Slocan Park Residents Angry About Logging on Radcliffe Ridge Watersheds
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October 8, 2008 The Valley Voice 1 Volume 17, Number 20 October 8, 2008 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.” Slocan Park residents angry about logging on Radcliffe ridge watersheds by Art Joyce of the timber seems to be of small as Hasty Creek or New Denver flats, or the industry, they are unlikely to going to green up in my lifetime.” Slocan Park residents met the dimension, hardly worth creating a subsequent practices have been better endanger their jobs by speaking out of He claims he was told by BCTS staff evening of September 22 to discuss landslide hazard for homeowners. than areas where there has been no turn. He pointed out that the old Forest when he asked why they couldn’t log a recently granted timber license The higher levels were helicopter opposition. Practices Act provided legal sanctions it responsibly that “it’s not feasible they say will cut right across their logged in recent years and residents Peter Kabel announced that an for loggers who create landslide economically.” watersheds. claim that already there is evidence email account has been set up to hazards. When the Liberals created BCTS will be holding an open Many were angry that they weren’t of increased erosion. Many residents document residents’ concerns and the new Forest and Range Act, these house on the timber sale licence on notified of logging plans even though who live below the proposed cutblock on-the-ground observations (save. penalties were removed. Foresters October 7, 6:30-9 pm, at Slocan Park they are water license holders, and get their water from wells and were [email protected]). Other can thus put their stamp of approval Community Hall. On October 8, the feared for the long-term effect on concerned that logging on this terrain suggestions were to contact West Coast on logging site plans with high slope Area H South Advisory Planning water quality. When asked later about will negatively affect water quality. Environmental Law for advice, writing stability hazards and not risk any legal Commission (APC) has scheduled a the lack of notification, BC Timber Jennifer Yeow advised beginning water letters to MLAs, and contacting the or professional sanction. special meeting at Slocan Park Hall Sales forester Al Skakun said the quality monitoring now, before logging association of professional foresters One logger summed it up to discuss the proposed forestry plans. timber sale licence was within a starts, to document any changes. She with a complaint. When interviewed for residents by stating, “logging The public may attend and observe Forest Development Plan that was pointed out that in areas where people later, Craig Pettitt said that since most that mountain is the height of the discussion, with an opportunity for publicly advertised and approved in have contested watershed logging such foresters work either for the ministry irresponsibility; that slope is not public comments from 8:30 to 9 pm. 2001. Residents said they have had no communication from BCTS since that time. “All of the licenced water users in the vicinity of this timber sale were sent letters during that referral process,” said Skakun. “We received very little public response at that time.” What was striking about the meeting was that many of those present were either past or present loggers, astonished that the Ministry of Forests would even permit logging on such steep and sensitive terrain. A timber broker at the meeting said the timber is expected to bring in a little over $800,000 for some 550 truckloads, an amount that he sees “not making a lot of sense” due to high operating costs on such grades. According to Skakun, the silviculture system is clearcut with wildlife reserves. The four cutblocks will be 6, 8, 18, and 38 hectares in size. Gradients in the cutblocks vary from 15% to 60%, and call for ground- based machine harvesting on slopes greater than 35% and hand falling on slopes greater than 50% (a 25 degree slope). One logger at the meeting Crescent Valley Volunteer Fire Department members held a hair-raising, head-shaving fundraiser on September 13, putting $833 into the Terry Fox Foundation said upper level forest plans in the coffers. This week is Fire Prevention Week – check out your local heroes on pp. 14-16. past have stipulated no machinery on slopes above 30 degrees. Site plans for the cutblocks typically acknowledge “high soil compaction hazard, high soil displacement hazard, (and) high surface soil erosion hazard.” Valhalla Wilderness Society forester Craig Pettitt later commented that when there are this many indicators of soil disturbance in a cutblock, ground- based cutting is advisable. He added that clearcutting should not be