MAILBOX

Crist stumped by GVRD’s
watershed logging logic

Dear Editor:

The GVRD just never learn
their lesson,

Despite all the evidence that
logging and the watershed don’t
mix, they continue to press for
more. Without producing a shred
of evidence they keep on harping
the same old tune about fire haz-
ards and insect infestation, etc.

The criteria they use are suitable
for forest management. They have
nothing to do with natural water
quality and watershed manage-
ment. There was a time when we
had the best water in Canada, That
was before the GVRD started to
meddle. Now we have Canada’s
poorest drinking water and we
have to spend hundreds of millions
of dollars to fix it. That suits the
bureaucrats fine, of course, because
that gives them an excuse to
expand their empire.

The fire hazard they are talking
about is a red herring. There hasn’t
been a major fire for over 300
years. With today’s technology,
and being in such close proximity
to Vancouver, a fire would pose no
major problem. The so-called tree
disease and insect infestation is

also a red herring.

Remember the big hullabalu
Agriculture Canada made about the
Gypsy moth? Unless they are
allowed to spray each and every
year, they said, our forest will be
devoured by the Gypsy moth, But
when public pressure put a stop to
the spraying, nothing happened. It
turned out that God is more intelli-
gent than Agriculture Canada,
including the GVRD, after all.

The bottom line is that for pur-
poses of water quality, a forest left
in its natural state is superior to one
that is manicured and managed,
particularly by the GVRD, which
takes the prize when it comes to
incompetence and irresponsibility.

Forests left in their natural state,
with rotting trees, new growth,
mioss — a veritable mess, so to say,
is exactly what the doctor ordered.
It has the ability to absorb the
water from heavy rainfalls slowly
and release it slowly. It acts as a
sponge. That gives nature’s healthy
agents sufficient time to purify the
water and make it potable.

Meddling, on the other hand,
produces the opposite and speeds
up the runoff, which explains the

Hockey camp story. icing on
cake, says parent of player

Dear Editor:

In your Aug. 14 edition (page
16) your Community/Sports Editor,
Andrew McCredie, wrote an infor-
mative story about my son Scott's
fascinating experience at the recent
Coca-Cola/Wayne Gretzky Hockey
Camp in Anaheim, California. The
quality of this hockey camp was
comparable to the outstanding char-
acter of Wayne Gretzky.

Mr. McCredie’s story described
this hockey event sponsored by
Coca-Cola and The Great One,
Wayne Gretzky. It was attended by
85-young hockey players from
across North America.

Our son was one of the two
Special Olympians attending the
hockey camp. Your North Shore

News article was very much
enjoyed by Scott and contributed
significantly to his self esteem.
Equally impertant, it helped com-
municate the fact that all people,
whether big or small. normal or
special, should share in life’s many
fulfilling offerings. The hockey
camp participation of Wayne
Gretzky, as an outstanding role
model, and your story combined, |
suggest, to provide an enlightened
awareness of special-needs persons
in our community.

The efforts of the News in gen-
eral, and of Andrew McCredie in
particular, for the preparation of
this story are appreciated.

J.W. McLewin
North Vancouver

murkiness that we have seen so
often in the last few years.

But there is more. The GVRD,
having just ruined the world’s best
watershed, are already looking for
other areas to expand their theatre
of operation, According to recent
reports, they now want to log the
Seymour Demonstration Forest as
well, It will provide better access
and encourage tourism, they say.
This is because, according to the
GVRD geniuses, people the world
over are just dying to see denuded
forests and mountains us opposed
to those lush with green and rich in
oxygen.

As my friend says, “with friends
like these, you better pay more
attention to civic politics.” If you
don’t, one day your children may
ask you some very embarrassing
questions. Not to mention the
costs.

Ernie Crist, Counciilor
District of North Vancouver

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