Dear editor:
Re: DNV Gives Up Parkland For Highway, April 3 news story.
Perhaps the loss of 34,848 square feet of forest is the “price to be paid” (as described in the story) for highway infrastructure updates between Lynn Creek and Mountain Highway on the North Shore. However, to maintain the quality of life and the natural beauty that we enjoy on the North Shore, we must be attentive to our ever-shrinking and deteriorating wild spaces.
Swapping natural area lost to urban development with newly protected or ecologically rehabilitated disturbed space provides a viable alternative to the trend of diminishing green space.
In the highway project, rehabilitation of adjacent disturbed yet undeveloped land just upstream from the construction could ensure no net habitat loss.
For example, trails run along each side of Lynn Creek just north of the highway. On the east side of the river the trail opens up into a couple acres of an open gravel landing – a small sliver of this was recently rehabilitated with native plants and trees, but more could be done here. On the west side of the river a very wide gravel/partially paved pedestrian road runs parallel to the river below Inter River Park. While still keeping ample space for multiple users along this well-used pedestrian right of way, a few metres of this road closest to the river could also be rehabilitated to expand the riparian habitat. We are blessed to live in a city on the edge of the wilderness, we can at least aim to keep these edges wild and beautiful.
Rocky Lis
City of North Vancouver
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