Letter from SIRRA to Tsawout Tseycum First Nation January 2017- February 22, 2017

Letter from SIRRA to Tsawout Tseycum First Nation January 2017- February 22, 2017

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January 16, 2017 SIRRA PO Box 27 Saturna, BC V0N 2Y0 Attention: Jonathan Sector as Consultant to the Tsawout and Tseycum Bands RE: Logging Proposal on IR7 Saturna Island Dear friends;
At the Board meeting of Saturna Island Residents and Ratepayers Association (SIRRA)1 September 10, 2016, in the midst of preparing for public consultation between you and our community about the above matter, our Board passed the attached motion. We regret that due to miscommunication within the SIRRA board, a letter outlining the SIRRA position with respect to IR7 logging plans failed to be presented to you in the timely fashion anticipated. The purpose of the motion was to clarify the legitimate and relevant concerns in which SIRRA would become involved on behalf of the membership, with those issues having been primarily defined through informal polling of members by the directors. It was very gratifying to see the SIRRA position largely reflected in comments made to you in the November 26th, 2016 community meeting. As you will see by the motion, fire protection and roads (public safety and mitigation of damage) are the main concerns to be represented by SIRRA on behalf of the membership. Saturna Island Fire Protection Society will be the primary contact with you on the first issue, and will have the support of SIRRA. In the interest of the second issue, roads, we would like you to know that we would be pleased to engage with you for discussion at your earliest convenience. Kindly let us know if this would be suitable to you. SIRRA wishes to continue to build a positive relationship of mutual respect and to being good neighbours. We look forward to hearing the current progress and next steps for this project. Sincerely David Osborne
Secretary, for the Board of SIRRA
1 SIRRA represents more than 200 ratepayers and residents.
Attachment
SIRRA Minutes of September 10, 2016 - Excerpt
Motion by Ron Hall, seconded by Bill Schermbruker: That the SIRRA Board inform the Bands (Tsawout and Tseycum) that it respects their right to perform logging operations on IR-7 within jurisdiction and control of the agencies responsible for such developments.
and that:
The role of the SIRRA Board with regard to the proposed logging operation on IR-7 will be, firstly, to:
 facilitate, jointly with the SCC, a community meeting;
and, secondly,
with respect to the logging operations, work with the First Nations and their consultants, to help ensure:
 road safety for travelers and others on the public log transport route;
 protection of the public roads from heavy-load damage;
 clean-up of the property on an on-going basis, as well as following the logging operations, in the interest of fire safety;
and nothing substantial outside the above, unless as directed by the SIRRA Board.
After discussion, a friendly amendment was suggested by Michael Fry to change the last line to delete "nothing substantial outside the above..." and replace it with "nothing further unless as directed by the SIRRA Board."
The amendment was accepted by the movers.
The question was called. The amended motion was Carried, with unanimous support of those present.

Incoming/Outgoing