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OPINION Losing the authority to conserve Environmentalists and other local residents were shocked to learn list week that the Grand River Conservation Authority planned to selt off four parcels of Laure! Creek Conservaton Area "as quickly as posâ€" sibleâ€" The land would be sald to subdivision developers and to the Region of Waterloo {which plans to extend and realign Westmount Road) in order to raise money â€" up to $1 million in the esumation of one local reattor The authornty argues that the land in question is not really that enviâ€" ronmentally significant, and that it can‘t continue to do its job without the infusion of cash that a quick sale would provide. Yet, once the prinâ€" viple is established (and unce the oneâ€"ume money runs out}, what is to stop the authority from selling off the rest of Laurel Creek? After all, it really would make a lovely subdivision. Likewise, I‘m sure that lots of adventure tour operators would love to buy Elora Gorge As disturbing as it is. what is happening in the Grand River waterâ€" shed should not come as much of a surprise. 1t is really the inevitable consequence of provincial government policies that are designed to undermine conservation authorities, and other similar bodies such as the Niagara Escarpment Comtmmisston. Developers don‘t hke them â€" Bill 26. the Omnibus Bill, placed linuts an authorities‘ abslitics to assess local municipaliuies fot services rendered. It also encouraged the development or sale of conservation authority lands, much of which is environmentally sensitive and/or donated on the condition that it be protected in perpetuity In addition, the mandate of conservation authorities has been restricted to flood control. Responsibility for planning approvals. water quality. siream rehabilitation and wetlands management seems to have fallen by the wayside. Educational and tecreation programs have been scrapped or the fees for their use increased dramatically "Conservation authorities have been an effective and reasonably lowâ€" cost way of protecting biodiversity," maintains Duck Barr of the World Wildlife Fund. "It may be necessary to have some cuts. but they shouldn‘t have used such broad brush strokes." John Sewell who chared the province‘s Commission on Planning and Developiment Reform during the term of the previous governinent shares Bart‘s caoncern. "Disimembering conservation authorines ts a siep backward ‘ argues sewell. "Certainly some conservation authorâ€" uies were not very useful hut the idea hbehind them was extremely useâ€" ful The attack on conservation authorities is | just one piece of the puzâ€" zle" that is the Tories land management policy. according to Braadâ€" view â€"Greertwood MPP Marilyn Churlex. The NDP Environment Critic vites changes to the Planning Act that will facihtate development of environmentally significant areas. including wetlands The government has also exempted itself from the province‘s Enviranmental Bill of Rights under which many of these policies could have been chalâ€" lenged "It‘s really a developers dream." says Churley ( :l WATERfi)(l)CIe Telephone: 886â€"2830 Fax: 886â€"9383 Eâ€"mail _ wechroniclk@@sentex.net Waterloo Town Square 753 King St South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontanio ~2piP2 AnotuER Ironically, conservation authoritics were created in the late 19405 by a Conâ€" servative governmens that wanted to overcome a piecemeal approach to flood control and environmental manageâ€" ment. Planning on a watershed or ecosystem basis â€" across political jurisâ€" dictions â€" was a bold idea at the time, and it is one that sul} makes sense today. because they restrict where they can build: Tory poliuicians don‘t like anyâ€" thing that developers don‘t like Group Publisher Group Advertising Manager Butch Gmeve Chery} MiMenemy Editor: Deborah Crandall Reporters: Tim Gardner Bobh Vrbanac Sports Editor Sales Supervisor: Gerry Mattice Display Advertising Bill Karges Norma (ya Regional ( lassified Manager Lynn Mitchell Classified: Saghira Ladha Kim Broderick The grass is greener...and so is the water bill Last summer was bruial on lawns, but most seem to have recovered well. That‘s thanks to periodic raims and some mighty expensive sprinkling. Not to mention the repairs necessitated by grubs. It‘s amazing how wellâ€"tended lawns make a community look good. Thanks to its Germanic background, this commuâ€" nity has always had trim grass, but a friend says that Strathroy does even beuer The tawn is home to a lot of Dutch emigrants and their children, and neatness is part.of their tradition Ah well, their grass may be greener, but probaâ€" , bly so is their water bill "N[‘I Crash Crop: Good golly. what next Naw opium poppics have been found growing in four Waterloo Region farm plots. Shades of Southeast Asta! You probably know the drill: When the round pod of the poppy is cut, white "puice" cozes out. That coagulates, turns brownish black and that‘s the opium. Opium in turn is used in the production of morphine and codeine. One of its other derivatives is heron Optum poppiks growing here? Wow! We sure have come a long way since the might decades ago when a member of Tommy Dorseys hand playing at the Summer Gardens was nabbed for having marpuana We thought that was about the height of bigâ€"time scandal but, of course, since then I‘ve encountered new heighis That‘s including, of course, the Braadway producer. They did n‘t know he was on LSD until he took an option on The Quo tations of Chairman Mao Tseâ€" Tungâ€"for a musical Literary Touch: Incidentally, 1 suppose you know it, hut Canada‘s hestâ€"known poein draws on the properties of the poppy John McCrac‘s in Flanders‘ hrelds says that "It ye break famh with us who die, we shall not sleep .‘ Dr. McRac was alluding to the wony of not sleeping even though the dead were amid poppics, the saurce of sleepâ€" including products, as the medical manâ€"port well knew Circulation Manager Catalun Anstes Circulation: ferry Fischer Maithew Hayes Chery} McGall Production Milhe Maruin Nancy Hhill Kerri Miller , Great news honey.... Somebody stole our car ! OcE oveR [ JGHTHY Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday The views of our columnists are their even and do mot necessanth represent the views of the newspaper p P 8y 0 e Shhh! It‘s Summer: Gosh: politics takes a holiday in midâ€" summer, presumably because all the legaslators are home seeâ€" ing how tough it is to live under the dumb laws they‘ve passed And to Canadians and Brits the poppy will always be th symbol of the sactificeâ€"the supreme sacrifice Things were more excomng when fis Witmer was going around making every haspual feel as though it has just hit the lottery. And the Grits were grumbling that the goodies were Its to be expected from nme to time AMisr all pohticians are only hunianâ€"despite w they say in their campaign speeches Were No. 1â€"Again: The UN has again tabbed Canada a~ the best place in the world to live . and youll note that the L\ bureaucrats do it at a time when it has a bit of behevabilits July is about as gaod as it gets in the True North Can you imagine them releasing the word on a January morning when there‘s two feet of fresh snow in the driveway and the imercurs is well below zero? 5. SR 4# [E There are only three reasons anyone hives throug dian winter: Its colorful, 45 stimulating. and few p get their cars started to get out winter pumper cable to Florida What this country needs besides a good fiveâ€"cent u International Standard Sernai Nimi# The bairway Group A division of Southam Inc just preâ€"election giveaways. And the NDPurs were mumbling that the tax cuts were crucl Incidentally, the Tories are divided on restructuring the regions. Steve Gilchnst. the new municipal minister, used to be hat to trat but naw he is a bit mote cautious Of course, it all depends on what Mike Har Tis wants. To give Wayne Wettlauter his due. the Kitch ener MPP has come out in support of amalga mation. By contrast, i1z Witmer says it shouk be left to the locals Butit will come Eventually Inevitabls: And vou can even understand why the Torics an split Maled subsorphion rams $65 vearly in C anaila $90 vearly sortstde 1 anaila 1 ISNN owz o4 hy peop gh a Cana