Letters to the editor -
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Charlene Johnson
Minister of Environment and Conservation
Dear Ms Johnson:
After talking with retired Environmental Protection Officer Cyril Simms years ago and current Environmental Protection Officer Tammy McDonald, one thing is very clear. These people, both past and present, needed the legal tools to do their jobs. It's a shame that reckless people can continue to haul old trailers, buses, and vehicles to places like Cliffty Pond, without prosecution.
In many cases these novelty projects, meaning derelict old cabins, buses or trailers are left in our remote wilderness areas for years, while the owners of this carnage mock the legal system. Once these people have contaminated our wild heritage and communities, it's either forgotten about, or thrown out of court.
What a hideous way to treat our supplies of potable fresh water and wildlife. What a great gift we have in this province!
On June 24 I showed Tammy around the area for the second time. She has gone above and beyond due diligence and the public safety of our waterways and communities. She expressed the same frustration as Cyril Simms expressed years ago. If government is serious about mitigating these hazards to our wildlife and communities, please give Tammy and other environmental protection officers the tools they need to do their jobs, or they too will be burned out before their time.
It shouldn't matter if it's in the woods or in a municipality, give these people the legal tools they need! I stated in previous letters that the issue here is being due diligent and putting safety first, not legislating morality.
It's obvious the remote cabin development issue and 21st century indiscriminate dumping, is a man made disaster well on its way.
Right now there is junk in the Cliffty Pond area that has to be cleaned up along with the bogus cabin problem.
Where is this going to end and at what cost? As Tammy McDonald can attest and most will agree, it's easy to print cabin permits, and build roads in remote wilderness areas. However it's a nightmare to clean up and monitor the actions of reckless people and slobs. Reckless people and slobs will not go out of their way to dump if they are not given easy access. So what's the problem? For the sake of future generations lets leave places like Cliffty Pond and it's wildlife in optimal shape, for it only takes the actions of a few to poison the whole.
As Tammy did also see for her self in our second meeting, and in my own research, environmental safety has to be pushed continuously, for reckless people just don't know when to quit.
Give environmental protection officers the tools and manpower they need to do their jobs. This abuse has gone on long enough.
Also Charlene, what part of human nature don't you understand? For example you wouldn't give someone the keys to your car, if they have been sent up a few times for grand theft auto. The same applies to our wilderness areas and remote cabin development.
For the record, Cliffty Pond, like many remote wilderness areas on the Island is a prime calving ground for moose. I am sure the moose don't need the encroachment and reckless slobs or an old bus in the middle of the bog.
Yours in conservation,
Tony O'Leary
Western Bay
c.c. Premier Danny Williams
Shane Mahoney
The Compass
The Telegram
Newfoundland Sportsmane
