Wreck Beach 10-26-04



		NAC Action Alert WRECK BEACH VANCOUVER, BRITSH COLUMBIA October 26, 2004

	\| Click here for more important information at LOCAL ISSUES. \|

	\| Click here to view the NAC Action Alert for Wreck Beach dated September 25, 2004. \|

	\| Return to Current NAC Action Alerts \| Return to NAC Home Page \|

******************************************************************** NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE ACTION ALERT ****************************************************************** http://www.naturistsociety.com/NAC/ ****************************************************************** Copyright 2004 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration. DATE : October 26, 2004 SUBJECT: Wreck Beach, British Columbia TO : All naturists Dear Naturist, An extension to the deadline for receiving comments has led the Naturist Action Committee to reissue this NAC Action Alert, asking for your help in a grass roots battle to preserve Wreck Beach. This renewed request is made in close cooperation with the Wreck Beach Preservation Society (WBPS) and the Federation of Canadian Naturists (FCN). If you have already responded to the NAC Action Alert dated September 25, we thank you very much for choosing to be involved. If you have not yet become a part of this important effort, we urge you to do so now! Correspondence you send in the next 2 weeks will have the best chance of making an impact at the November 17 meeting of the Joint Committee of the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). We ask that you please copy all e-mail correspondence to Judy Williams at the Wreck Beach Preservation Society: judyw@wreckbeach.org UPDATE ON THE RESULTS OF YOUR EFFORTS SO FAR At the October 15 meeting of the GVRD Park Committee, Gary Gibson, one of the members of the UBC-GVRD Joint Committee spoke eloquently about the deluge of letters he has been receiving "beyond just those who daily use the beach." He was "overwhelmed" at the letters pouring in "internationally and from across North America." He also said that when he took a cruise north from San Diego, the most breathtaking view of all was when they sailed around the North Arm jetty and saw Point Grey (where Wreck Beach is situated) "sparkling in the sun" and uncluttered by buildings In large part as a result of your letters sent in response to the NAC Action Alert of September 25, the Park Committee voted unanimously to recognize the low tide boundary of Wreck Beach and to attempt to persuade UBC to do so, and to "advocate" to UBC the "immediate release" of UBC's hydrogeotechnical and environmental studies to the Wreck Beach Preservation Society, so that the WBPS geomorphologist may critique them. BACKGROUND Wreck Beach in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is one of the most beautiful clothing-optional beaches in the world. It wraps nearly 8 km. around the Point Grey peninsula and is framed by spectacular forested cliffs. Above those cliffs lies the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC). Presently the pristine forested cliffs above the beach hide any university buildings from view, giving beachgoers a natural backdrop that approaches wilderness, despite close proximity to the city. This precious heritage view greeted Captain George Vancouver centuries ago and is still enjoyed by boaters and people who visit the tidal flats today. For years, UBC campus development has threatened the natural character of the adjacent foreshore and cliffs. But this year University officials literally went "over the top" when they began construction of the first of four intended 20-storey Marine Residence student towers, only hundreds of feet from the cliff edge, overlooking the most popular area of the beach. Started with virtually no public consultation, the construction planning has triggered a public outcry, with the WBPS pointing to specific environmental impacts. Those include: 1) inevitable