Sept 13 Responses from BC Institute of Agrologists and Ian Whyte P Ag

Lynn,

I am Don Rugg, Chair of the Investigation Committee for BCIA.  With the departure of our Registrar/CEO I am not certain what information you may or may not have received.  I don’t believe you have seen the following email input from Ian Whyte regarding your complaint  

“It seems that the complaint filed by Ms. Lynn Perrin on behalf of the West Creek Awareness Group is related to removal of one or more beaver dams within the Gloucester Industrial Estates (Gloucester) in Langley.  More specifically, the complaint alleges that the beaver dam removal was undertaken based on information provided by Envirowest (possibly implying me personally) regarding the presence/absence of coho salmon.

It is important to note that all of the work done by Envirowest at Gloucester is on behalf of our client, Beedie.  While Beedie (actually a numbered company controlled by Beedie) owns the land from which the beaver dams were removed, the work was not conducted for or with the knowledge of Beedie (nor Envirowest).  A stormwater management pond originally constructed by Beedie is managed by the Township of Langley who have a right-of-way over the lands for the purpose of controlling drainage.   

Occasionally (and as occurred in February 2023) the Township retains a consultant to obtain all required permits and then remove beavers and/or their dams to prevent flooding/damage of public infrastructure.  It is my understanding that the Township retained EBB Environmental Ltd. (a company that employs licensed trappers) did obtain all required permits prior to conducting the work.  An email included within one of the links provided in the complaint confirms that the Province has confirmed that there are no non-compliance issues with the beaver dam removal.   Protection of water quality and fish habitat are basic elements of the beaver dam removal process that would have been implemented by EBB.

Please let me know if there is anything further that I can help to clarify.

Ian”

I would be interested in discussing the complaint and Ian’s input with you.  If you can provide me with your phone number I would be happy to phone you.

Don Rugg P.Ag

Sept 13 response from Lynn Perrin to Ian Whyte’s response

Thank you for sharing the email response from Ian Whyte P. Ag. I do not partake in verbal discussions. As a legal researcher in a case before a Ministry of Forests Appeal Board and a civil litigation I learned that verbal discussion will not be accepted as evidence by the Courts or Tribunals.

My response to Ian Whyte’s email:

I have provided evidence in writing obtained by FOIs from the Township of Langley that clearly indicate that Mr. Whyte enabled the removal of beaver dams. He also was less than forthcoming regarding the presence of Nathan Creek (a red listed salmon habitat) when applying for a DFO Permit / Letter of Advice at 27500 block 60th Avenue, Langley. In addition he was directly involved in relocating West Creek into a 100 meter cement tunnel WITHOUT a Water Sustainability Permit. .

Ian Whyte is currently involved in the relocation and infilling of wild coho habitat at the West Creek headwater wetland in the role of the Lead Consultant of Beedie Development Group. Mr. Whyte has repeatedly proceeded with work prior to obtaining permits by senior governments. Mr Whyte’s report in this most recent proposal proves he has not engaged a fish biologist. Mr. Whyte is doing work that is beyond a P. Ag scope of practice. This is not the first time he has done so. He was found to be lacking in expertise of fish habitat protection required by  a DFO Permit by the Supreme Court of BC.

Please confirm that you are not proceeding any further in investigating my complaint. I will forward it to the BC Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance. Thank you.

Lynn Perrin BGS MPP

Sept 18 Response from BC Institute of Agrologists Refusing to Investigate the Complaint

Ms. Perrin,

Thank you for your reply to me, Don Rugg P.Ag, as Chair of the Investigation Committee of BCIA, regarding your complaint against Ian Whyte P.Ag re the removal on Feb. 1, 2023 of a Beaver Dam outside of the least risk window and during a drought.

The complaint materials provide a significant amount of information suggesting that Mr. Whyte may have at times in past conducted work that was related to expired or other government permits.  My understanding of this complaint is that it relates directly to the removal of the Beaver Dam and that activity was as a result of decisions made by Ian Whyte P.Ag.

In your reply you state: “I have provided in writing obtained by FOIs from the Township of Langley that clearly indicate that Mr. Whyte enabled the removal of beaver dams”. I have been unable to extract such information from the materials you provided with regard to the beaver dam removal of Feb. 1, 2023.

Mr. Whyte provided the following information, as previously reported to you. 

“Occasionally (and as occurred in February 2023) the Township retains a consultant to obtain all required permits and then remove beavers and/or their dams to prevent flooding/damage of public infrastructure.  It is my understanding that the Township retained EBB Environmental Ltd. (a company that employs licensed trappers) that did obtain all required permits prior to conducting the work.  An email included within one of the links provided in the complaint confirms that the Province has confirmed that there are no non-compliance issues with the beaver dam removal.  Protection of water quality and fish habitat are basic elements of the beaver dam removal process that would have been implemented by EBB”.

As you surmise in your email we have determined to not proceed with the complaint against Mr. Whyte on the basis presented.  I, Don Rugg P.Ag, Interim Registrar have decided to not proceed with this complaint against Ian Whyte P.Ag. Should you wish to pursue a further complaint please feel free to do so.

Don Rugg P.Ag, Interim Registrar, BCIA

Why is there NO information on the Envirowest web site about the Gloucester Industrial Park work Ian Whyte has been QEP for “about 30 years”

Source ECCC Weather British Columbia

HISTORIC INVOLVEMENT OF P. AGs in GLOUCESTER ESTATES REZONING

EXPULSION OF P. AGs Hudson and Colebrook

IAN WHYTE P Ag has been fully aware of the presence of coho in the West Creek headwaters since 1999

Lower Fraser Valley Streams
Strategic Review
Lower Fraser Valley Stream Review, Vol. 1

Pages 122-125

Note the significant decrease in ESCAPEMENT since the presence of Gloucester Industrial Estates

In their Oct 2022 Report Page 11 obtained via FOI from the Township of Langley Envirowest themselves admit:

“Since its construction beaver activity has raised the water levels in the West Pond (Photograph 1) resulting in inundation of adjacent areas that have developed as wetland habitats. All of the constructed drainage features drain through the West Pond. West of 272 Street coho salmon have been observed upstream as far as Highway 1. All of the stream features in the Golf Curse Lands west of 272 Street are considered accessible to (if not also inhabited by) salmonids. Other fish species captured during instream works west of 272 Street include cutthroat trout, threespine stickleback, fathead minnow, brown bullhead, black crappie and largemouth bass.”