42 - Sunday, April 25, 1993 - North Shore News ater committee members question watershed study Charge inventory ignores plant and animal biodiversity THE CONSULTANTS hired by the Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) to complete an ecological inven- tory pilot study in one of the two North Shore watersheds didn’t do their groundwork, according to members of the GVWD water committee. The committee heard the study findings of the independent con- sulting firm Acres International Ltd. during its April 15 meeting. The water committee oversees management of the 56,000-hectare (138,374-acre) North Shore water- shed area. Items such as soil stabilities and fire hazard risks in the !,200 hec- tare (2,965-acre) Seymour water- shed test site were studied, but plant and animal biodiversity studies were ignored, charged “AG VWD water committee chairman and New Westminster Mayor Bet- ty Toporowski. This contradicts Greater Van- couver Regional District (GVRD) board policy, she said. Toporowski added that the purpose of the study was to make “ta detailed ecological inventory of the watershed .lands, including vegetation and timber resources, soils and stability, insect and disease status, fire susceptibility, climate. and wildlife and fishery resources.”' Toporowski said she found only one mention. of fish in the $175,000 study. _ ‘Gf they’re (fish) there, the water's good,’’ she quoted, “This report dossn’t: have any extraneous information. I'd like to have what I feel is missing.’’ GVWD manager John Morse reminded Toporowski ‘that the GVRD administration board had agreed to postpone -biodiversity ‘ studies until the ecological inven- tory pilot study was completed. The object of the pilot study, he said, was to determine whether the information-gathering’ methodol- ogy was a good model for a full- scale inventory of al! three GVRD watersheds, } . The inventory. would also in-. clude. plant and animal biodiversi- ty studies. : Results of the planned $650,000 full-scale. inventory will then determine the 200-.to 300-year long-range watershed-use plan. -' One of the .ecological consul- tants, Donald ‘McLennan, added -. that although the plant biodiversi- By Cheryl Ziola Contributing Writer ty findings were omitted from the report, the study had been done by the consulting group. He promised that the informa- tion will be incorporated into the full-scale ecological inventory. In addition, he said animal biodiversity studies on species such as the endangered marbled murrelet and the spotted awl, both native to watersheds, are currently being done by the en- vironment and forests ministries and the Canadian Wildlife Ser- vice. McLennan said he felt that data - would be volunteered for the GVWD inventory. : Committee members then became bogged down in a lengthy philosophical discussion: of the ecological! inventory’s intent. Toporowski argued that the in- ventory scemed to detail ‘‘what kind of machine do we build to do the job (of harvesting?)" in- stead of providing information on which to make a decision on whether to continue . watershed logging. : Vancouver councillor and committee member Gordon. Price agreed. ; “This machine is well on its way. It's very powerful. This is a tool for decision-making,’’ he said. And that decision is noi ‘whether. to log or not, but how better to log, he added. . ‘“The more we know, the better we can manage." North Vancouver District Mayor Murray Dykeman conclud- SHOPPERS DUG MART ~ CORAECTION Re. April Circular Vol, 26, No. 17 The New Life Brand ace- taminophen gel caps should read 50's (500 mg). We apologize for any inconvenience this error may cause our customers, |LIONS GATE HOSPITAL _A Caring Community Advance Notice of ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING North and West Vancouver Hospital Society Wednesday, June 16, 1993, 7:00 p.m. Lions Gate Hospital Auditorium Support Lions Gate Hospital by joining the North and West Vancouver Hospital Society. Those wishing to vote at the Annual General Meeting must join the Hospital Society or renew their membership by Friday May 14, 1993, at 5:00 p.m. For further information please call 988-3131, local 4201. ed that the water committee was still lacking information on water quality in relation to turbidity and logging. “Why don’t we have the best water in the world like we did 100 years ago? How do we reduce the turbidity problem?’ Whatever the shortcomings, he said the pilot project is ‘‘the right way to go’’ with the addition of further studies. To ensure the biodiversity studies are included in the full- scale inventory, the committee recommended staff be allowed to enter contractual negotiations with the consulting firm to study all three watersheds, beginning in 1993 with the Seymour watershed, providing the missing biodiversity studies are included and within the $650,000 budget. Results of the negotiations would go before the commitice again and the GVRD adininistra- tion board for final approval. [ DESIGNS +7 (FUJI ORIENTAL HEALING ARTS INCTORE *: SHIATSLI.#. OGRA’ B ie nacre, 900 To all my friends and former customers, | would like to invite you to come and meet me in my new profession of sales at Dave Buck Ford. With my past experience of 24 years as a Midas Muffler Franchisee, vehicles have become my business. . | look forward to meeting you once again. Petar Bryant a UO GATE HOS? a rj i eat Lonsdale Quay Market, The North Shore News, Lions Gate Hospital and the Lonsdale Quay Hotel express their sincere appreciation to the community for supporting the Designs on Doctors and Nurses Fashion Show. "The event raised $6,500.00 for the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation. Special recognition goes to the Lions Gate Hospital doctors and nurses and children whose time and talent contributed to the success of the evening.: Physicians. Dr. Kumar. Banerjee Dr. Janice Blocka Dr. Ruth Campling Dr. David Chercover Dr. Peter Hicken Dr. Emelie Hoyer Dr. John Imrie Dr. Les Janz Dr. Ed Kroll Dr. Stew Madill Nan Martin Billie Meadows Rosemary Tindale a Zarr Children Elizabeth Pharo Sarah Imrie Witney & Jordan Kroll Gareth Mayo Jessica Harwood-Lucas Dr. Nick Marinantos Dr. Warren Mayo Dr. Suzanne Montemuro Dr. Barbara Robinson Nurses Lois Bradford Heather Bellerive Sheena Cartwright Susan Clyne Patti Hearn Mary Jamieson Kah