bird strikes on tall buildings 2) the potential for cliff erosion and the beach-threatening solutions that will surely be proposed to protect the new construction from the effect of such erosion. More than any other issue, the potential loss of the wilderness-like setting has captured the attention of naturists and nature lovers from around the world. Simply put, the construction of towers looming over the beach would forever change the character of Wreck Beach. The Wreck Beach Preservation Society is asking the official stewards of the beach, the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and other regional authorities to protect the public park from this irreparable loss. The concerns of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society are shared by many. As this NAC Action Alert is being released, nearly 20,000 petition signatures have been collected as validation of the WBPS position. NAC ASKS ALL CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS TO CONTACT THE FOLLOWING AUTHORITIES Send correspondence to as many as possible. Send postal mail, e-mail - or BOTH! So that the Wreck Beach Preservation Society may have a record of your contact, please send a copy of each e-mailed letter to: judyw@wreckbeach.org 1) GVRD-UBC JOINT COMMITTEE c/o Paulette Vetleson, Corporate Secretary to the Joint GVRD-UBC Committee 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC CANADA V5H 4G8 paulette.vetleson@gvrd.bc.ca 2) GVRD-UBC JOINT COMMITTEE c/o Kristian Nichols, GVRD Electoral A Administrator and Planner, Policy and Planning Department, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC CANADA-V5H 4G8 kristian.nichols@gvrd.bc.ca 3) INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS of the JOINT GVRD-UBC COMMITTEE: Gary Gibson, Electoral District A: gbgibson@telus.net Councillor Raymond Louie: clrlouie@city.vancouver.bc.ca Mayor Ralph Drew, Belcarra, BC: rdrew@shaw.ca 4) MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE WHO CAN BE REACHED THROUGH GVRD: Nicola Byres, UBC Board of Governors Bryce Rositch, UBC Board of Governors Chancellor Allan McEachern, UBC Board of Governors Address postal mail and e-mail to the above-named officials ... c/o Shelley Jackson, GVRD Program Assistant 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC, V5H 4G8 email: Shelley.Jackson@gvrd.bc.ca fax: (604) 436-6970 5) PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY Martha Piper, President of UBC and Member, Board of Governors c/o Shelley Jackson (see #4, above). 6) GVRD PARK COMMITTEE CHAIR Judy Higginbotham c/o Paulette Vetleson, Corporate Secretary to the Joint GVRD-UBC Committee 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC CANADA V5H 4G8 Judy Higginbotham's e-mail: jehigginbotham@city.surrey.bc.ca 7) GVRD BOARD OF DIRECTORS c/o Paulette Vetleson, (see #1, above) 8) GVRD CAO Johnny Carline, CAO of the GVRD c/o Paulette Vetleson, (see #1, above) WHO SHOULD WRITE? NAC is asking ALL CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS to e-mail or write. This includes residents of the US, as well as those who live in Canada and elsewhere. Vancouver and UBC pride themselves on their international appeal. WHAT SHOULD I SAY? When you write, be sure to give your name and address. Anonymous correspondence is typically ignored. Be polite. Carefully express your outrage and your resentment, if you wish, but avoid threats and name-calling. In your message, state very clearly that you OPPOSE the proposed towers, as well as the height of the first tower now under construction. SOME POINTS TO CONSIDER Please use your own words. You may simply and respectfully ask decision-makers to consider the requests of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society, or you may elaborate on any of the following points 1) The need to protect the environment from irreparable harm has been inadequately addressed. Those rushing the construction of the towers have brushed off concerns about cliff stability and such environmental concerns as eagle habitat. 