[All] Fw: Please Save Hidden Valley

[water.lulu at yahoo.ca]

FYI

     
----- Forwarded Message -----
 From: "water.lulu at yahoo.ca" <water.lulu at yahoo.ca>
 To: Kitchener Council <council at kitchener.ca>; Regional Councillors <regionalcouncillors at regionofwaterloo.ca>; Minister MOECC (MOECC) <minister.moecc at ontario.ca>; Jim Bogart <jbogart at uoguelph.ca>; MPP Kitchener-Waterloo Catherine Fife <cfife-co at ndp.on.ca>; "RAJ.SAINI at PARL.GC.CA" <RAJ.SAINI at PARL.GC.CA>; Bardish Chagger <bardish.chagger at parl.gc.ca>; "Marwan.Tabbara at parl.gc.ca" <Marwan.Tabbara at parl.gc.ca> 
 Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2016 1:20 AM
 Subject: Please Save Hidden Valley
   
Dear Minister, Hon. Mayors and Council members. 
It is with heavy heart that I relay the news of the passing of a wonderful lady, a Kitchener resident by the name of Daphne Nicholls who passed away on Friday morning. She spent many years in council chambers lobbying to help protect and preserve Hidden Valley. 
It was Daphne's love for Hidden Valley that inspired me to review the issue of the River Road extension and it's potential impacts on the environment and endangered species of that area.  She loved this place and spent countless hours working tirelessly to defend it along with her husband Gord.  
When I reviewed previous EIS studies regarding this specific location I found evidence of a multitude of endangered species and significant primary recharge in the area. I filed a Part II order request with the MOECC Minister who ordered further measures to help protect the area, including implementation of a new salt strategy. That ruling is in the attachments for your reference. 
It is in her memory tonight that I make the request to utilize the Leaf fund to help purchase these lands in their totality for use as a natural reserve in perpetuity. It is scientifically reasonable and in line with current Municipal, Regional and Provincial Policies to do so. Whittling away at a treasure like this is in my view, a crime to current and future generations that is morally and ethically inexcusable. This fragile web of biodiversity must be protected by the full protection of it's most resilient systems like the one we have in Hidden Valley. 
With the recent spill of oil in the Grand River, the Region of Waterloo bumped up the withdrawal of water from the Greenbrook wells and as a result many natural vernal wetland habitats for Jefferson Salamanders in ESPA 19 and 17 dried up early this year. Even wetlands beside the Erbsville landfill went dry. The additional drought that followed didn't help. Paving continues along Costco and the West Side Lands diverting storm runoff from primary recharge creating water budget deficiencies throughout this well field, but as long as Greenbrook keeps taking the water, the future of these vernal ponds does not look good. They could be gone forever in just a few years at this rate and because of the water taking and paving and I fear these wells might not be drinkable in the days ahead for all the concentrated salt going into the ground with less clean water to dilute.  
We may see localized extinctions happen quickly in these areas which is why it is so vitally important to protect the basin like features in Hidden Valley and Barrie's Lake which are two areas with sufficient water supplies to be able to withstand such challenges. 

The habitat range for Hidden Valley is in my view, completely unreasonable. Salamanders eat slugs, snails and fairy shrimps which are found outside the so called designated habitat zone as drawn in the current habitat maps which I include for you in the attachments. To expect them to only travel from pond to pond within the narrow path as featured in the mapping, is scientifically unreasonable. They have a 5K habitat range and can live for up to 35 years. They are not likely to simply stay within the lines when so much of their food supplies lives in the moist fields. 
During the West Side Lands Hearings. the MNR confirmed the presence of Red Efts, the salamander phase of the Easter Newt located in the vernal ponds of the Greyerbiel property.  These ponds were located in the fields and were subsequently destroyed based on the inaccurate belief that no salamanders would find this habitat suitable because it was in a field.  I witnessed the destruction of those ponds prior to proper EIS studies as a result. They never conducted a proper pit trap assessment by this water feature. As an Indigenous woman and advocate for these species I can tell you now that as long as there is food to be found in those grasslands and small ponded features, the salamanders will make us of it. They've known and used these lands for 15,000 years. Their hunting territories are known to them. It's our duty to conduct the science right so we can have regard for their way and needs to help them survive in compliance to the laws as written. These animals are migratory in their own way. They use the ponds then they disburse. Habitats are not simply based on forests or grass. It's based on sediment type and the natural moisture of the soil and I know many headwaters, bogs and grassy areas so moist it is suitable habitat for Jefferson Salamanders year round even without a high density of trees. Natural bogs and grasslands are suitable habitats and areas like Barrie's Lake are proof of that. The Jefferson Salamanders have been there for generations. 

By protecting Jefferson Salamanders we are investing in the long term protection of primary recharge zones which helps to secure water volumes and water quality heading to our municipal wells. As salt and other contaminates enter into our groundwater, it is vitally important to provide as much clean water as we can into the system to help dilute these known contaminates to protect our well systems for the long term. I have never seen a Jefferson Salamander habitat that was not located on primary recharge. The two are inseparable. 
Please protect both Hidden Valley and Barrie's Lake and if Hidden Valley does become a park, I pray there is a tribute to Daphne Nicholls at this location because it was hear heart and love which drew us all to this magnificent place. We will continue to advocate for it's protection in her honor. 
Yours in good faith, 
Louisette Lanteigne700 Star Flower Ave.Waterloo Ont.
N2V 2L2 



   
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