Dear Editor,

Following is an open letter to: Agricultural Land Commission chair Richard Bullock and Minister of Agriculture Steve Thompson.

Dear Sirs,

Citizens Against Urban Sprawl Society (CAUSS) is a registered, not-for-profit society comprised of people who support sustainable development and oppose projects that squander farmland or wildlife habitat.

We are concerned that a proposed highway overpass [at Mufford Crescent and Glover Road] through ALR lands could result in the loss of 30 acres of actively farmed land.

Inevitable conflicts with slow-moving farm vehicles, the overpass will eliminate the viability of farms on and near the overpass, and will lead to increased speculation and sprawl, putting further development pressure on remaining farms.

It is not in the public's interest to pave over farmland at a time when energy prices and the global economy threaten our food security, or to risk contamination of these lands via run-off from the roads.

CAUSS strongly urges the ALC to reject the exclusion application, and redesign the highway in a manner that leaves the farmlands intact and functional.

Dr. Tracy Lyster,

Citizens Against Urban Sprawl Society