News
ELF, Elphinstone Logging Focus, has announced that BC Timber Sales (BCTS) plans on extending the largest clearcut on the Sunshine Coast. BCTS has confirmed that it will put the cutblock up for bid in early 2012. BCTS says the area covers about 40 hectares and about ¼ of the area – double the area usually required - will be retained in wildlife tree patches and riparian reserves to protect biodiversity.
The 4 year old clear-cut was the work of CNI (Columbia National Investments of Richmond, BC) who went ahead and ‘nuked’ over 160Ha (400 acres) of Dakota Ridge, against public concerns stated a ELF press release. CNI was later charged under the Fisheries Act for logging right through a fish bearing stream in the Wilson Creek Watershed.
“Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) has identified Cutblock #A87124 on BCTS’ 5 year plan. This block borders the southern edge of the CNI clear-cut which will essentially open and add to the obscene destruction of the Dakota Ridge slopes”, says Ross Muirhead, Forest Protection Campaigner. “The BCTS Cutblock adds another 29Ha (71 acres) to the CNI clear-cut and will, if allowed to go ahead, will certainly make it one of the largest clear-cuts in recent B.C. history. Is this the type of legacy we want to leave future generations?”
In answer to a SC inquiry, BCTS media relations contact Cheekwan Ho stated, "A87124 does share a common boundary with previously harvested private land for a stretch of about 900 metres. Harvesting is planned along 300 metres of this common boundary in order to make the recovery of wind-toppled trees that are accumulating along this segment of the boundary easier. The remaining 600 metres of the common boundary will not be harvested. A large (approximately 9 hectare) Wildlife Tree Patch has been established along this 600 metre segment of boundary."
Hans Penner also of ELF states, “Cutblock A87124 is on the northern edge of our proposed Mt Elphinstone Provincial Park Expansion. Removing this forest cover is the wrong thing to do, as a decision on expanding the minuscule Elphinstone Park of 139 Ha to 1,500 Ha could be forthcoming in the next few years.”
When asked about the possiblity of not logging the area while the proposed expansion of Mount Elphinstone Park is considered, Ho replied, "BCTS manages 6000 hectares of forested public lands across the face of Mount Elphinstone and harvests an average of 27 hectares annually within this area – about half the harvest rate the area could support. This conservative harvest rate is a recognition by BCTS of the importance local residents put on the area."
The CNI clear-cut is well known to Sunshine Coast residents as they drive to the Dakota Ridge Cross-Ski area and look out onto a vast, de-nuded landscape. This huge area, faces the Salish Sea, and is subject to gale force winds, resulting in turbulent wind dynamics. On a recent reconnaissance into the proposed block, Muirhead and Penner came across a huge tree blow-down estimated to be 12-14 ft. in diameter.
for more information go to: www.loggingfocus.org