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grand O]C()jeni ng Development has fed crime: GRCA Continued from page 1 the park, those concerns have heightened. The land is meant to proâ€" tect the Grand River waterâ€" shed as well as the flora and fauna that are unique to it, he said. "This is a fastâ€"growing part of the city," said Schultz. "Where you have more people, you always have a greater potential for more problems." Of all the lands the GRCA manages, Shade Mills in Cambridge is the only other area that has seen some of the problems of developâ€" ment on its outskirts. But those lands don‘t have to deal with the development pressures at Laurel Creek, which is fast becoming an island in a sea of suburbia. "It‘s a beautiful place and a lot of people like to enjoy it, but it‘s usual have a fenced property like that in the middle of a city," said Schultz, who reaffirmed no taxpayer money goes to support the park. "The money we have to operate that park comes from the admissions and no where else. "So it‘s important that if people want to enjoy the park, they buy a pass." â€"Dave Schultz GRCA dering dogs cause distress to natural areas and the aniâ€" mals in them. "Your pets have to be on a leash," said Schultz. "That causes problems for other people and the wildlife, so they have to treat it as a natâ€" ural area and act properly." Park staff have the legal authority to issue tickets to people trespassing or violatâ€" ing park rules. "Where you have more people, you always have a greater potential for more problems." "It makes it a more attractive place to live," said Schultz. "But this takes our staff away from the job of taking care of the rest of the property. "The goal is to keep it as natural an area as possible and make it a resource for the community; so you want to make sure you proâ€" tect that resource so the community can continue to enjoy it." The park includes a campground, reservoir, beach and playgrounds, in addition to the natural areas. It is popular throughâ€" out the year, whether it is for crossâ€"country skiing in the winter or swimming in the summer. Conservation Area affords them, but if they don‘t respect what they have they can lose it. ¢*~