Local residents’ environmental concerns ignored

RE: “LAKEWOOD DEVELOPER DOING WORK TO PROTECT TOADS,” JUNE 11

How is it that in Niagara our local media will almost always find a story to support the development lobby without question and will always ignore the concerns of the residents most affected?

Under provincial endangered species legislation activity in or around their habitat that may “kill, harass or harm the endangered species and their habitat” is prohibited.

Because this does not support developers, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (you know, those guys committed to protecting our environment?) devised an Overall Benefit Permit.

The only actual “benefit” is to the developers.

The Lakewood developer applied for and has one.

The idea that there are any survivors of this particular endangered species colony on the Lakewood site in Wainfleet, after all the tree destruction and heavy equipment activity all over the habitat is quite ridiculous.

Your apparent support for his “environmental efforts” are badly misplaced and in fact only support his continued efforts to intimidate those local residents who live in the immediate area and whose concerns, to date, have never been seriously considered by local media outlets such as yours.

Andrew Watts Wainfleet