Bog Tree Cutting Raises Concern

Sandor Gyarmati, The Delta Optimist
Saturday, October 24, 2009

Burns Bog Conservation Society president Eliza Olson is concerned a large development could impact an area of the bog.

Tree cutting taking place in an area some consider to be part of Burns Bog is raising concern about the possibility of a large-scale development on its way.

Owning 500 acres (200 hectares) of land adjacent to the designated Burns Bog protected zone, MK Delta Lands Group received a permit this summer to remove trees to conduct geotechnical assessments in an area just west of Highway 91, between 72nd and 64th avenues.

"I want to know if this is the first step in some kind of major development application," said Delta North MLA Guy Gentner.

Noting Delta council had passed a special tree-cutting bylaw a few years ago specifically aimed at the bog, which encompasses the privately-owned parcels, Gentner said a major industrial or commercial development could be on its way.

Community planning director Tom Leathem said the company has an open-ended permit that allows the cutting of smaller trees but not large ones.

"They're to keep track of the number of trees they disturb and when they're done they provide us with a report and we figure out what the compensation required is going to be," he said.

"They're not quite finished their work yet. They tell us they haven't disturbed any of the larger trees, just the smaller ones ... They're no doubt doing the research to figure out if they can (develop) but we don't have an application or any kind of proposal," Leathem noted.

In 2004, four levels of government - federal, provincial, regional and municipal - purchased about 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of the bog for $73 million. Five times the size of Stanley Park, it was designated as the Burns Bog Ecological Reserve, a protected area.

However, the 200 hectares (500 acres) now owned by MK Delta Lands Group was not included in the purchase, even though some, including the Burns Bog Conservation Society, had insisted that land should have also been purchased and received protected status.

"Absolutely it's part of the bog, it is the bog," said society president Eliza Olson, who is also concerned a large development could be on its way that could impact the conservancy area.

"There's been no effort to acquire these lands by the Corporation of Delta or the province," she said.

Gentner said it's not clear why the still privately owned area was not purchased by government even though it has ecological value.

The Burns Bog Ecosystem Review Synthesis Report, released in 2001, concluded that virtually all of Burns Bog must be preserved to ensure the viability of the ecosystem.

On its website, MK Delta Lands Group notes its parcels were deemed to be outside the scientifically designated Burns Bog area.

"Since that time MK Delta Lands Group has been working cooperatively with the GVRD to ensure that, as an adjacent neighbour to Burns Bog, measures are being taken to protect this ecological gem."

Matthews Southwest, a Toronto development company, purchased the bog in an 11th hour deal from longtime property owners Western Delta Lands.

The firm quickly flipped the land to the four levels of government, but retained a large chunk.

The firm later morphed into MK Delta Lands Group.

The remaining private land is zoned I3 industrial gravel extraction and agricultural.

At the time of the purchase, Premier Gordon Campbell said it was in no way tied to future rezoning.

Olson said the public should also be aware how the bog is under threat from other areas just outside the designated conservancy area, including the South Fraser Perimeter Road, as well a development application by Earth King Project 64 Ltd. to build a mixed industrial/commercial business park.

About the Burns Bog Conservation Society

Mission Statement:
Conservation through education by

... protecting the world's peatlands by educating people on the importance of Burns Bog, a globally unique ecosystem due to its chemistry, form, flora, fauna and size as one of the world's largest undeveloped ecosystems in an urban area.

... proving opportunities for people to interact with this natural environment through interpretive tours, educational materials, supporting controlled access to the main Bog area, and maintaining the boardwalks to provide access for all members of our broader community.

... advocating for ecologically responsible governance of Burns Bog and other peatlands worldwide at the local, provincial and federal levels of Canadian government and by working with peatland organizations and scientists worldwide.

Some important peat bog facts:

Peat bog store and filter 10% of the world's fresh water.

A typical peat extractor will take up to 22cm of peat per year, however it grows at approximately 1mm per year.

Carbon dioxide emissions from peatland exploitation are estimated to be 3 billion tonnes per year.

A recent United Nations report estimates the preservation and restoration of peat bogs can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 10%.

Steps you can take to save peatlands:

Prince Charles announced in 1987 that he would no longer use peat in his gardening practices.You can do it too.

Use peat alternatives in place of peat in your gardening practices. Coir or coconut fibre easily replaces peat and it helps solve two environmental problems: it keeps peat in our bogs and reduces the amount of coconut fibre in Sri Lanka and other Asian countries.

Compost kitchen and garden wastes and use them in your garden. This saves peat bogs and reduces waste going into the landfill.

For more information about Burns Bog, its environmental benefits and the threats it faces, check out the Burns Bog Conservation Society's website.