I am writing with respect to…

I am writing with respect to the proposed quarry to be built in Dalton township off of Monck road because I firmly believe that not enough research has gone into understanding the impact of such a quarry on the local environment. Cranberry Lake, where we have a property, is a unique landscape in Ontario where the Canadian Shield meets with the more farm like land of southern Ontario. The ensuing result is an incredible diversity of plants and animals. Every year our family tracks a large number of otherwise shy and reserved creatures which are spectacular to this environment. We have nesting Sandhill cranes, loons, ospreys, great horned owls, great blue herons, pileated woodpeckers, swans, and Artic terns, which we have seen. There are others to be sure. We have five lined skinks, fox snakes, milk snakes, snapping turtles, the threatened Blandings turtles, painted turtles, a large fish population of many different kinds. We have moose, deer, fishers, raccoons, Northern flying squirrels, mink, otters, beavers, muskrats, skunks, porcupines, and bears all of which we see on a regular basis and encourage them by being as invisible as possible in their environment. With the encroachment of humans from the south and the expansion of cottage country in the north, this little area holds a special place for these animals to live in an unfettered way. Many are rarely seen by most people, particularly Blandings turtle, flying squirrels, skinks and Sandhill cranes. We need to protect this small area for these animals so there is a place for them. The sounds and effects on the water table in particular may force these animals away, either to extinction for the Blanding's turtle, or to somewhere less suited for their reproduction and survival. It would seem incredibly short sighted on the part of township to allow this quarry to go ahead without being certain that the environment within which it is being operated will not be ruined for those creatures who deserve to be here. Our family is here for the long term and we hope the wildlife we have come to enjoy and nurture will be here too!