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Estuary land of huge importance

My wife Leah and I are devastated to hear about plans for development at the French Creek estuary.
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My wife Leah and I are devastated to hear about plans for development at the French Creek estuary.

We’re pretty darn passionate about not letting that happen and hope you’ll help us save this land.

The big 23-acre property right beside the estuary just across the bridge on the Qualicum side is up for sale and a developer wants to subdivide it. There’s too much development around here already and it’s time to take a stand. The estuary can’t take anymore development beside it, it’s already in jeopardy.

We have one of the biggest herring runs right here in the French Creek area. So what do we do? We overfish the herring, ship them out and devastate the salmon population because there’s less fish for them to eat. Now we’re going to destroy more land beside French Creek and put another nail in the coffin of the estuary and the fish.

I remember days when I’d be standing in the water at hte mouth of French Creek with salmon swimming all around me. Maybe some of you remember those days, too. It’s heartbreaking there’s almost no salmon going up the creek to spawn anymore. We’ve overdeveloped our land, overfished our oceans and failed to protect our fish.

The wildlife is in trouble, too. If we allow this land to be development, our magnificant eagles, heron and all the other wildlife that live in the forest will lose their homes and shelter.

We’re lucky enough to live in one of the best places in the world. What makes it so great? The ocean, trees, wildlife and the people around here that care about it.

Protecting this environmentally important 23 acres is the right thing to do.

We have a chance to do something really good here. We signed the Save French Creek Estuary land petition and you can, too.

Visit www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-coastal-forest-estuary-land.html.

Howie Meeker

Parksville