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Tip: Your message to SUST-MAR must be html-free. So, BEFORE you hit SEND, please go to your "Format" pull-down menu and select "Plain text." Thanks! ____________________________________________________________________________ Once again speculative concerns regarding our plans on land, adjacent to the Greenwich National Park are capturing the headlines. If there are legitimate concerns being levied by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, (CPAWS) or the Canadian Nature Federation (CNF) we would like to know about them and invite these organizations to join us in our attempt to maintain the integrity of the land. We recognize Sharon Labchuk’s apparent preference to confront and oppose any perspective that does not support her fundamentalist, Deep Ecology religion. However, we prefer dialogue, cooperation and a willingness to work with parties to come to mutually beneficial outcomes. Options, in this case which strike a balance, as Primier Binns said, to foster community development while also preserving the ecological integrity of the National Park. The Parks Canada Study, under the Chretian government, which Labchuk refers to, did in fact recommend that Parks Canada move from a recreation orientation to being more conservation minded and to include natural buffers around sensitive natural areas. At that time Parks Canada had plans to use the Schooner Pond lands, adjacent to our property, as a public campground. Those plans were changed in order to provide the recommended buffers within the park as recommended in the report. We understand that during public consultations on establishing the Park, Labchuk submitted her own recommendations, on behalf of Earth Action, which proposed that most of the private property on the Greenwich Peninsula be expropriated, the residents moved off, and the area declared wilderness - a perspective that is unrealistic and dictated by an uncompromising attitude. In 1999, the national park’s boundaries were determined under Park’s Canada’s new mandate. It was only after this process was completed that our property was identified as suitable for resort development and we purchased this land with the stated intention of creating an eco-tourism /environmental education resort. On several occasions we have suggested to Parks Canada that if they have any concerns about our plans they could either purchase the land, a potion of the land or our development rights. On each occasion they have told us that they have no interest in extending the park boundary and have offered to collaborate with us and offer their expertise as our plan develops. While Parks has decided to not adopt Labchuk’s suggestions, our plan voluntarily incorporates an additional 80 acre buffer which extends along the entire boundary of the national park. While the original zoning allowed for virtually unrestricted scale of development, with potentially hundreds of resort type units, our plan intends to permanently limit development. Investors will be owners and therefore respectful stewards. The alternative, could be a brash condominium or hotel type development attracting multitudes of day visitors with little care or respect for the land or community. Despite our mounting debt, we have already turned down a $3 million dollar investment offer by a developer who proposed to build condominiums, all within the special planning areas guidelines, which would not have required any subdivision approval. Rather than ignoring the facts and trying to demonize our character by capturing the media spotlight, we ask that reputable individuals and/or organizations recognize our life-long devotion to humanitarian and environmental causes and our love for Prince Edward Island. We invite you to work with us to protect the national park while also educating the public on environmental issues which will impact us for many future generations. Sincerely, Phil Ferraro ===== Phil Ferraro and Nancy Willis Institute for Bioregional Studies Ltd. Fortune RR#4 Souris, Prince Edward Island Canada C0A 2B0 Permaculture, Organic Agriculture Production and Leadership Training, Food Quality and Safety Audits and HACCP Planning, Independent Organic Certification Inspections, Organic Farm Tours. ___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________ Did a friend forward this to you? Join sust-mar yourself! Just send 'subscribe sust-mar' to mailto:majordomo@chebucto.ca
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