As a cyclist, I am delighted not to be dealing with an ever-changing mosaic of large and small potholes, clouds of dust, and vehicle traffic on Bailey Street since the gates were put in.
Gate location: the current gates provide ample room for vehicles to turn around. Also, they don’t create dead ends, which would make the gates more prone to vandalism.
As a wildlife advocate, I applaud reducing human access to the Wildlife Management Area. WMAs are created for the benefit of the furred, the feathered, and the fined, not for public recreation as are parks.
Year-round bird use, spring and fall migration, winter refuge from frozen interior lakes, and summer breeding, nesting and rearing grounds are negatively impacted by human presence.
This pressure will only increase over time. The value and integrity of Skwelwil’em, the Squamish Estuary WMA must be both protected and enhanced.
Over time, future needs of the community, railway, and port, within the context of the: (1999) Squamish Estuary Management Plan, (2007) Skwelwil'em, Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area plan, and (2017) District of Squamish Flood Hazard Management plan, etc., will require comprehensive re-evaluation and negotiation of this critical interface.
Meg Fellowes
Squamish
*Please note, the last paragraph of this letter has been corrected since it was first published. In the previous version, the names of the plans were not wholly accurate due to an error by the editor.
