Ret

January 15, 1989 News 985-2131 Classified 986-6222 Distribution 986-1337 52 pages 25¢

ND WES? VAR GIs ye

rtd

NEWS photo iilke Wakefield

NORTH YANCOUVER residents are collecting signatures for a petition rejecting the Vancouver Port Corporation’s planned development of a section of jand in the Maplewood
mudfiats cren. The land is home to many species of birds and rosmmals. The petition will be presented tc North Vancouver District Council Monday. Theota Dancer (foreground) and
Janice Harris (background) were on hand taking signatures outside the North Dollarton Highway Store’s Market last week.

Environmentalists
push for preserve

ENVIRONMENTALISTS LOBBYING to

save the

Maplewood mudflats from development by the Vancouver
Port Corp. (VPC) want North Vancouver District Council
and the federal cabinet to support donation of the land to
the Mature Trust of British Columbia.

While specific WPC develop-
ment plans for a 42-hectare por-
tion of the mudflats have yet to be
released to the public, wildlife
supporters are stepping up the
push to save the land as a sanctu-
ary and public interpretation area.
The position of interest groups,

CHAEL BECKER
News Reporter

By

including area residents, the
Capilano College Student Society
and several naturalist and = en-
vironmental organizations, will be
presented Monday to North Van-

couver District Council.

Said Western Canada
Wilderness Committee director
Ken Lay, ‘Initially we're asking
for the donation of the VPC por-
tion of land.”’

The district owns marsh strips
surrounding the YPC site.

Said Lay, “If the District of
North Vancouver was willing to
cooperate and donate their por-
tion, that would be fine. The key
thing is not to develop the uplands
(the VPC property)."’

But in October the VPC ruled
out consideration of maintaining
the entire property as a wildlife
sanctuary. And North Vancouver
District development staff is on re-
cord as supporting the notion that
development and mudNlats wildlife
could be compatible.

Meanwhile, area residents plan
to present council with a petition
containing hundreds of signatures
rejecting development of the area.
To press time Friday, petitioners
had gathered 1,500 Signatures.

Said petitioner and Maplewood
resident Theota Dancer,
“Everybody is signing it. The
average comment from people is
one of shock. People can’t believe
that development is being consid-
ered down there.”’

Said petitioner Janice Harris, ‘‘!
don't want to have to say to my
children, ‘There used to be osprey
down there. There used to be
wildlife down there.’ I want to
take them there to sce this area for
themselves.’’