” WEDNESDAY
November 29, 1995

GG We cannot fix
what we've got...
that’s why there'll

bea revolution. ;

— From 1885-1 995 author |
Feter C. Newman sees a
fundamental = shift in
Canada's national charac-
: ter. See story. page 20. .
"Business... Ener i |
i Chrisumas calendar.42
Collins......
“@ Crocaword...........-.45
os FABhbOD.-.ouincnnene BD
8 PIG eB
of N. Shore Alert.
a Sport. ncoe

MTV Listings...

e Table Hopping
festaurant news:. 26

a Reti ing a 19th-

‘sentury Xmas: 28

arts

a Airing
colo

some of our
I laundry:

& Around town
listing of events:

INE fh Te rs

HE

Weather

Thursday: Periods of rain
High 11°C, low Te.

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

"WATERSHED PRESERVATIONIST wit Koop has been banned from local watersheds. The outspoken critic of logging and road -
building in watershoda gays the ban is an attempt to muzzie him. Polkicians say the access regulations protect drinking water.

GREATER VANCOUVER. Water
District staff turned away a vocal crit-
ic of: watershed management before 2
naturalist group toured the Capilano.
- reservoir on Monday morning.

: By Jan Noble

News Reporter

Based on a retroactive water committee res-
olution to ban those who have entered the water-
shed without permission, staff told Will Koop he
could not inspect the site of a massive landslide
with the Burke Mountain Naturalists.
~The Greater Vancouver Regional District’s
(GVRD) water committee approved the ban
Nov. 17 and staff enforced the ban on Koop,
even though “in the strictest, narrowest, legalist
sense, the committees do not have the ability to
‘set policy,” said GVRD communications officer

. Mairi Welman.

Koop said the water district should not be
enforcing policies that are not yet policy.

“If that is the case and the water district
. knows it cannot make policy on recommenda: '
tions, that makes me angry,” he said, :

‘Setting policy is up to the GVRD board.
However Welman added the committee believed
the board had delegated responsibility 10 the
committee because the issue required immedi-

ate action.

-GVRD water committee sets policy

Koop acknowledged he had entered the
Capilano watershed without permission to study
a landslide: that closed. the watershed for a
month.

Koop said the ban — and Monday’ $ refusal
to let him enter the watershed -— is the water
committee's attempt to muzzle him.

“H's draconian
and un excessively
punitive resolution
aimed at silencing
people who have
been actively criti-
cizing the water dis-
trict,” Koop said.

Koop — contends
there is a strong link
between logging in
North Shore water-
sheds, landslides and
the turbid water now :
flowing from Lower “ . aa
Mainland taps. WEST VAN Mayor

But the water dis» Mark Sager ... says
ict maintains that rules protect water.
landslides result
from natural erosion in the steep, wet water-
sheds, The water district has stated that the Oct.
10 Capilano slide resulted from subterranean
soil becoming saturated and sloughing off. The
site was logged in the 1920s.

Koop religiously alends water committee

meetings’ and has studied the history of
Vancouver’s watersheds,

His videotaped forays into the watersheds to
document the effects of past logging and road
building in the watersheds. has’ landed him
numerous television and newspaper . appear-
ances.

Koop called his watershed ban frustrating.
He wants to prepare a report fora GVRD board
meeting Dec. 8 on the Oct. 10 landslide.

A trip into the watershed and a question-and-
answer session with water district staff; he said,
would have helped him research the report.

Koop admits to entering the watershed with-
out permission, but said his Oct..30 request for
permission was not fulfilled in time to do a
report for the Nov. 17 water committee mecting.

That, however, doesn’t wash with West
Vancouver Mayor and acting GVRD_ board
chairman Mark Sager.

Although Koop was granted board approval
to go into the watershed withithe water district's
OK, Sager said Koop didn’t need to go in unac-..
companied by district staff before the water’
committee mecting.’

“The watershed is not going anywhere,” the
mayor said. “Don't decide unilaterally you can’t
wait and then go in.”

The health of Lower Mainland residents
depends on: keeping the watersheds closed,
Sager si
Water committee’ member and North
Vancouver District Mayor Murray Dykeman

See Cap water page 3