Friends Point Pleasant Park

Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 08:10:32 -0500
From: Iain Taylor <mapman@hfx.andara.com>
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Chain Saws Silent in Point Pleasant Park: How can you help keep them
that way.


The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in July 2000 after a few weeks
study, proposed and quickly commenced a massive and costly tree cutting
plan for Point Pleasant Park.  The reason? 

• an alleged ‘infestation’ of the Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle.   They
issued a $1-million contract in July to destroy 10,000 trees in the Park
this year; other costs have brought this to over $2-million. In
subsequent years they expect to issue other contracts to cut thousands
more trees which will cost even more.

• However having destroyed 700 trees this summer at enormous public
cost, the CFIA has found virtually no beetles!

The Friends of Point Pleasant Park Association has challenged this
action in Federal Court, submitting sworn statements from four senior
local scientists and others, who disagree with the CFIA’s actions.

• The Park’s trees were cut down not because the beetle was found on the
trees, but because insect holes or sap were present on the bark.  But we
showed that holes and sap on a tree can be caused by any of 28 species
of wood- and bark-boring insects native to Nova Scotia which have been
found in the Park.

• When challenged the CFIA has repeatedly refused to reveal any
scientific data to support their massive cutting plans. Instead, the
Agency has engaged in a very expensive and overly dramatic media
campaign which states that the Park is ‘overflowing' with an
'infestation’ of beetles, and that there are no natural predators.

• We have shown that the beetle has several very effective natural
predators already present in the Park ? woodpeckers, other birds, other
beetles, and several types of predatory wasps.   We showed also that
cutting and hauling away of trees will further deteriorate the Park’s
already fragile soil.

• The CFIA has provided no evidence that there has been any increase in
the numbers of this beetle in the Park, let alone any evidence that the
beetles are seriously harming live trees.

After hearing the arguments for both sides, on August 15 a federal judge
granted The Friends an interim injunction, thereby halting the CFIA’s
cutting and burning of trees in the Park until the matter is heard by a
full judicial review of three Federal Appeal Court Judges later this
year or early next.

The chain saws have been silenced for now, but the CFIA has appealed
this injunction and we are now in an uphill battle to support the
judge’s decision.  But legal action is expensive.  To date these costs
have been shouldered by a few, but now our own government is
deliberately increasing the costs of this case by engaging in hard-ball
legal manoeuvres designed to maximise expense to its own citizens!  They
have even asked for the case to be heard anywhere in Canada!

 Point Pleasant Park has been a haven for Nova Scotians for 134 years.
Today, the Park needs your help!

•  PLEASE SEND A MONEY CONTRIBUTION
We have a target goal of $25-thousand to be raised by the end of
October.  The first phase of donations will go towards legal fees; the
second towards Park Restoration.

Cheques may be deposited with any branch of the Bank of Montreal and
made out to the Friends of Point Pleasant Park Association.

 Cheques may  also be sent to the c/o Treasurer, Friends PPP, Prof. Phil
Pacey,  6269 Yukon Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3L 1E9.

•  CHECK THE WEB
<www.geocities.com/env_smith/Correspondence.html>
< http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Webcam/index.cgi>
<www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/FPPP/>

•  PASS THIS ON
Tell your friends, family, neighbours, co-workers.  Please do not
discard this pamphlet!

•  JOIN US
Receive regular up-dates on progress and developments.  Help nurture the
Park back to full health.

Please fill in the membership application below and you will receive a
receipt and a FPPP pin to show your support. We are a provincially
registered, non-profit association.

“Citizens who care are the best guardians of the communities in which
they live.” Barbara Ward

--------------------------------------------
Membership Application
Friends of Point Pleasant Park Association

Name(s) _______________
Address _____________________________________
Postal Code _________     Telephone ______________
Facsimile ______________  E-Mail ____________________
Individual _              Family _
Senior _     Student _    Unwaged _

 Please enclose a membership fee of $15 for individuals or $25 for
families
($5 less in each case for seniors, students and unwaged).
Larger donations are gratefully received.

YOU MAY COPY AND FAX THIS FORM TO : (902) 425-1338
Cheques should be made out to:
“The Friends of Point Pleasant Park Association”.
Mail to: Treasurer, Friends of Point Pleasant Park Association,
c/o Prof. Phil Pacey, 6269 Yukon Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3L 1E9.

Thank you.
Dr Iain Taylor, President, FPPP Assoc., 5830 Chain Rock Drive, Halifax,
B3H 1A1.

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The preceding message was posted on the Sustainable Maritimes
mailing list (sust-mar).  http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/lists/sust-mar
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