2) Geotechnical and environmental studies have been released to the GVRD, but UBC has withheld those studies from the public. The University MUST make all of this information available to the Wreck Beach Preservation Society and to the public. What legitimate purpose is served by hiding the studies? 3) GVRD, entrusted with stewardship of Wreck Beach, must be encouraged to continue its efforts to prevent the loss of one of Vancouver's most beautiful and unspoiled viewscapes of forested cliffs by the sea. 4) Months ago, WBPS raised a small blimp to the height of the 20-storey buildings and demonstrated that the towers would hulk quite visibly above the tree line. UBC refused to accept that result, but now will allow no one else to prove or disprove it, although they claim their blimp raised in June was not visible from the beach. If University officials believe the Wreck Beach Preservation Society is mistaken about the overshadowing profiles of the towers to be imposed on the beach, then those University officials should be happy to have WBPS proven wrong! UBC MUST allow GVRD staff to raise an impartial blimp to the 20-storey height within the footprint for each site of the three remaining proposed towers. 5) There is an unaddressed need for storm water management to avoid cliff erosion. 6) There is a desperate need for a full, transparent public process regarding the design and heights of the three remaining towers, as well as the height of Tower #1 now under construction. The University MUST immediately become the good neighbor it has claimed to be. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? If you haven't done so already, you may wish to add your name to an online petition initiated by the Wreck Beach Preservation Society. For details, visit the web site of WBPS at www.wreckbeach.org WHAT IS NAC DOING? The Naturist Action Committee is working closely on this issue with the Wreck Beach Preservation Society and the Federation of Canadian Naturists. NAC continues to provide consultation and analysis to WBPS. NAC's sister nonprofit volunteer organization, the Naturist Education Foundation, has made a grant to WBPS to assist with legal expenses. MORE INFORMATION Additional information about the Wreck Beach situation is available on the web site of the Naturist Action Committee: www.naturistsociety.com/NAC Select ALERTS, ADVISORIES & UPDATES and then "Current Alerts" to find this Advisory and links to additional information at LOCAL ISSUES on the NAC web site. PLEASE HELP NAC HELP NATURISTS IN CANADA AND ELSEWHERE** The Naturist Action Committee exists to advance and protect the rights of naturists throughout North America. NAC is a volunteer nonprofit organization that relies on the grass roots participation of those who understand that individuals working together can make a difference. NAC has no membership roster on which to assess dues, and it relies completely on voluntary contributions from concerned and involved naturists like you. Monitoring lawmakers and coordinating action across North America is expensive. Won't you take a moment to help NAC by sending a generous donation? You may send your donation to the address below, or you may call toll free (800) 886-7230 during normal office hours to donate by phone using your MasterCard or Visa. NAC PO Box 132 Oshkosh, WI 54903 Thank you for choosing to make a difference! Naturally, Judy Williams Board Member Naturist Action Committee ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903 Bob Morton - Executive Dir. - <ctnudists@aol.com> Judy Williams - Board Member - <judyw@wreckbeach.org> Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - <naturist@sunclad.com> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Top \| Click here for more important information at LOCAL ISSUES. \| \| Return to Current NAC Action Alerts \| Return to NAC Home Page \|



