The Pitt Polder is a unique ecological area—a mix of marsh, bog, inter-tidal mudflats, upland forest and farmland north of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge. It is a major nesting and resting area for birds on the Pacific Flyway migration.
It provides protection for many rare and endangered birds like the Greater sandhill crane and Tundra swan.
It is made up prime agricultural land. If we pave our farmland, we destroy the livability of our communities.
This area provides opportunities for people to experience nature, for recreation and relaxation.
Farmlands provide food security for a rapidly growing population. Global warming,
unpredictable weather events and the need to cut carbon emissions will make it necessary to
grow our food locally. Produce grown close to home is fresher, healthier and creates fewer
emissions than produce shipped thousands of miles to the consumer.
Farmland in British Columbia is shrinking at an alarming rate. We need to draw a firm line in the sand to protect what little agricultural land we have left. The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) represents only 5% of B.C.'s total land base. Three critical agricultural areas, the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan Valley make up less than 10% of the ALR or .05% of the provincial land base. These areas alone generate approximately $1.8 billion or 80% of provincial farm gate sales from more than 200 commodities. (ALR Watch, B.C.) Despite the economic importance of these agricultural areas, foodlands are under intense pressure for urban development.
Farmland also provides green space, beauty and homes for wildlife.
Protecting farmland means less urban sprawl and more livable communities. If developers could no longer look to the ALR for cheap land, they would have little option but to develop the town core rather than sprawling into the suburbs as in the past. In a Smart Growth survey, Maple Ridge rated very badly on the urban sprawl index.
Farmland in BC is disappearing at an alarming rate. In the five year period ending in March 2005, over 71% of all applications to remove land from the ALR were approved by the Agricultural Land Commission. Maple Ridge Council has been deluged with applications to remove land from the ALR because of a compliant Agricultural Land Commission and a pro-development council. The present mayors of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge seem to think there are better uses for farmland. Maple Ridge council continues to push for an industrial zone on ALR land.
Wetlands stabilize and prevent erosion, filter harmful toxic substances, and moderate the impact of storm water run-off, preventing flooding. Aquatic plants that live in wetlands absorb toxins and detoxify them. These substances are then released into the air or water. Studies show that wetlands are often more effective at cleaning water than comparable engineering systems.
Wetlands store carbon from auto and industry fuel emissions. The carbon is stored as long as the land is undisturbed. By disrupting these areas, methane and carbon are released into the air, contributing to global warming. The wetlands and the surrounding dykes provide recreation for birders, hikers, cyclists, dog-walkers, canoeists, photographers, horseback riders. Wetlands are places of natural beauty.
The Pitt Polder-Maple Ridge Wetlands are an ecological treasure. These lands are home to a diversity of unique plants, rare birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. They provide a breeding ground for salmon and, later, a nursery for their offspring. Approximately one half of the Lower Mainland population of Greater sandhill cranes reside in our local wetlands. Sandhill cranes are identified on the Federal Endangered List as “vulnerable and sensitive.”