It has been 8 days since I wrote Mayor Clarke and cced all CBRM councillors and I have yet to receive a response.

Though I am an optimist, I fear that the Mayor may have no intention of answering my letter. 

Read the letter here.

But this is important.

Here is the series of unfortunate events:

• Calgary-based developer Chris Skidmore unveiled his plan for an RV park of urban scale in Big Pond. 

• Local residents opposed to the plan explained to the CBRM planning & development and CBRM Council that the proposed site was on a pond that is of ecological importance to the Bras d'Or Lake and the surrounding wetlands. 

• CBRM planning & development and CBRM Council repeatedly told us that though it might be true that this RV park plan would be bad for the environment of the lake and the surrounding land, that they had no power to consider the environment in their decision.

But this is not true.

• Research shows that the CBRM council adopted a Municipal Climate Change Action Plan (MCCAP)  4 years ago. (I wrote about the MCCAP here.)

• You can read the MCCAP here. 

• This means that the CBRM Council adopted environmental policies and have ignored them for 4 years. 

• This policy, quoted from the MCCAP, would likely have made a difference in the outcome of the process attached to the Big Pond RV park  proposal:

  "it is recommended that CBRM, on its own, initiate a coastal setback policy to be implemented in its land use bylaws based on elevation, protection of known environmentally sensitive sites in proximity to the coast, and scientifically accepted predictions of sea level rise over time referenced in cited documents below."

• As would this policy: 

  "The most appropriate regulations for initial adoption are those put forward by EDM (for CEPI) for the Bras d'Or watershed." You can read these regulations here.

If you think that the Mayor Clarke and the CBRM Council should explain why they ignored the MCCAP they  adopted 4 years ago as they considered whether to create a new zone in Big Pond on environmentally sensitive coastline and land,, 

and 

if  you want the environmental health of the Bras d'Or Lake to be considered when any devlopment is proposed for its shoreline, 

Please share this petition on Facebook or type your name in the comments fieled below. 

Mayor Clarke and CBRM council would not respond to one person's request for clarifcation and action regarding the MCCAP, but maybe they will respond to a petition showing the names of people who want them to step up.

And please share this petition widely, to all of our environmentally aware friends, and to those who are into basic fairness.