		NAC Action Alert WRECK BEACH VANCOUVER, BRITSH COLUMBIA October 26, 2004

	\| Click here for more important information at LOCAL ISSUES. \|

	\| Click here to view the NAC Action Alert for Wreck Beach dated September 25, 2004. \|

	\| Return to Current NAC Action Alerts \| Return to NAC Home Page \|

******************************************************************** NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE ACTION ALERT ****************************************************************** http://www.naturistsociety.com/NAC/ ****************************************************************** Copyright 2004 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration. DATE : October 26, 2004 SUBJECT: Wreck Beach, British Columbia TO : All naturists Dear Naturist, An extension to the deadline for receiving comments has led the Naturist Action Committee to reissue this NAC Action Alert, asking for your help in a grass roots battle to preserve Wreck Beach. This renewed request is made in close cooperation with the Wreck Beach Preservation Society (WBPS) and the Federation of Canadian Naturists (FCN). If you have already responded to the NAC Action Alert dated September 25, we thank you very much for choosing to be involved. If you have not yet become a part of this important effort, we urge you to do so now! Correspondence you send in the next 2 weeks will have the best chance of making an impact at the November 17 meeting of the Joint Committee of the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). We ask that you please copy all e-mail correspondence to Judy Williams at the Wreck Beach Preservation Society: judyw@wreckbeach.org UPDATE ON THE RESULTS OF YOUR EFFORTS SO FAR At the October 15 meeting of the GVRD Park Committee, Gary Gibson, one of the members of the UBC-GVRD Joint Committee spoke eloquently about the deluge of letters he has been receiving "beyond just those who daily use the beach." He was "overwhelmed" at the letters pouring in "internationally and from across North America." He also said that when he took a cruise north from San Diego, the most breathtaking view of all was when they sailed around the North Arm jetty and saw Point Grey (where Wreck Beach is situated) "sparkling in the sun" and uncluttered by buildings In large part as a result of your letters sent in response to the NAC Action Alert of September 25, the Park Committee voted unanimously to recognize the low tide boundary of Wreck Beach and to attempt to persuade UBC to do so, and to "advocate" to UBC the "immediate release" of UBC's hydrogeotechnical and environmental studies to the Wreck Beach Preservation Society, so that the WBPS geomorphologist may critique them. BACKGROUND Wreck Beach in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is one of the most beautiful clothing-optional beaches in the world. It wraps nearly 8 km. around the Point Grey peninsula and is framed by spectacular forested cliffs. Above those cliffs lies the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC). Presently the pristine forested cliffs above the beach hide any university buildings from view, giving beachgoers a natural backdrop that approaches wilderness, despite close proximity to the city. This precious heritage view greeted Captain George Vancouver centuries ago and is still enjoyed by boaters and people who visit the tidal flats today. For years, UBC campus development has threatened the natural character of the adjacent foreshore and cliffs. But this year University officials literally went "over the top" when they began construction of the first of four intended 20-storey Marine Residence student towers, only hundreds of feet from the cliff edge, overlooking the most popular area of the beach. Started with virtually no public consultation, the construction planning has triggered a public outcry, with the WBPS pointing to specific environmental impacts. Those include: 1) inevitable bird strikes on tall buildings 2) the potential for cliff erosion and the beach-threatening solutions that will surely be proposed to protect the new construction from the effect of such erosion. More than any other issue, the potential loss of the wilderness-like setting has captured the attention of naturists and nature lovers from around the world. Simply put, the construction of towers looming over the beach would forever change the character of Wreck Beach. The Wreck Beach Preservation Society is asking the official stewards of the beach, the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and other regional authorities to protect the public park from this irreparable loss. The concerns of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society are shared by many. As this NAC Action Alert is being released, nearly 20,000 petition signatures have been collected as validation of the WBPS position. NAC ASKS ALL CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS TO CONTACT THE FOLLOWING AUTHORITIES Send correspondence to as many as possible. Send postal mail, e-mail - or BOTH! So that the Wreck Beach Preservation Society may have a record of your contact, please send a copy of each e-mailed letter to: judyw@wreckbeach.org 1) GVRD-UBC JOINT COMMITTEE c/o Paulette Vetleson, Corporate Secretary to the Joint GVRD-UBC Committee 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC CANADA V5H 4G8 paulette.vetleson@gvrd.bc.ca 2) GVRD-UBC JOINT COMMITTEE c/o Kristian Nichols, GVRD Electoral A Administrator and Planner, Policy and Planning Department, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC CANADA-V5H 4G8 kristian.nichols@gvrd.bc.ca 3) INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS of the JOINT GVRD-UBC COMMITTEE: Gary Gibson, Electoral District A: gbgibson@telus.net Councillor Raymond Louie: clrlouie@city.vancouver.bc.ca Mayor Ralph Drew, Belcarra, BC: rdrew@shaw.ca 4) MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE WHO CAN BE REACHED THROUGH GVRD: Nicola Byres, UBC Board of Governors Bryce Rositch, UBC Board of Governors Chancellor Allan McEachern, UBC Board of Governors Address postal mail and e-mail to the above-named officials ... c/o Shelley Jackson, GVRD Program Assistant 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC, V5H 4G8 email: Shelley.Jackson@gvrd.bc.ca fax: (604) 436-6970 5) PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY Martha Piper, President of UBC and Member, Board of Governors c/o Shelley Jackson (see #4, above). 