WATERSHED UPDATE – December 22nd,2007
As the year draws to a close I just wanted to mention a couple of items that I have been involved with and that I will be focusing my attention on during 2008.
First, I had mentioned in one of my earlier e-mails that I intended to become involved with the District of Sechelt’s community forest advisory committee meetings. (which are open to the public, the next one is scheduled for January 15th, 2008 in the public use room of the Sechelt library).
I attended my first community forest advisory committee meeting on December 11th, 2007 and when given the opportunity to speak I provided the committee with a “spreadsheet” that I had prepared using timber supply figures prepared back in March of 2005 by Brian Smart, RFP, RFBio, of Smart Forest Planning.
My spreadsheet was an attempt on my part to highlight the possible short term timber supply outside of the three watersheds that the community forest licence tenure area occupies. The gross area of the community forest licence is 11,807 ha of which only 5,081 ha is deemed to be productive forest land (public crown land) that is suitable for the growing and harvesting of timber.
Of the remaining 5,081 ha of productive forest land, 3,080 ha is within the three watersheds on the Coast. The Grey Creek watershed portion of the 3,080 ha is 1,603 ha, the Chapman Creek watershed portion of the 3,080 ha is 740 ha and finally the Wilson Creek watershed portion of the 3,080 ha is 736 ha.
The percentage of tenure (licence) area of productive forest land contained in the three watersheds is 60.6% with Grey Creek watershed at 31.56%, Chapman Creek watershed at 14.57% and finally Wilson Creek watershed at 14.49%.
The short term timber supply figures from the 5,081 ha of productive forest land was determined to be 336,159 cu3 of timber with 169,447 cu3 of timber located in the three watersheds. This translates into 50.4% of the available short term timber in our watersheds.
So just under 50% (49.6%) of the short term timber is available for harvesting outside of the watershed areas. This poses the question “just how financially viable” is the private company (Sechelt Projects Inc) owned by the District of Sechelt, over the long term?
The short term supply of timber located outside the three watersheds is just over 8.3 years (calculated at 20,000 m3/year).
The long term supply of timber located outside the three watersheds is 9,354 m3/year which leaves a possible shortfall each year of 10,645 m3/year.
This potential shortfall is mention in Brian Smart’s report where he states that “ the long term timber supply for this proposed area, for the 20,000 m3 annual allowable cut, will face a shortfall beginning approximately in 2020 for about two decades”
I have attached a copy of the timber supply report if you need further details and/or information along with a copy of my spreadsheet.
Secondly, a bit of good news is that at the AGM of the Sunshine Coast Natural History Society, a member made a “motion” from the floor which was seconded and adopted by the members of the SCNHS present. The motion was that the SCNHS Board of Directors establish a “environmental committee” for the Society.
The SCNHS board have passed a “motion” requesting those members who provided their names at the AGM prepare “terms of reference” of the Environmental Committee to the SCNHS board. Rick O’Neill and myself had put our names forward at the AGM to be on the environmental committee and todate we now have a total of seven members of the SCNHS who are willing to serve on the new environmental committee.
Our first meeting of the committee will be on January 10th,2008 and we will develop the “draft” terms of reference for the SCNHS board. We are excited about getting this committee of the ground and we believe it will provide the community with a “window” where we can focus the communities concerns on environmental issues facing our community.
On this note, I wish to make everyone aware and provide a “heads up” regarding an important date in early 2008. On January 4th, 2008 at 7:00pm at the Arts Centre in Sechelt, the Sunshine Coast Natural History Society will be holding their regular monthly membership meeting where the format will include a “guest speaker” following the report by the Society President (Tony Greenfield).
As most of the SCNHS members know, December is the time for the annual bird count on the Sunshine Coast and Tony Greenfield will be presenting the results of this years count. The reason I wish to bring this meeting to everyone’s attention is that the guest speaker that has been invited to make a presentation to the group is Mr. Kevin Davie, Operations Manager for the Sechelt Community Forest.
Kevin will address the audience and provide information regarding the logging plans for the Sechelt Community Forest. Since 60% of the harvestable land base lies within the community watersheds, it is important that we have as many residents as possible attend this SCNHS meeting and hear what Kevin has to say regarding logging in watersheds.
The Mayor of Sechelt (Cam Reid) is on record has saying that the community forest will not log for 100 years in the Chapman Creek watershed, but no mention of Grey Creek watershed or Wilson Creek watershed. In my discussions with Brian Smart following my attendance at the community forest advisory committee meeting where Brian presented some maps showing suggested cut block in Wilson Creek tenure area, Brian more or less confirmed the intention of the community forest to log in the Grey Creek watershed.
The Grey Creek watershed provides some back up to the District of Sechelt residents if the Chapman Creek water supply is restricted for some reason.
So in closing, if you can mark the 4th of January as an “important date” to remember and please inform your friends and neighbours to come out on that date in the evening and lend their “voice” and “support” to send the message to the community forest people, that we as a community do not want any industrial activity taking place in our watersheds.
This will be a good time to ask the “hard” questions and hopefully obtain some answers and if nothing else, show that the community cares about its drinking water. The Sechelt Community Forest because of the location of their licence tenure area could pose a significant threat to our drinking water if for some reason down the road they are obliged to log in the watersheds. (I am concerned that the economics may force their hand in this direction).
Seasons Greetings to everyone and hopefully we will see many of you on the evening of January 4th,2008.
Regards
John Bebbington
PS: Last week an article appeared in the Georgia Straight newspaper titled “A storm is brewing over watershed logging” you might wish to read this article, it is all about our struggle here on the Sunshine Coast over the past summer.
Georgia Straight article web address:
Source
URL:
http://www.straight.com/article-125434/a-storm-is-brewing-over-watershed-logging