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Wildwood forest must remain in public hands

I shake my head in disbelief to hear that The Land Conservancy plans to sell Wildwood to a private party in order to pay off debt.

To the Editor,

Re: Wildwood worth saving, Letters, April 30.

I shake my head in disbelief to hear that The Land Conservancy plans to sell Wildwood to a private party in order to pay off debt. How can they do that? They hold the land in trust for the community.  It belongs to everyone who helped raise the money in the first place; it belongs to current and future generations who can benefit from learning about Merv Wilkinson and the legacy he left us.

I know the conservancy is doing its best to honour Wilkinson’s and the public’s wishes through the conditions of the sale. Yet I question whether this can be adequately done through private ownership. If the conservancy is no longer in the position to hold Wildwood’s legal title, I must urge them to cease negotiations of a sale and to instead work with the Ecoforestry Institute Society or another suitable non-profit society. This seems like the best way to honour Wilkinson’s wishes and the public’s involvement in the original purchase of Wildwood.

Lindsay HartleyNanaimo