6) GVRD PARK COMMITTEE CHAIR Judy Higginbotham c/o Paulette Vetleson, Corporate Secretary to the Joint GVRD-UBC Committee 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC CANADA V5H 4G8 Judy Higginbotham's e-mail: jehigginbotham@city.surrey.bc.ca 7) GVRD BOARD OF DIRECTORS c/o Paulette Vetleson, (see #1, above) 8) GVRD CAO Johnny Carline, CAO of the GVRD c/o Paulette Vetleson, (see #1, above) WHO SHOULD WRITE? NAC is asking ALL CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS to e-mail or write. This includes residents of the US, as well as those who live in Canada and elsewhere. Vancouver and UBC pride themselves on their international appeal. WHAT SHOULD I SAY? When you write, be sure to give your name and address. Anonymous correspondence is typically ignored. Be polite. Carefully express your outrage and your resentment, if you wish, but avoid threats and name-calling. In your message, state very clearly that you OPPOSE the proposed towers, as well as the height of the first tower now under construction. SOME POINTS TO CONSIDER Please use your own words. You may simply and respectfully ask decision-makers to consider the requests of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society, or you may elaborate on any of the following points 1) The need to protect the environment from irreparable harm has been inadequately addressed. Those rushing the construction of the towers have brushed off concerns about cliff stability and such environmental concerns as eagle habitat. 2) Geotechnical and environmental studies have been released to the GVRD, but UBC has withheld those studies from the public. The University MUST make all of this information available to the Wreck Beach Preservation Society and to the public. What legitimate purpose is served by hiding the studies? 3) GVRD, entrusted with stewardship of Wreck Beach, must be encouraged to continue its efforts to prevent the loss of one of Vancouver's most beautiful and unspoiled viewscapes of forested cliffs by the sea. 4) Months ago, WBPS raised a small blimp to the height of the 20-storey buildings and demonstrated that the towers would hulk quite visibly above the tree line. UBC refused to accept that result, but now will allow no one else to prove or disprove it, although they claim their blimp raised in June was not visible from the beach. If University officials believe the Wreck Beach Preservation Society is mistaken about the overshadowing profiles of the towers to be imposed on the beach, then those University officials should be happy to have WBPS proven wrong! UBC MUST allow GVRD staff to raise an impartial blimp to the 20-storey height within the footprint for each site of the three remaining proposed towers. 5) There is an unaddressed need for storm water management to avoid cliff erosion. 6) There is a desperate need for a full, transparent public process regarding the design and heights of the three remaining towers, as well as the height of Tower #1 now under construction. The University MUST immediately become the good neighbor it has claimed to be. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? If you haven't done so already, you may wish to add your name to an online petition initiated by the Wreck Beach Preservation Society. For details, visit the web site of WBPS at www.wreckbeach.org WHAT IS NAC DOING? The Naturist Action Committee is working closely on this issue with the Wreck Beach Preservation Society and the Federation of Canadian Naturists. NAC continues to provide consultation and analysis to WBPS. NAC's sister nonprofit volunteer organization, the Naturist Education Foundation, has made a grant to WBPS to assist with legal expenses. MORE INFORMATION Additional information about the Wreck Beach situation is available on the web site of the Naturist Action Committee: www.naturistsociety.com/NAC Select ALERTS, ADVISORIES & UPDATES and then "Current Alerts" to find this Advisory and links to additional information at LOCAL ISSUES on the NAC web site. PLEASE HELP NAC HELP NATURISTS IN CANADA AND ELSEWHERE** The Naturist Action Committee exists to advance and protect the rights of naturists throughout North America. NAC is a volunteer nonprofit organization that relies on the grass roots participation of those who understand that individuals working together can make a difference. NAC has no membership roster on which to assess dues, and it relies completely on voluntary contributions from concerned and involved naturists like you. Monitoring lawmakers and coordinating action across North America is expensive. Won't you take a moment to help NAC by sending a generous donation? You may send your donation to the address below, or you may call toll free (800) 886-7230 during normal office hours to donate by phone using your MasterCard or Visa. NAC PO Box 132 Oshkosh, WI 54903 Thank you for choosing to make a difference! Naturally, Judy Williams Board Member Naturist Action Committee ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903 Bob Morton - Executive Dir. - <ctnudists@aol.com> Judy Williams - Board Member - <judyw@wreckbeach.org> Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - <naturist@sunclad.com> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Top \| Click here for more important information at LOCAL ISSUES. \| \| Return to Current NAC Action Alerts \| Return to NAC Home Page \|