Pope & Talbot's Road Building Efforts Frustrated by Protesters and Mother
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September 14, 2005 The Valley Voice Volume 14, Number 18 September 14, 2005 Delivered to every home between Edgewood, Kaslo & South Slocan. Published bi-weekly. “Your independently-owned regional community newspaper serving the Arrow Lakes, Slocan & North Kootenay Lake Valleys.” Pope & Talbot’s road building efforts frustrated by protesters and Mother Nature by Jan McMurray rare plant species and lichens; and doing a good job. Management has spoke more about the decision to Argenta who wrote a report in 2003 If the protesters can’t keep the habitat for the red-listed mountain changed significantly over the last defer work in the upper valley. calling for Goal 2 protection for the logging crews out, then Mother caribou, blue-listed wolverine, few years and it will continue to do “We’re negotiating with the Ministry upper Incomappleux River Valley, Nature will. The day after protesters grizzly bear and bull trout. The valley, so. We are probably the most of Agriculture and Lands on that pointed out in an interview that the cleared the road in the Incomappleux which is in the Interior Wetbelt or progressive company in the southern one,” he said. “Based on the higher Mountain Caribou Project report River Valley, a rock slide came down Inland Rainforest of BC, was province when it comes to the level plan, we could be in there. There ‘“Staring at Extinction” states that and blocked access. described as “a generally rare forest caribou. Our planning is based on are approved blocks in there, but we P&T is the largest destroyer of habitat For the first eight days of type of global significance” in a brief scientific, statistically sound research. are backing off while we do more for the Central Selkirk herd and the September, a small group of people prepared for the Arrow-Boundary It’s a good process.” research and look at our options.” sixth largest logger in the province stopped Pope & Talbot from getting Forest District by Andre Arsenault, To support that point, Leitch Gary Diers, a silviculturalist from in mountain caribou habitat. into the Boyd Creek area of the Silviculture Systems Researcher, in “The fact is, with all of P&T’s Incomappleux to do road building 2003. fancy caribou planning, the mountain work. They set up what they called Environmental groups are calling caribou are vanishing from the an information camp about 12 km up for the upper valley to be added onto Central Selkirks. Along with the the Incomappleux River Valley road Glacier National Park, where the mountain caribou, the very ancient at the junction of the Boyd Creek headwaters of the river are found. forests are vanishing as well,” he said. Road and the road leading into the When these rare values were A Valhalla Wilderness Watch upper valley. brought to P&T’s attention in 2003, press release states that mountain When an interim injunction was the company had Arsenault go into caribou, which live only in the served on September 9 at about 3:30 the area. The company deferred its Interior Wetbelt of BC except for a pm, the protesters peacefully cleared logging plans in the upper valley as small herd that crosses into Idaho, are the road and set up their information a result of his findings. While P&T completely dependent upon old- camp off to the side. Some P&T acknowledges the sensitivity of the growth forest. The release states that trucks and equipment went through upper valley, Leitch said that the they have declined from 2,450 that afternoon and into the next day. Boyd Creek area was not particularly animals in 1998 to an estimated 1,670 Then, on September 10 around sensitive, calling it “low emphasis in 2004; and of the 13 remaining sub- noon, a rock slide came down and biodiversity.” populations, most are declining did some damage to a bridge just 7.5 A press release issued by the rapidly, none are expanding, six of km up the Incomappleux River protesters says they are “questioning the 13 have fewer than 50 animals. Valley Road from Beaton. the reality of destroying prime habitat The release also refers to BC’s “We are not sure yet how this will for the endangered mountain caribou Forest Practices Board 2004 report affect our plans,” said P&T and grizzly bear.” entitled “BC’s Mountain Caribou: spokesperson Cam Leitch on Leitch says that the Boyd Creek Last Chance for Conservation?” September 12, adding that they area is “outside of the caribou habitat which said: “There appears little time would probably know within a few area as far as the Ministry of left to act before options for mountain days. “Engineers and the Forest Environment is concerned.” Leitch caribou