Logging into Pt. Pleasant park, Halifax

Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 08:34:01 -0500
From: Iain Taylor <mapman@hfx.andara.com>
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
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Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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A slightly editted version of the letter below went into the Sunday News
Halifax, 17 Sept.  It is provided here for the benefit of general
awareness and as an encouragement to those few remaining but important
environmentalists in the community to consider the science, get off the
fence and come out publicly to support this up hill struggle by a small
but dedicated band that have taken on this cause and to date:

* achieved an unprecedented Court injunction against a Federal Govt.
agency in the middle of a major program;

* have gained majority public support in Halifax as evidenced by an
objective public opinion poll (55% public in favour of no more tree
removal and the arguments of the Friends, only 30% supporting tree
removal).

When you consider the odds stacked against the Friends - professional
communication experts brought in from Ottawa; the summer hunger of the
press for a panic; "uncontrollable epidemic" story; active recruitment
of scientists to take contracts with the CFIA or at least remain silent
during the debate; the active program od denigration of the
qualifications, backgrounds and motives of the participants among the
Friends, this has been a remarkable David & Goliath story.

Unfortunately it has to be said from our view that there were from the
beginning environmentalists who did not view the scientific evidence
with as much caution as they should.  They appear to have bought into
the story (for that is what is was) of a voracious, healthy spruce
tree-eating foreign beetle about to munch its way across the continent.
Some of these environmental 'friends' among us have even surreptitiously
supplied what was thought to be damaging material and comment to members
of the press, but without voicing these questions or concerns openly.
We now call upon these folks to come forward publicly and ask their
questions and engage in a constructive debate on this issue if they
still harbour doubts about the science of what is happening among the
remnants of the badly abused Park.

We would ask all who support us on this issue to consider writing a
letter of support to the Minister Ernie fage and the Minister for
Agriculture in Ottawa, Lyle Vanclief and also assist us where it now
urgently needed - funds for the on-going Court action and the appeal
against the Injunction launched by CFIA by sending a cheque to:

deposit with any Bank of Montreal c/o Friends PPP

Mail to Treasurer FPPP, Philip Pacey, 6269 Yukon St. Halifax, B3L 1E9.

Dr. Iain C. Taylor
President, Friends Pt. Pleasant Park Assoc.

=========================

13 Sept. 2000

Dear Mr. Fage,

In an e-mail reply to my fellow association member on the
12 or 13 Sept. you used the following phrase:

"Infested trees removed from two sections of the park ..."

May I respectfully inquire how your staff arrived at the conclusion that

the trees taken down in Pt. Pleasant Park were indeed "infested" as you
call it?  I watched many trees being felled - some as ancient as 120
years old.  Not only were no beetles to be seen on the trunk or on the
stump, there were no signs of their presence past or present
whatsoever!  Not only that, Mr. Fage, your staff and the contract
workers conducted NO inspection that I saw, that might categorically
determine this matter even after the trees were down and being sawn into

logs!

I find it incredible given the public furore over this matter and the
real concerns over the lack of science and the panicked statements that
appear to have stampeded the CFIA and your Department into these
actions, that your staff cannot EVEN NOW produce any retrospective proof

that the actions were IN ANY WAY justifiable!

We do not count as 'proof' for the presence of these beetles such
supposedly secondary characteristics as the exit holes and resination as

both phenomena are common to other species of native beetles as your
staff well know.

Perhaps you might have good reason also to inquire of your staff whether

any of the T. fuscum (long horn immigrant beetle ) were even trapped
during the summer's activities.  Our information has it that there were
virtually no confirmed trappings of adults flying despite many traps and

many hundreds of field hours spent looking for them (presumably to
refute our statements).  Our field workers have also confirmed the
beetle's apparent absence.  Again we do not count as proof of the beetle

'infestation' the raising of these insects artificially in a lab from
slabs of wood away from predation and the effects of climate.

So it would seem that, despite heavy expenditure of time and money, the
villain cannot be found.  If I can use the words of Shakespeare no doubt

known to the theatre company your Department's activities has almost
bankrupted over the summer, it's been a case of Hamlet without the
Prince!  The 700+ trees were then in all probability sacrificed in vain,

losses to the vital greenery and wildlife of Halifax and a lesson in the

herd behaviour of even supposed experts when 'professional pride' starts

to take over from rational scientific analysis and discourse with other
non-interested scientific observers.

Any justifications and observations that address these facts would be
welcome to myself and to the membership of our association.


Sincerely,


Dr. Iain Taylor
President, Pt. Pleasant Park Assoc.
Halifax, NS



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