Proposed changes to 91原创 Township鈥檚 streamside development and classification rules are drawing the ire of local environmentalists.

At a public hearing on Monday, March 13, a number of locals, including members of several local environmental and streamkeeping groups, called on the council to scrap or reform the planned amendments.

鈥淚 ask why are these changes deemed necessary, and what are the motivations for them?鈥� said Marlee St. Pierre, one of the first speakers.

Some of the changes repeatedly singled out by the speakers included a change that would appear to allow 鈥渜ualified professionals鈥� to make determinations on how watercourses are classified.

Streams in B.C. have an A, B, or C designation, with A streams being salmon-bearing all year, B streams being salmon-bearing part of the year, and C streams are not salmon bearing, but may or may not provide water and nutrients to salmon-bearing streams further downstream.

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Non-regulated class C streams require much less government oversight or approvals when development is taking place.

鈥淭he word ditch and brook are being dropped,鈥� noted Nina Shaw of the Nicomekl Enhancement Society. She pointed out that the provincial riparian regulations do include ditches. 鈥淒itches can be important habitat for salmon.鈥�

The amended regulations say that a 鈥渜ualified professional鈥� can determine the classification of a watercourse, and that determination 鈥渟hall be binding on the Township.鈥�

Multiple speakers questioned what a 鈥渜ualified professional鈥� would be, why the term was changed from 鈥渜ualified environmental professional,鈥� and whether there wasn鈥檛 a conflict of interest in the fact that those experts would be hired by developers.

There were also concerns raised about whether the Township鈥檚 bylaws weren鈥檛 encroaching on provincial and federal laws.

Other environmentalists, like Laura Pandolfo of Climate Crisis 91原创 Action Partners (CCLAP) weren鈥檛 able to be at the meeting, but have been raising the issue online and writing to the Township.

鈥淲e definitely are opposed to these amendments,鈥� she said.

There鈥檚 a climate and biodiversity crisis right now, Pandolfo said, and protecting streams has to be a priority.

The issue came up just as some streamkeepers have been asking questions about beaver dams that were punched through by Township staff in the Gloucester Industrial Park area.

Near the center of Gloucester, there is a wetland that has never been developed. Parts of the green space in the center of the area were originally intended to become a golf course, but that plan never came to fruition.

鈥淭his seems to have been a very aggressive de-watering,鈥� said Lynn Lightfoot, who lives in the area, and also spoke at the public hearing.

She鈥檚 worried about the abrupt lowering of water levels in the area, which forms part of the headwaters of West Creek, at a time when birds and salmon are active in the local ecosystem.

Dave Beningfield recently created a drone-filmed video showing the area and highlighting its beaver dams and waterways.

91原创 Township council will meet again on Monday, April 2, when it will debate the third reading of changes to the streamside regulations.