WATERSHED UPDATE – March 8th,2008
The Sechelt Community Forest made a presentation the SCRD on Thursday, March 6th,2008, informing the Regional District that the Community Forest had received funding from the Province’s Forest Investment Account (FIA) to perform a juvenile tree spacing program on a cut block identified as “92G042-716”, which is located within the boundaries of the Chapman Creek watershed. The subject area is 34.6 hectares and juvenile tree spacing will involve removing approximately 2,000 trees per hectare.
The Community Forest have stated that “as per our agreement to consult with the SCRD we are providing a copy of the Treatment Prescription and block map for this project”
Some excerpts from the formal “Stand Management Prescription” document that confirms the “intent” to consult are as follows:
a) The SCRD is responsible for the delivery of water from the Chapman Creek Community watershed to the majority of the Sunshine Coast residents. The SCRD will be notified of Juvenile Spacing program in the opening. The SCRD will be given the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed treatment.
b) The treatment area is within the “asserted” traditional territory of the Sechelt Indian Band
c) The Sechelt Indian Band will be consulted prior to the Juvenile Spacing occurring within the Chapman Creek watershed.
Did the Community Forest in fact intend to provide the opportunity for consultation ?
Considering the facts of what is actually happening on the ground, it appears not.
A resident visited the office’s of the Community Forest yesterday (Friday, March 7th,2008) seeking more detailed information regarding the location of the cut block and was able to talk with the contractor performing the work. We were advised that the spacing had already started (Wednesday, March 5th,2007) and that the work was progressing.
Several residents visited the cutblock yesterday afternoon to confirm this information and yes indeed, the juvenile tree spacing program was underway in the watershed.
The Sechelt Indian Band were phoned and they also informed us that they had not been contacted by the Community Forest prior to the start of the juvenile tree spacing treatment program.
Concerned residents feel very strongly that this action of performing the work ahead of the presentation to the elected officials of the SCRD and the Sechelt Indian Band, seeking their comments, is a complete affront to our elected officials, band members and the public at large.
The letter from the Sechelt Community Forest to the SCRD was dated February 20th,2008 but the date stamp (received) by the SCRD was March 3rd,2008. The work commenced on March 5th,2008 by the contractor and the presentation to the SCRD by Sechelt Community Forests was made on March 6th,2008.
We are asking concerned residents to attend a protest rally outside the District of Sechelt’s offices starting at 8:30am, Monday morning, March 10th,2008.
The purpose of the protest rally is to DEMAND the District of Sechelt, Mayor and Council to STOP the juvenile tree spacing program in the Chapman Creek community watershed IMMEDIATELY
Please inform your friends, neighbours and other family members to come out and join with your fellow residents who do not want industrial activities in their drinking watershed.
Mayor Reid and Council passed a motion last September,2007 stating that “the forest tenure within the Chapman Creek watershed, would be designated for old growth attributes, and would not be logged for 100 years”.
This was the direction given by the District of Sechelt to the Board of Directors of Sechelt Projects Inc.
Since the work is well underway and the completion date is March 21st,2008 it is vital that the residents show up in large numbers on Monday morning to request the District of Sechelt to “STOP the spacing program IMMEDIATELY” in the Chapman Creek watershed.
Please come out and join with your fellow residents to protect our drinking water!