EDITOR,
Kudos to The Chief for alerting readers about B.C. Hydro’s clearcutting along the Hunter Trail on Hospital Hill (“Hydro clearing ‘genocide’ for birds: resident,” April 30). As the newspaper reported, neighbourhood residents are outraged over the extensive logging conducted by the utility during bird nesting season. Some residents reported seeing dead birds along the trail shortly after B.C. Hydro began felling trees. The impacts of the Hydro clearing to birds, an important wildlife corridor — where bear, cougar, and bobcat have been seen — a popular hiking trail, and our community are significant.
While I understand B.C. Hydro must periodically conduct vegetation management under its power lines, the extent and timing of Hydro’s clearcutting of the site, along with a lack of communication about its activities, has raised concerns about the utility’s practices. It also calls into question the District of Squamish’s credibility and judgment. According to The Chief, B.C. Hydro had intended to wait until September to log but it was the district that prodded the utility to begin this spring. This is especially troubling to learn because two years ago — after B.C. Hydro logged some of the same site during nesting season — the district assured me it would encourage Hydro to avoid logging when birds are most vulnerable.
The optics look particularly bad for district officials. Consider this: B.C. Hydro logs an area that happens to be in the same spot where the Kingswood Crescent Development Corp. wants to build a road for its massive housing complex along the Blind Channel. At the same time, the district is preparing to construct a water main along the now-cleared area that would conveniently benefit Kingswood. The district urges B.C. Hydro to log the Hunter Trail quickly, despite concerns about nesting birds, to accommodate the district’s water main project, scheduled to commence in June. (The District informed me it was holding a public meeting about the water line shortly before construction begins. But that gives residents little notice to express concerns.)
Finally, the district has done a poor job of consulting with the community about development issues that will dramatically change the quality of life for Hospital Hill. Coincidence?
The B.C. Hydro logging, upgrade of a water main, and Kingswood may not be related. But the confluence of such projects gives the appearance that infrastructure is being put into place to facilitate swift approval of the Kingswood development.
Brian Vincent
Squamish
