TREPA

In the last day or so many of our TREPA web viewers, and there are many, have received the the following message from our President, Margrit Robinson. It gives an overview of what we have been doing, asks for renewal of membership, announces our AGM, and makes an offer of lobster draw chances at a very reasonable price.

If you received the letter that means you are on our mailing list and hopefully paying a small membership/communication fee of $10 per person per year to support our ongoing environmental commitment.

If you are reading this, but did not get a letter, that means we are missing you in our contact files. It is okay to read our website without being a financial supporter. It is an open site. But, if you believe in our environmental mission and feel we are making a contribution in southwest Nova Scotia, we would love to have your further support as a contributing member. That is, help us out and build our membership. We work for you all year long.

Send memberships to:

This is the Presidents letter:

Dear TREPA supporter:

We have just completed another year representing environmental concerns in our region having expanded our activities to include a part time Executive Director, John Sollows, who has been actively seeking projects and funding as well as representing TREPA at many meetings. We continue to be active in coastal zone management, forestry practices, protection and expansion of public lands, pollution on our southwest Nova Scotia river systems, wetland restoration by Wal-Mart, Broad Brook wetlands protection, local food promotion, climate change adaption, the Gulf of Maine Institute, and many other issues that arise during the year. We have continued to providing you and the general public with the most up-to-date environmental information for our region on our www.trepa.com site with its frequent posts and space for you to comment.

Since we started tracking visits in January we have averaged about 140 visits per week so we feel we are reaching out well with our TREPA NEWS format. However, at this time of year it is good to reconnect by way of old fashioned regular mail to update our membership and make sure our connections remain current. We have just three items for your action:

MEMBERSHIP. We encourage you to renew your commitment to the environment and TREPA by sending in your $10 yearly membership to support our programs. With this, we would like to make sure we have your name, address, phone and e-mail. Send to our address above. If you are not getting our regular TREPA NEWS updates we want to make sure you do in the future. Visit www.trepa.com.

AGM. The annual general meeting will be held on April 18th at the Lake Vaughn Fire Hall. A report on the activities of the last year and election of officers will be held. There will be a finger food reception at 6:30 and the meeting will start at 7:00. We encourage you to attend and meet like minded environmental folk in our area.

LOBSTER DRAW. The annual lobster draw is taking place once again. You will find two sheets of tickets with this letter. For just $5 you get six tickets for yourself and for another $5 another packet to sell to a friend or as a surprise gift for a relative. That is a good deal for the chance to win 15 pounds of lobster. If you need more tickets these may be copied. Send the money and filled out tickets to our Tusket address above. Committed to the quality of our future environment. Click on Lobster Draw TREPA below, make your copies and send them in.

Sincerely, Margrit Robinson, President

To:  Ministers of Agriculture and Environment, Linda, Vimy, Bonnie, Minh, and Brett From:  John Sollows, Meeting Chair

Date: February 27,2012

 Attached are the finalized notes taken from our public meeting on the second draft of the Fur Industry Regulations, held in Carleton, Yarmouth County the afternoon of Thursday, February 23.  Feb23FurNotes pertains.  I received a few additional points and thoughts after I circulated the draft and have tried to incorporate those adequately in the attachment, but no objections were made to the initial draft.

 The improvements to the regulations, from the point of view of the environment and the general public, are appreciated, but the backstepping on other issues is of very grave concern, and must be emphasized.  The right to earn a living must be limited by the obligation to be a good neighbour, and the draft regulations as they currently stand have opened up some serious loopholes which could adversely affect the environment and the health of rural Nova Scotians.  As a government policy, protection of public health must trump economic development;  the current version of the draft regulations fail, in that regard.

The notes are distributed here, along with notes from the Susuki Foundation that was a virtual participant in the process. Click on image and logo below to access the full texts.

The following report by CARP has a wealth of good information and practical advise to those interested in better water use at home and in the community. Click on the document to get full details.