From the Chilliwack Times – Feb 25, 2011

by Otto Langer

Editor:

I found the recent comments from MLA John Les blaming
the federal Department of Fisheries for the cancellation of this year’s
Fraser River gravel bar mining to be misguided and incorrect.

It
is unfortunate that some B.C. politicians often want to blame Ottawa
for their problems. This is nothing more than cheap politics. DFO has
unfortunately gone out of its way to cater to the Fraser River gravel
bar mining program as promoted by Mr. Les and his fellow MLA Barry
Penner under the alleged rationale of flood control.

The facts
indicate that Mr. Les’s old ministry’s office, Emergency Measures B.C.,
put in applications to mine gravel several months later than specified
in a Canada -B.C. gravel removal agreement signed in 2004. Gravel
mining can only occur from the fall into March of each year. This
agreement has been violated by the province on an annual basis and that
is not the fault of DFO. Further, this approach by the province has
almost eliminated the possibility of proper public consultation.

This
year EMBC did not apply for an environmental assessment until November
and for an authorization to destroy fish habitat until late December
2010. Their contractor, Link Construction and Aggregates, did not apply
for a permit to mine Tranmer Bar until Dec. 28, 2010. The province
then gave the public only two days to respond to that application and
that was in the middle of the Christmas break. Applications by the B.C.
government had to be in months ago and the permits were to be in place
by November 2010. Mr. Les should also comment on the low value of the
gravel that made its mining uneconomic and the fact that the government
could not find the equipment to do the job.

For John Les to
blame DFO for holding up the process by not issuing permits on time is
simply misleading. He has to assume responsibility for a misguided
program that will continue to cause great conflict and harm to the
river’s environment. The public in the Chilliwack area must hold their
politicians more accountable for what they stand for and say.

Otto E. Langer

fish biologist and aquatic ecologist

adviser to the Fraser River Gravel Stewardship Committee

Richmond