaw that prevents the subdivision of this land
into small parcels specifically to prevent this type of development,
however Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong sat on it just long enough for
WFP to get their land use application in. They have therefore saved
themselves from these conditions through a grandfather clause.
-Lucho
For an overview of the Jordan River Land Transfer Controversy, visit www.savejordanriver.com
VIC FAN: On The Ground in Juan de Fuca
VIC FAN volunteers have joined the broad coalition of First Nations,
environmental, community, recreational and business groups that have
been working to stop the subdivision of thousands of hectares of forest
in the Juan de Fuca forestlands.
VIC FAN's work in the field enhances and supports the work being done
to protect these forests by surveying the lands on the ground,
identifying species and risk and compiling scientific data and public
testimonials.
VIC FAN volunteers make regular excursions in and around the proposed
subdivision lands to assess the progress of work being done and to
document the impacts on the land.
Our goals are to provide logistical support and information to those
opposing development in the area and to build a picture of the forest
ecology in this region, to create a sense of connection to this land and
share with others the joy of learning about the natural world around
us.
If you share a connection to and love of this forest land, know of
sensitive areas you'd like to see surveyed and assessed, or just want to
share your thoughts, opinions and feelings about this area, please send
us an email at forestaction@gmail.com, or participate in our online discussion forum.
VIC FAN's work is driven by the needs and demands of the people most
closely connected to the land. Your advice, opinions and suggestions are
how we determine where to conduct our research.
Please consider supporting the work we do with a donation. At this
time we are completely volunteer driven, and funds for the program go
towards outfitting our field camps and excursions and transporting
volunteers into the field. We would also like to be able to provide
compensation to scientists, First Nations elders and other local experts
who take time to join us on these expeditions and help us with our
work.
Volunteers are also welcome to join us, regardless of your level of ecological knowledge. A love of the land is essential.
