Letter and Petition to Save West Creek Headwater Wetland from Industrial Development

CHANGE.ORG ONLINE PETITION Preserve The West Creek Headwater Wetland

Over 1100 signatures on our petitions and Concerned PROTECTORS telling Township of Langley to preserve the West Creek headwaters wetland forever!

There are two proposals before Langley Township Council which are in the headwaters of West Creek.

1)project #14-05-0105 Location; 5500 Block of 268 street through 276 street

2)project #14-08-0055 Location27500 block of 60 ave.

The headwaters of West Creek form a Stanley Park-like setting in the Township of Langley where an upwelling of water produces a beautiful and biodiverse wetland. Metro Vancouver has designated this area as part of a Sensitive Ecosystem Area that should be protected and West Creek itself is a red-coded Salmon bearing stream.

Stanley Park in Vancouver had salmon reintroduced into their water course; in West Creek the salmon have been here for generations and the streams and wetlands have a tremendous amount of “natural” Bio-diversity.

The Threat

There are only 90 areas left of the once designated 128 acre golf course zoned “Compensatory” lands per the DFO Permit requiring that Compensatory lands

“shall consist of a number of features” and are to “function as intended” and “remain in perpetuity”. These lands are now under threat of development.

All of the local environmental groups, including the Langley Field Naturalists are aware that this development would diminish the natural value of the West Creek wetlands, would certainly have a negative impact on the habitat for the Coho salmon and would be a huge loss to the community as a whole in light of the value of wetlands in mitigating the negative effects of climate change. Many communities in BC and around the world are actively involved in creating or reestablishing wetlands because of their critical value in carbon capture and acting as heat sinks!

Conclusion:

There is far more value both now and in the future in keeping this wetland undisturbed, not only for the salmon that spawn and thrive here, but for the health and well-being of the entire community.

Letter to Township of Langley Mayor and Council and Beedie Development Group

letter-to-tol-mayor-and-council-and-beedie-with-wsda-statement-dfo-leter Download

Statement from Wild Salmon Defenders Alliance