Green Timbers group worried about Surrey-Langley SkyTrain

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Surrey nature lovers are raising concerns about what the proposed Surrey-Langley SkyTrain could do to Green Timbers, a rare urban forest in the region.

Don Schuetze with the Green Timbers Heritage Society fears the Fraser Highway will be widened to accommodate the train, dividing the beloved green space into smaller areas.

“Instead of having a forest that people can walk through, from the north to the south, now you’ve got a little bit in the south, you’ve got another little fragment in the middle, another little fragment in the north,” says Schuetze.

Meanwhile, TransLink says it will take into account the concerns of the community.

In a statement, TransLink says they’re planning to conduct a comprehensive Environmental Screening Review of the project.

“Protecting the natural environment is an important priority and TransLink is committed to minimizing impacts, including those of the proposed Surrey Langley SkyTrain,” the statement says. “The project team is meeting with local sustainability advocates and participating First Nations, and completed a preliminary round of public engagement to gather feedback on possible issues and opportunities. If we receive approval from the Mayors’ Council in July to proceed with planning work, further public engagement will follow and will help to inform a sustainable and responsible plan.”

But Schuetze is skeptical about how the route could be built without causing significant harm.

“It doesn’t matter how much wildlife tunnel they put through or whatever – there will be an ineffable damage done to the forest as a whole by widening that area.”

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