conservation are ultimately Service are looking at it right now.” said that even though it was not forfeited. Current science suggests The company has permits in place to required, P&T hired a wildlife that if older forests continue to be extend a road almost four kilometres technician, who found that the area fragmented and mountain caribou this fall and to clearcut log three did not provide good caribou habitat. continue to be lost to predators, the blocks (33 ha., 21 ha., 5 ha) this However, the area has been final opportunity to restore mountain winter in the Boyd Creek area. identified as core caribou habitat on caribou in the province will soon be Some of the company’s maps created by the southern Colleen McCrory of the VWS stands beside a 1000-year old cedar in the Incommapleux Valley. lost.” equipment is trapped on the other side Recovery Implementation Group of the slide, as are vehicles belonging (RIG) set up by the federal to three people at the information government under the Species at Risk camp and apparently some hunters Act. as well. People are able to scramble Craig Pettitt of Valhalla over the rocks and get out on foot. Wilderness Watch explained that the Eloise Charet, one of the federal government charged the RIGs protesters, reported that as the road to come up with a Recovery Action building crew was driving out after Plan for the mountain caribou, but the slide, one said, “I guess those trees that there is no guarantee that the plan don’t want to be logged.” will be implemented as is. The RIGs The injunction will be challenged came up with the plan about two in Nelson court on September 19. Jo- years ago and “it doesn’t look like anna Cowen is legal counsel for the anything will be finalized for at least two people named on the injunction six months yet,” said Pettitt. “So there and who stayed at the camp is a scramble to log the old growth throughout the protest. These are well terrain before restrictions come in.” known area resident Eloise Charet, Leitch says that old growth is not who calls herself a passive resister, an issue in the Boyd Creek area. “We and Henry Hutter of Winlaw. have met and exceeded our legal The Incomappleux River Valley requirement [to set aside old growth is part of P&T’s Tree Farm Licence areas]. There is lots of old growth up (TFL #23), and was acquired in 1992. there. We can’t save it all,” he said. There has been logging activity in the When asked what he understood valley by various forestry companies to be the protesters’ demands, Leitch since at least the 1970s. answered, “I get mixed messages, but Recently, the valley has caught it is clear that they want no the attention of environmental groups harvesting. They want us to leave all and scientists because of the rare of the old growth. I can’t live with values of the area. These include old- that. growth cedar and hemlock trees, “They’ve got their point of view some that have been estimated to be and we can appreciate that, but we between 1000 and 2000 years old; don’t agree with it. We think we’re This is the rock slide that put an end to Pope & Talbot’s road-buiding efforts in the Incommapleux Valley. COUNTRY FURNITURE & HOME DECOR Looking for something out of the ordinary? Country Furniture & Home Decor, 476 Baker St. Nelson, Toll-Free 1-866-352-3665 2 NEWS The Valley Voice September 14, 2005 Study finds heavier, healthier fish in Kootenay and Arrow Lakes submitted In addition, the fish-eating fish “These are positive results,” says benefits such as improving the here for four generations and I can Even if they aren’t avid anglers, (piscivores) that call the ALR home Steve Arndt, Fisheries Biologist with angling experience for residents and honestly say that, in our time here, many local residents will know that are benefiting from the increased the CBFWCP. “They indicate that visitors alike, including Gord we have never seen the fishing as the fertilization program in Kootenay food supply and anglers are these fish, which are higher in the Roberts, owner of Blue Jay’s Sport good as this year.” Lake and Arrow Lakes Reservoir reportedly reeling in larger fish. But food chain than kokanee, are in better & Marine in Nakusp. Arndt adds that in 2005 the study (ALR) has boosted the number of this is not just another fish tale. A condition now, since we’ve been “Certainly prior to fertilization will be extended to include a larger kokanee. As the kokanee are an preliminary study by the Columbia fertilizing the lake. That means they the fish were smaller,” says Roberts. sample size over a longer time frame ‘indicator’ species of the overall Basin Fish and Wildlife may mature sooner and be more “They had large heads and long — twelve months instead of three.