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Newsletters - 2000

DENMAN CONSERVANCY February 2000

submitted by Denise MacKean

It's time to dip into the mixed bag called Conservancy Agenda! Lindsay-Dickson leads the pack for longevity with its discouragement and frustration. Des and Juan along with our Trustees and CSRD rep are hanging on to any shred of hope. Who knows what the status of it may be when you read this?

We are planning at least one background session about Crown Lands before they come up for general discussion in April.

The covenants on areas of 4064 land are nearing completion. We also supported a delegation to the Trust meeting on Denman March 3rd.

John Tayless has been involved with Hornby people trying to designate Marine Protected Areas and bring understanding to their benefits compared to "special conservation areas". Boundaries for either designation are needed. John will also be giving a Marine Plankton Workshop March 18th at the Old School from 10 to 12:30 to coincide with the herring run.

Conservancy will be lending its support to an Earth Day walk and we hope everyone will join us April 22 to celebrate and enjoy the natural beauties covering much of our island. Details will be forthcoming. Our new Board members have joined right in bringing new energy and fresh ideas and it is greatly appreciated. And don't forget, we are still selling Millennial Memberships good until our next AGM in November so call Wendy Pope if you have missed this opportunity to support Conservancy.

DENMAN CONSERVANCY June 2000

submitted by Denise MacKean

The dust has settled after the Home and Garden Tour and our lives can return to normal! What a beautiful weekend and what a lot of guests came to visit and shower praise on our island. We have a lot to be happy and grateful for. Not least of all the organizers who make this possible - the tour co-ordinators and the food folks as well as a myriad of volunteers and of course the ones who open their homes and gardens to 1000 plus visitors. But it is a wonderful fund raiser and worth the effort. We will have a more detailed financial report soon. Hope you got some Denman Chocolates as we benefit from that too!

Another note of thanks, this time to Peter Karston who has gussied up our Denman welcome sign and anchor at the ferry which was in desperate need of a face lift. Please take note and Thank You Peter.

The David Fraser Bursary award went to Maria Emerson at North Island College this year. Contributions to the endowment fund are welcome and are matched by the Ministry of Education. Denise MacKean can give you information about this.

Recent mariculture bylaw activity is of concern to Conservancy and we spent time developing a position to present to the local Trust Committee. This tends to highlight the fact we expend a lot of energy on many diverse environmental issues which sometimes creates a fragmented feeling. In fact, we will be meeting one day in July to review Goals and Objectives through a Board Development workshop which will help keep us on course.

Our Acquisition fund is growing through direct donations and pledges with the Chickadee goal still on the horizon. The present push is for corporate donors. The membership base continues to increase and we are raffling a lovely hand-painted trunk kindly donated by Velda Parsons. Tickets are at the Craft Shop so get a few.

The final thank-you is to our great, supportive community which we love.

GRAPEVINE JULY 2000

submitted by Denise MacKean

July's meeting embraced a wide range of topics from moths to mariculture with lots in between.

Sightings of two rare moths were made on Tree Island recently and captured the attention of the Parks Branch. An overall stewardship program is being set up for the Island whereby a Denman group, Friends of Tree Island, and the Comox Valley Yacht Club are working in cooperation with Parks on an agreement to protect the island's fragile marine habitat. Dorrie Woodward initiated a moth study which is being carried out by many people guided by John Troubridge, entomologist with Agriculture Canada and finding these rare moths gives one more reason to look after the island.

Once again the intense logging activity of 4064 was discussed with concerns about Railway Marsh topmost. We have worked for three years with Mike Jenks to assist him in fulfilling his contractual obligation to Hancock regarding covenants. On July 12 it was brought to Conservancy's attention that logging appeared to be proceeding in the planned covenant zone. Since that time various actions have been taken including consultation with Hancock Timber Resource Group. Logging has now ceased in the proposed covenant zone and we will report on further action to the community.

Although the immediate threat of large scale expansion of shellfish leases seems over, the board will be going on record to ask for a study to determine overall management for Baynes Sound to include sustainability and the impact of all the various activities associated with that area.

We would like to remind everyone that raffle tickets are available for a beautiful hand-painted trunk donated by Velda Parsons at the Craft Store. Proceeds go to Conservancy and it's a good way for summer guests to express their appreciation for our beautiful island!

DENMAN CONSERVANCY November 2000

submitted by Denise MacKean

Lindsay/Dickson is a subject that refuses to die but seems to be barely twitching now. R. Schellinck has cleared a "logging road" through the property and applied for a Christmas tree development permit. The Board is disappointed that it cannot report a happier ending to this story.

The Salish Sea mapping project's final maps will find a home in the Conservancy room at the Old School for all to enjoy and maybe use for appropriate community projects.

Conservancy will hold its Annual General Meeting January 22 when we hope to explore our future direction. It is also an opportunity to review our activities over the past 10 years. Circle the date and plan to attend; your input is important to us.

Speaking of input, we still need some very real dollars to realize the total cost of our new land acquisition on Lake Road. The sale will close November 30 so please get on board. Apparently many people did not see the insert in the October 19 Grapevine describing the property. (A few copies are there for the taking outside Abraxas Books. ) It is six beautiful acres at the southwest corner of Chickadee Lake, home to some big trout I hear, and is bisected by Lake Road. It is truly a valuable community asset and speaks for itself so please drive through it and then send a donation to Conservancy at Box 60. The property abuts a quarter section of Crown Land. On Nov. 16 the Trust is holding a "public lands" meeting and Conservancy will be encouraging protection of Crown Land. This recent purchase enhances that request. Call me at 335-1608 if you need more details.

CONSERVANCY NEWS December 2000

submitted by Denise MacKean

December's meeting was a bit early to avoid the Christmas rush and we ran through a lot of business. Juan Barker and Peter Karsten were out stalking a "red listed" sedge species at Chickadee Lake and found one (maybe). Not the best time of year! Folks from Conservation Data Centre of BC alerted us to the likelihood of two species on the Chickadee Lake Legacy parcel that are very rare and worth protecting.

Of course there is always a Lindsay/Dickson slot on the agenda which elicited comments on the recent Echo articles and possible FRBC involvement so the issue slumbers in the background and funds for its settlement are still set aside.

A group continues to work with 4064 regarding covenants on Komas Bluffs and infringements on Railway Marsh area.

Our acquisitions committee received a grant for "capacity building" which means we can pay someone to do the detailed preparation of grant applications and corporate outreach. Fund raising is a long-term effort and initial contacts need constant revisiting and applications require updating. Another task for which we are applying for financial help is designing and enacting covenants - an important conservation tool.

We started the planning of our Annual General Meeting and wish to invite interested parties to consider joining the board by calling a present board member. Look for more details on the actual meeting which is January 22 and plan to attend. The new Lake Road property will be featured. Remember we still need some dollars to pay it off completely and Box 60 will get it to us safely.

The Board wishes everyone a Happy Holidays and New Year in 2001!

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