Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and copied to The Echo for publication.

Dear Ms. Elder:

Your comments in the Invermere Valley Echo of November 5th, 2014 sounded as if you had already made your decision on the proposed Whitetail Lake development.

It’s hard to believe that all the road construction, drilling of wells, clearing trees, installation of gates, etc. presently going on in the area around Whitetail Lake for residential development purposes isn’t a done deal.

According to The Echo, you stated that the area had already sustained timber development and that their new proposed development was just a different type. That may be true, but it’s certainly non-related. I’ve fished that beautiful lake for 35 years and now that the public access is severely restricted, it looks like it will now wind up being a private lake. Will my tax dollars still pay to maintain the road and stock the lake with trout?

Why are the timber companies allowed to sell these lands (for which they pay peanuts) after they log them? They should be turned back to the rightful owners — the B.C. Government and taxpayers.

I sincerely hope that I’ve either misread or am confused by your statements in The Echo.

Robert E. Nemeth

Invermere