an option on these slopes and that BCTS should be doing its geotechnical and hydrological assessments during the spring, not now during the driest part of the year. One resident said he’s lived his whole life on Cunningham Road, near cutblock 1. He said most of the slope is a 35% gradient or greater, the soil a mixture of sand and clay, an obvious downslope drainage hazard. Most On your marks, get set, go! Lucerne students were off and running for Terry Fox on September 26. COUNTRY FURNITURE & HOME DECOR Looking for something out of the ordinary? Country Furniture & Home Decor, 115 Hall St. Nelson, Toll-Free 1-866-352-3665 2 NEWS The Valley Voice October 8, 2008 Southern Interior candidates square off at all-candidates meeting by Jan McMurray said that his party was the party of the the US.” She said she believes in enough about it to comment. However, Zandee says that affordable housing A Southern Interior All Candidates future, unlike the “parties of the past,” transparency and accountability, that he said he thought one of the biggest is probably the largest issue in this meeting was held in Nelson on also represented at the forum that night, her party “has been asking for this hindrances to legalizing marijuana was riding. “We have to promote lower September 23. “reverberating their same old, same with everything, so the SPP is no the “serious issues going across the taxes for the family unit. I would like to Brenda Jagpal, Liberal candidate, old.” He said the Green Party is a world exception.” border.” see income splitting for families, lower introduced herself as a Chartered renowned movement. “We used to be a Zandee said that the SPP is a result Atamanenko said he has never debt being passed on to children, and Accountant and Executive Director of fringe party, but no longer. We’re real of 9/11. He said it was first negotiated smoked marijuana and that we need good schools for the development of a non-profit society based in Castlegar. and we’re realists.” He said that although in 2005 by the Liberals, and the NDP decriminalization. “We need to get all our kids.” She said she was inspired to get into the Conservatives say that the economy signed on to “prop it up without a word criminalization out, and we need a GHG reduction and the politics because of her clients’ difficulty is the big issue, “we all know the true of objection to it. Quite frankly, the sensible policy.” tar sands finding affordable housing and childcare issues: the environment, the well-being US is a huge country to the south and Morel said that as a teenager, he Zandee said the Conservatives will spaces. She decided on the Liberals of the earth and our children’s and because of 9/11, there are lots of issues smoked marijuana, but that it was not reduce greenhouse gases by 20% by because she feels this is the party that grandchildren’s lives. I will do my best to deal with.” He said there were some appropriate now, as he is an athlete. 2020 and by 50% by 2050. offers a balance of a strong economy and to keep these issues at the surface.” things about the SPP that needed to be He said the Green Party believes in Jagpal said there were lots of strong social programs. “There was no During the public question period, “corrected” because they were causing legalization and strict government programs with the Green Shift. “There deficit under the Liberals and I like that,” several issues were raised. “roadblocks.” As for transparency, he control, similar to liquor. “It’s a huge will be less taxes for people and more for she commented, adding, “The Green Security and Prosperity said that when leaders meet like they cost in policing and security now.” the big companies that are polluting our Shift is practical and realistic.” Partnership (SPP) did in Montebello and New Orleans Jagpal said she had never smoked environment. We have deadlines and the Alex Atamanenko, NDP incumbent Atamanenko described the SPP to discuss the SPP, and then make marijuana and that she did not know her budgets work out.” MP (seeking re-election), said that as “NAFTA on steroids.” He said announcements, “that’s transparency.” party’s policy on the issue. However, Atamanenko called Layton’s Bill we are seeing the corporatization of there have already been losses in Shortage of labour and she thinks it should be legalized. “The C377 the “blueprint.” This reduces Canada. He said that federal health care manufacturing jobs and restrictions on skills training government shouldn’t be involved in greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050. “It dollars are being cut, education fees are local governments’ abilities to make Morel said money needs to be people’s private lives.” is in cabinet now after two readings and increasing, affordable housing is scarce, decisions on behalf of their constituents.