Land fund breaks $200,000 mark

Gulf Islands Driftwood
Wednesday, March 08, 2000

By Gail Sjuberg

An encouraging financial update for the Salt Spring Appeal highlighted last Thursday's “town hall” meeting on the Texada lands issue at the high school.

The estimated 250 people attending also heard how a fundraising and information centre is now up and running, learned the plight of Texada tenants and applauded protesters who had blocked logging equipment and set up a camp off Musgrave Road.

Appeal fund figures were boosted on the spot by Maureen Bendick announcing that the Salt Spring Conservancy group was donating $10,000 to the fund held by The Land Conservancy of B.C.

Appeal coordinator Elizabeth White said Thursday that sum brought donations to $199,000 from about 200 individuals, although the $200,000 mark has since been surpassed.

The campaign's “May Day” goal is to raise $500,000 by May 1, putting the Land Conservancy in a position to negotiate the purchase of sensitive lands in Texada's holdings or the placing of covenants on them.

Gary Holman, of the South and West Conservation Partnership, gave people an idea of how far that money could go with the help of interested partners. The Capital Regional District, which has in the past put significant funds into the south end via the Mill Farm and Mount Sullivan purchases, could match the $500,000 by as much as 3-1.

The Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative is also supportive, he said, with a potential $100,000 to $150,000 possible from that quarter.

"It's one thing to have a vision but I think the community needs to feel this is something we can achieve," said Holman.

An urgent appeal for more people to spend time at the camp on Crown land off Musgrave Road, 1/4 mile past Dubois Road on the right, was also made.

Helani Davison spoke for the Blockade Affinity Group, pointing out how the camp had cost the company money and gained valuable media attention. But replacements were needed, she said, as well as people to provide even short morale-boosting visits.

It was also important to see the logging first-hand, she said.

"The only way to know what's going on is to come up and see the destruction for yourself. You can't believe it until you see it."

About $500 was raised for supplies for the Blockade Affinity Group at the Thursday meeting.

Organizers made an appeal for numerous items, ranging from a video-camera to drinking water.

Dietrich Luth said some “good solid bush boots” could be used by the campers. He also suggested people invite all their friends to camp for free in the woods on Salt Spring all summer.

The fundraising and information centre, which recently opened above Barb's Buns and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., has a list of items and services needed. Its phone number is 538-0337.

Murray Reiss detailed the Manulife postcard campaign, which has seen 1,000 postcards directed at the offices of the company holding a $16-million mortgage on the property. (See separate story.)

Margarite Sanchez outlined the plight of tenants on Texada land, explaining that they want the secure one-year lease promised at a November 25 public meeting, not a recently issued version which could see tenants evicted with only two months' notice. A petition on the issue was circulated.

Schemes of withholding property taxes to reflect declining property value that might result from Texada's logging of the island, and urging B.C. Assessment and the Forest Land Commission to not give Texada’s Forest Land Reserve lands a lower tax rate as “unmanaged lands” were born at the meeting.

Ramesh Meyers agreed to collect names of people interested in withholding their property taxes, offering to receive them at creating@saltspring.com.

Uri Cogan observed that people at the meeting represented a broad spectrum of islanders, but that many more seemed to be “in denial” or suffering from apathy. "We need to mobilize this community in any way we can," he said.

Opinions only clashed slightly when it came to a few comments about the logging personnel.

Margaretha Nordine had the last word on the subject when she said, “We’re not here against the loggers. We’re here against Texada practising the logging they are doing.”

The next town hall meeting is set for March 30.

E-mail the writer: Gail Sjuberg