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August 10, 2007
Mr. Premier:
I am in receipt of the following messages (see right) and am advising you that I am one of the 23,000 people served by the Chapman Creek Watershed. Perhaps you have misunderstood the complaint of Ms. Geoffrion as your answer fails to address any of her concerns. Please allow me to assist you.
At the time of Ms. Geoffrion’s writing her message to you, the watershed upon which we all rely to supply us with pure, clear water, unsullied by the interference by man and/or machine, was being assaulted by the men and equipment within the employ of Western Forest Products (WFP). WFP are, you see, authorized with a timber licence to "harvest" the trees and to "develop" the cut-blocks, some of which are within a pre-existing Community Watershed Reserve! As much as the forestry despises the term, the “harvesting and developing” are tantamount to “Clear-Cutting”.
The reserve status was granted by the provincial government of the day in 1975! We care little about the Private Managed Land Council (PMLC) or any other private enterprise assaulting the supply of our fresh water. The present operation cares little about soil conservation or anything else, except the "harvesting and developing" of the areas in which they are licensed to log.
The forest companies complain about the number of hoops through which they must jump to gain their licence and approvals. But, jump they do. The difficulty is that, in my opinion, the people holding the hoops are in the employ of the companies making the applications. My suggestion is that whoever is holding the hoops, is holding them too low to the ground. So, self-regulation in the forest industry is an open-faced sham!
You may be interested to know that a Director of the Sunshine Coast Regional District has publicly referred to the organization you describe as the PMLC as a "eunuch", because there is really very little they do or can do to ensure the very precautions you suggest they can address.
The issue is simple, Sir. We have an area protected by a "Reserve" status issued by the Provincial Government. The Ministry of Forests has ignored that status and issued a Timber Licence for areas within a watershed that should be left undisturbed, PERIOD! Why, Mr. Premier, has this very simple dilemma been unaddressed by your government? The matter has progressed from polite letter-writing to non-confrontational dialogue to peaceful protest to physical blockade to BC Supreme Court action and the issuance of an injunction and Enforcement Order. The inaction of your government has led to all of this - a progression to public disorder. Disorder, Sir ... on your watch! This is hardly a stellar example of “Peace, order, and good government.”
Young faces took to the forest and physically risked their lives and safety, as well as those of the foresters, all because your offices failed to recognize a growing difficulty now showing itself as direct-action civil disobedience. At least two arrests, including the arrest of a bona-fide reporter, have been made that may very well end up as public farces.
I must say that I should thank you for responding to Ms. Geoffrion. My letters and those of many of my neighbours have been unanswered by your office and by the office of the Minister of Forests.
You can assist us by answering these simple questions:
1. What is the status of a Community Watershed Reserve (CWR)?
2. What protections does a CWR guarantee against any industry activity within its boundaries?
3. If it were in effect (and, we are convinced that it is until 2010 – and we do have the documents to support us), why was it ignored allowing logging in our watershed to the very banks of the streams that serve our drinking water supply?
4. If the CWR was, for some reason, expunged or cancelled, when, and under what authority, was it expunged or cancelled and why was no notice given to anyone? and
5. Why has our government abandoned us when we cried for help?
Please do not waste our time by replying what your policies are. Your district manager (MoF), for example, is already confused by all of the differing policies thrown his way. At least, that is what he seemed to be saying as he dodged almost all of the questions put to him during a Local Health Board hearing in the Sunshine Coast Regional District offices recently. Please just confine your answers to the above five questions. No doubt, we will have more.
I suggest that there are a significant number, a majority most assuredly, of the 23,000 residents here who are watching carefully at your actions (or, more precisely, your inaction) regarding the directions given to logging operations on this coast. You may infer from the escalating circumstances that honest, hard-working citizens in their middle-age (one might say the “Silver Tsunami”) are very upset that your government would callously and without regard for the wishes or concerns of the residents allow logging operations IN OUR WATERSHED, or any watershed, for that matter. There is a degree of common sense to be applied. So far, we have seen little.
The manager of the operation was asked by a member of the Health Board, “What was the economic imperative that drove you into (the most sensitive part of the watershed), instead of just logging those portions of your licence outside the watershed, when you knew that this board was respectfully requesting you to suspend operations in the watershed?” His answer was, “Because we can – we have a licence!” You gave him that licence, Sir.
Use your office to take it back!
I eagerly await your timely response. They may be harvesting the remaining trees tomorrow.
Yours truly,
R. J. (Ron) Joyce BACK
Elphinstone (604) 886-1490
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-----Original Message----- From:D & J Geoffrion [mailto:jlg@dccnet.com] Sent: Thursday, August 2, 2007 8:09 PM To: OfficeofthePremier, Office PREM:EX Cc: Simons.MLA, Nicholas LASS:EX Subject: Sunshine Coast Watershed
Please now stop the logging in the Chapman Creek Watersheds. It is common sense that logging in a watershed would not only result in depleted water reserves but also pollute the water from debris and the resulting bacteria. Thousand of residents on the Sunshine Coast want the logging stopped now, a judicial review and our watersheds permanently protected. 23,000 people depend on this water and are watching your actions. Where are you? Where are your priorities? Stop it now! Deborah Geoffrion Gibsons BC
From: OfficeofthePremier, Office PREM:EX [mailto:Premier@gov.bc.ca] Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 3:06 PM To: D & J Geoffrion Subject: RE: Sunshine Coast Watershed
Thank you for your letter commenting on the future of the Chapman Creek Watershed Reserve.
Please be assured that we understand the importance of protecting watersheds and we are working hard to ensure our forestry practices policies are as cognizant of that as possible.
You might be interested in knowing that the Private Managed Land Council has been reviewing this type of issue. The Council has consulted with managed forest owners and government agencies. A new Private Managed Forest Land Council Regulation has been adopted by the Council, and it comes into effect on September 1, 2007. I understand the new regulation is expected to improve forest practices and administrative requirements on private managed forest land, taking into consideration soil conservation and reforestation requirements as well as water quality and fish habitat issues.
The Private Managed Forest Land Council is an independent provincial agency established under the Private Managed Forest Land Act to administer the Managed Forest Program and protect key public environmental values on private Managed Forest land in British Columbia.
If you would like more information about the Council, its goals and objectives, please have a look at the following website:
I appreciate your taking the time to share your concerns.
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