News

We are pleased to inform you that an important old-growth, yellow-cedar forest, has finally been granted protection status by the Province.  The Dakota Ridge Ancient Forests (as we named it) will become part of an Old Growth Management Area (OGMA) set aside to protect bio-diversity and social values.  We first got wind that the area was up for sale by BC Timber Sales (BCTS) back in Nov. 2010, and that logging contractors had till the end of that year to bid on it.  Through a series of quick initiatives, we got the logging deferred.  You may have sent in a protest mail-in card we produced, or attended one of the many guided walks into see the big trees. BCTS began to notice that logging such a gem was not what the public wanted in our region.  It was a community-wide effort.  Thanks to the volunteer trail-builders and shishalth elders for their support. We did what we had to do - and now this ancient forest lives on.

We still have an issue with BCTS (surprised?), as they are not granting protection of another old-growth forest (part of this same timber sale) on the slopes (top of B&K Rd, onto Dakota Creek Rd) that we will be telling you more about in the coming months.  This is an area we're naming, 'The Roberts Creek Headwaters Ancient Forest' and is another amazing forest - big trees, bear den sites and sensitive wetlands.

It was also revealed last week, that logging will never take place within the lower Mt. Elphinstone Prov. Park section.  Its been the called the 'Heart of the Park' block. A BCTS cutblock was surveyed (complete with hauling roads) to take out a forest piece surrounded by existing park boundaries.  We have a campaign page on the web site that spoke to this issue, raised a banner in the cutblock and every-time we met with BCTS raised the folly of logging within an area that most residents already consider to be a park.  This old forest will also be designated an OGMA.  BC Parks has always stated that the 139Ha Mt Elphinstone Prov. Park (in 3 separate sections) is too small and vulnerable to adjacent logging.  So, that's great news - 2 new protected areas for our lower Sunshine Coast Forests.

Now, a piece of bad news.  TrailFest-Wagon Forest, on the northern boundary of the proposed park expansion, has been awarded to a logging contractor - see attached notice. Its 29Ha in size and will leave behind a ugly clearcut scar on the slopes.  It will ruin all of the trails in the area, as there is no provision for buffers.  We've been hammering away at BCTS to cancel the block, or at least delay it for further studies.  You've maybe sent in an ELF produced mail-in card to Victoria.  You may have read Ian Jacques (Editor of the Coast Reporter) editorial requesting to BCTS to listen to the community's wishes - all to no avail.  The majority of BCTS staff planning this cutblock, have never even step foot in this forest. To them, a functioning forest has Zero value. Its only until the trees are cut down and shipped off Coast that they assign a $ value to them. 

You can contact the company that's scheduled to log TrailFest-Wagon Forest and asked them to consider:

• not proceeding with logging, or,
• modify the plans and protect the trail system. 

Turns out that they're a value-added log home builder from Pemberton, BC.  Could easily have been a raw log exporter.  Anyways, we're still left with a hole in our bio-diversity.  Below is a sample letter you can send them which makes a statement & offers alternatives. 

Thanks again for your support. Elphinstone Logging Focus

Best Regards,

(your name and contact details)

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