The Sumas Mountain Rural Property Owners Association has obtained a copy of an email between City staff and a "conservancy" land trust. The email (sent by Jason Northcott of the Nature Trust of BC) was sent to Tanya Bettles (environmental coordinator for the City of Abbotsford) requesting "inside information" about Sumas Mountain property owners, their land parcels, sizes, and additional details --- for the purposes of potentially adding them to the Trust's land portfolio wish-list. See the document here.

Here's why this is significant:

First ---

Tanya Bettles is the staffer responsible for crafting much of the Sumas Mountain Environmental Management Plan --- a bold and aggressive assault on the private property rights of Sumas Mountain residents.

Through the lens of this "plan" the City intends to craft a new Official Community Plan for Sumas Mountain, which may include the down-zoning of certain parcels, or rendering certain people's properties "zero disturbance zones" due to wildlife considerations in the SMEMP.

In other words, the market value of certain properties could drop considerably because of the SMEMP.

Second ---

The Nature Trust of BC claims to be an organization which conserves ecologically sensitive land "for future generations" --- in other words, it's a land trust.

Conservancy land trusts have become notorious in recent years, after an expose by the Washington Times and a fascinating story written by former San Francisco Chronicle journalist Tim Findley on the largest and most controversial land trust, The Nature Conservancy. Land trusts often accumulate lands at deep discounts or through outright "donation" from battered landowners who are strong-armed by local governments during the permitting process.

The Nature Trust of BC could materially benefit as a result of the City's environmental decisions affecting Sumas Mountain residents' privately-owned parcels. And now that they've caught wind of the Sumas Mountain Environmental Management Plan, they're asking the City of Abbotsford for "inside information" as to whose properties might be most affected so they can add them to their most-wanted list. If this sounds outrageous to you, you're not alone.

Some questions we have:

• What documents or information has Tanya Bettles or the City of Abbotsford released to the Nature Trust regarding privately-owned lands on Sumas Mountain?
  
  
• To what extent has the Nature Trust been involved in the process of the Sumas Mountain Environmental Management Plan?
  
  
• What meetings have been held between City staff and the Nature Trust involving Sumas Mountain?
  
  
• What is the nature of the City's relationship with the Nature Trust, that requests for "inside information" relating to privately-held lands are being made?
  
  
• Does the City's relationship with the Nature Trust and its potential to materially benefit the Nature Trust through its environmental decisions constitute a conflict of interest and breach of the public trust?

If you're concerned about this, stand with us by joining SMRPOA now.