Gravel Pit Threatens Sensitive Wild Life Area

The residents of the Westside Rd area have asked NONC members to help quash a proposal that should concern us all.

The Westbank Indian Band has made an application to the BC Government to extract gravel from a pit to be excavated on Crown Land on Westside Rd on the south side of La Casa development, just south of Fintry Provincial Park. The purpose will be to supply gravel for their new shopping Centre in Westbank.

Westside residents are jointly protesting this proposal which has been turned down by the Regional district but still awaits the decision of the Province.

NONC has been asked to support this opposition and there are several reasons why we should do so.

• We are opposed in principle to the permanent scarring of Crown Land for commercial purposes.

• This is a pristine area supporting a large variety of rare wildlife including the Flammulated Owl and Bighorn Sheep.

• The sheep, extirpated from the area for some time, have recently been reintroduced by helicopter at Provincial expense with financial assistance from NONC members.

• Large gravel trucks continually traveling on narrow winding Westside Rd., which is used by residents, tourists, deer and Bighorn sheep, constitutes a recipe for disaster.

We have been asked to write letters of support (yes, numbers do count) to the following address.

Integrated Land Management Board
Chief Inspector of Mines
Section Head Crown Lands
c/o Front Counter BC
441 Columbia St.
Kamloops, BC V2C 2T3

or Email- febcrfls@gov.bc.ca

Quote Land Title 3412092