To the editor:
We all have our interpretations of land - private land, crown land, city land, public land. They all conjure up images in our minds. The vision that comes up in my mind for crown land is of mountains and streams teaming with wildlife and fish; undisturbed by any human activity.
We supposedly have unimpeded access to crown land and can use it for recreation. This is where the remaining wildlife are trying to survive. They have blood, warm as ours and of the same colour; they have the same emotions and can express themselves well within their environment. We can understand them too, if we chose to, but that wasn't to the benefit of the crown, so it turned a blind eye on them and called them "property".
Land, the property of wildlife, became up for grabs. Humans rushed into it with excavators, chopped it to pieces and pushed the furry residents away. With the land cleared humans could start building businesses and homes, parking lots or lay down yards, highways or railways thus obliterating the habitat forever. This was described as "development", "growing the economy" or "creating jobs".
The dreadful conversion started with selling the trees, extracting the minerals, selling the land to a business or a developer for it to generate a cash flow of property and income taxes as well as a wide range of other taxes and fees.
Some of us noticed wildlife were being wiped out. Foundations were soon established to raise funds for conservation. Who do we save first - killer whales, salmon, grizzlies, caribou, birds, bees or butterflies? Every species is in decline for the very basic reasons that they were dispossessed of land, their food was stolen, their waters and air were contaminated, the remainder of their habitat was disturbed by human presence.
New unnatural threats were introduced - electric lines, fishing nets, plastic bags, bottles, glass, lead, fast moving vessels, vehicles, trains and airplanes. Peace and quiet were lost forever. But we would not rectify the problem. We came up with "sustainable ", "environmentally friendly", "green" and the likes in an attempt to camouflage the carnage and stay the course. On the outside we were raising funds to preserve and protect but all funds originated from the pillage and plunder of the land.
Could it be that crown land does not belong to the "crown" or to humans only? It is common land that is here to be shared once the right of existence, hence the right to land, of all other creatures has been recognized. Taking it all may be leaving us with nothing.
We seem to be struggling with the concepts of economy, GDP or even money. We seem to be in a vehicle that only has a gas pedal and no breaks.
Our politicians have managed to distract us to the point we no longer notice it.
Jules Jelev,
Terrace, B.C.
