Vancouverites invited to clear land for water treatment plant

In order to clear the land for a major water filtration plant that is going to service the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the region’s water committee is asking the public to come out and dig up plants.
The GVRD is building the plant in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve as part of a massive new $500-million expansion of its water treatment system. The region represents 21 municipalities in the Vancouver area.
Over 15 hectares of vegetation has to be removed from the site, but there is nowhere suitable to accommodate and re-establish it. The GVRD is therefore inviting the public to come and salvage native plans for their home gardens. The program is aimed at encouraging people to use native plant landscaping. “Using native plants in your garden can contribute to a healthier environment by saving water and reducing or eliminating the need for pesticides or fertilizer,” says a press release.
The plant salvaging event is scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve in North Vancouver. More information, including a plant salvage kit, map and plant listing is available at www.gvrd.bc.ca/news/community.