About This Site
This site has been put together by concerned citizens and community organizations in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadow.
We are all united in our utter disappointment at the various levels of government who have failed to provide the proper protection mechanisms for our Heritage River. The consequences of this lack of protection is impacting not just our rivers but many other rivers in BC.
One of the key objectives of the Heritage River System is that local citizens will assist in the stewardship of their local rivers. We are very much prepared to do this with or without the help government agencies.
Groups Involved in this effort include:
ARMS
The Alouette Valley Association
The Silver Valley Neighborhood Association
CEED
KEEPS
The Pitt Polder Preservation Society
Alouette Field Naturalists
We hope you will join us in setting this right.
Contact Us
Special thanks to Geoff Clayton who has picked up the ball one more time.
Special thanks to Jack Emberly who brought this to every bodies attention and has worked very hard to get the word out.
As the Alouette River runs through Silver Valley we hold it dear to our hearts and find this latest assault on its integrity troubling. It has taken many years through the efforts of citizens and local stewardship groups to rehabilitate this historic river. Either through lack of manpower or political will, the inability of our government agencies to monitor and enforce their own regulations gives the appearance of once again big business taking precedence over the environment.
On behalf of the Alouette Field Naturalists, I wish to express our group’s strong support of the Open Letter from Geoff Clayton of the Alouette River Management Society and Bruce Hobbs of the Alouette Valley Association. This Open Letter is included as an attachment to this e-mail.
As a long established naturalist group in Pitt Meadows – Maple Ridge and as a member of BC Nature (the Federation of BC Naturalists), we are appalled to learn that the water levels and licensed water use of the Alouette River are not being regularly monitored and the provincial and federal regulations not being enforced.
The Alouette river, its dykes and adjacent fields are a well – known and much used recreation location for Pitt Meadows – Maple Ridge and an important birding site for the entire Lower Mainland. It is also a feeding area for the region’s small population of Sandhill Cranes as well as other bird species. The Alouette River drainage is quite small compared to many B.C. rivers, but intensely used, not only by people for agriculture and recreation, but by fish, birds and other wildlife. It is a wonderful area so close to a major population centre. and deserves to be especially well cared for.
We urge that the provincial and federal ministries to their part by fulfilling their duties to monitor the water levels and enforce the regulations. The currant neglect of these basic duties by the ministries is a disgrace.
Sincerely,
Duanne Vandenberg, President
Alouette Field Naturalists