Mayor Brad Woodside is misleading public on wetland development

But what does our Mayor do? He tries to make the public believe wetlands management is some made-up farce with no basis.

The provincial policy is not “out of control,” or “overzealous.” The same wetland policy exists in virtually every state and province in North America.

The use of wetland plant indicators (which includes wetland-only fern species), soil moisture, and no net loss is standard practice, and well-grounded in science. Buffers are standard practice; otherwise pollutants and runoff impact the wetland being protected.

The Grant-Harvey Arena was not delayed because of the Department of Environment’s “heavy-handed approach,” but because a major wetland was missed by the environmental impact assessment consultant, Stantec.

Take a look at the amount of water coming through that forested buffer next time it rains!

Isn’t it odd that the mayor and staff talk of “sustainability, balance and protecting true wetlands” while getting rid of “insignificant fringe areas.”

I guess they are now experts on wetland ecology, as well as development.

Given that the article was a well-coordinated media event of a developer and a municipal government aimed at exerting undue pressure on a department mandated to protect the environment, it will be difficult to listen to the mayor brag of how green and how sustainable Fredericton is.

Hopefully the Department of Environment will keep doing its job for us.