[GREN-Exec] Important - 9 Acres of Forest to be Clearcut in Erbsville - Approval next week

Thu Dec 9 14:21:56 EST 2021

Hi GREN Executive,

There has been an application submitted to clearcut 9 acres of forest in the City of Waterloo Westside near Columbia Forest (right near Lulu’s house actually).  

This was sent to me from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society…  They have had people approaching them about it.

At first it sounds devastating to learn that 9 acres of forest is going to be clearcut in Erbsville starting in Janaury when we can’t afford to lose any forest or tree cover anywhere.  However, it is the house on Erbsville Road across from the new mosque between Columbia Forest 1 and Columbia Forest 2 that we have always known will likely get developed someday and the surprise was that the owner never sold out back then.  I think the old guy must have died as the house has seemed empty the past few years.

I have answered CPAWS with the following e-mail below though frankly I am unsure what to do - I don’t think that we can win this one but I don’t think that we can stay silent and say nothing either.  We need to set a level of expectation that is high and developers need adequate buffers, corridors, etc.  Despite not great forest it is likely important edge habitat and is an important wildlife corridor connecting local natural areas.

I spoke with Greg Michalenko about this and he points out that we should at least ensure it meets current planning standards in a climate crisis and not just the standards from 20 years ago.  He talked about checking it out with Roger Suffling which would be great since there should be easy access through Blue Beech Park and Royal Fern Park adjacent to this property.

I have attached maps and relevant documents below.  Let me know any thoughts or ideas we only have a few days to respond as the decision is to be made on Dec 16th and chainsaws start Jan 1st.

Cheers,
Kevin.

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Hi Dave and Matthew,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention on the Yours To Protect mailing list and here in Waterloo Region.  I am very familiar with this area and we have worked extensively to try to balance nature in this rapidly growing part of the City of Waterloo.

While few people would ever want to see 10 acres of forest clearcut for development, this area is a replanted forest that while providing great edge habitat is not nearly the same quality as the adjacent old growth forests.

It is already served by high quality public transit and is just a few hundred meters from a high school, apartment buildings, plazas, seniors home and other higher density development.  It is also home to lots of wildlife - I have seen deer and foxes on this property recently and bald eagles continue to nest a few hundred metres away along with indigo buntings, wood thrushes, owls, and many other rare species.

It can be a tricky challenge to stay within our urban boundaries and Countryside line, intensify with greater density for a rapidly growing population, and still support wildlife and natural areas in the city.  There is no shortage of greenspace for residents of this area with protected forests and wetlands already in every direction.  The Region and City have tried to balance things as best as they can and grapple with decades old development decisions for things that would never be allowed now.

I will circulate this information to area environmental groups, community groups, and neighbourhood associations.  I fear that given the zoning, the Staff Reports from both the City and the Region, the developer reports, and the fact that this property has been assumed it will be developed for years there may be little that we can do that would be effective.  We do need to pick and choose our battles - not being able to stop every single development.

There still may be the chance for improvements, for wildlife corridors, larger buffers, more sustainable construction, etc.  We’ll see what we can do.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  Please feel free to share my contact information with anyone involved.

Sincerely,
Kevin.

-------------------------------------

Kevin Thomason

1115 Cedar Grove Road
Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com <mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>

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