WATERSHED UPDATE – January 6th, 2008
The SCNHS held its meeting on January 4th at the Sechelt Arts Centre and approx 90-100 residents were in attendance to hear the presentations by Kevin Davie and Brian Carson on behalf of the Sechelt Community Forest.
Kevin’s presentation attempted to portray the Community Forest in a “positive light” but Kevin stayed away from the “controversial issue” of logging in the watershed. The community forest tenure area contains 60% of the licence area in watersheds.
Kevin continues to echo the party line that “no logging will take place” in watersheds during the probationary terms of the forest licence. But this doesn’t address the long term implications of their timber supply. If the community forest were to log in all areas of their tenure then the “mean annual increment” MAI for the entire licence area would generate enough timber to sustain a 20,000m3 per year annual allowable cut. (AAC)
But if they were to stay away from any watershed areas, the MAI drops to just under 10,000m3/year. So somewhere between logging all areas in the watersheds or only selected areas of the watersheds, the Community Forest AAC could range from “no shortfall” to 10,000m3/year shortfall, depending upon the approach taken.
Brian Carson’s presentation focused mainly upon the “notion” that logging in community watersheds was ok if done properly by the forest company. Brian draws heavily upon his long term experience as a “soils scientist” in making this claim. For the most part the audience was not very receptive to this idea of logging in the community drinking watersheds.
On another note, Dan Bouman attended the meeting and asked Kevin Davie a question regarding a “joint letter” sent to the Provincial Government regarding”strategic land use planning” I have enered below a copy of Dan’s e-mail to the Regional District and also a copy of the joint letter dated Nov 21st,2007 from the Forest Industry (including Sechelt Community Forest).
COPY of Dan’s e-mail
Dear Chair and Directors of the Sunshine Coast Regional District,
Please find attached a joint letter from Sechelt Community Projects Inc, Western Forest Products, International Forest Products, Terminal Forest Products and Weyerhaeuser Hardwoods Timberlands Division to Pat Bell, Minister of Agriculture and Lands. I am sure that this letter is of interest to you because of the strong position you have taken in support of strategic land use planning in the Sunshine Coast Forest District. Please note that these logging companies state, in regard to strategic land use planning, their opposition to 1. establishment of any new protected areas in the SC Forest District,
2. application of any interim measures,
3. any application of Ecosystem Based Management,
4. any loss of timber harvesting land base to other parties or uses. Please note also their demand for 3 times as much representation in the strategic land use Planning process than that offered to local governments as well as their reference to Sunshine Coast communities as "our communities". Perhaps the SCRD could ask the District of Sechelt for clarification of its position in regard to these issues and strategic land use planning in general. Thank you for you attention to this matter.
Daniel Bouman, Executive Director
Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
On a final note, Dale Peterson wanted me to mention that the Sunshine Coast Citizens
Concerned with Responsible Development(SCCCRD) were going to have their first meeting of 2008 this coming Monday, January 7th,2008 at the Frank West Hall, 1224 Chaster starting at 7:00pm One important item on their agenda will be the property located behind the IGA in upper Gibsons. Wesbild (developers) wants input from the residents regarding potential development of the site. You may recall that last year this site was the subject of possible development by Wal Mart. Please come out and support Dale and the group in their efforts to have sustainable and responsible development of the area. Regards John Bebbington