Clearcut Logging the Sea To Sky

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bcmeikle@shaw.ca

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            Dear B.C. Ministry of Forests, Squamish.


            It has come to my attention that the area surrounding my house in the Upper Cheakamus

is slated for clearcut logging. I moved up there in '94 or so, built a house, had a wedding by the river,

started a software company and had my first child before I moved into town closer to a school.

I still own the house,(lot 7089b)  and visit often, in fact I'm still working on finishing the complex glass roof

on that porch...
 
           This is not old growth. In fact, having spent a good part of 10 years in the forest in question,

(my software company is called Deep Forest Software ) I often drew the conclusion that the forest

would benefit from thinning. It was a happy time, my wife worked as a doctor in nearby squamish,

and I stayed home in the woods, breathing the clean air, and enjoying the wonderful silence that

surrounds that area.

          So I am in favour of selective logging. We have a wonderful example of such logging

on Brohm Ridge above the valley, where a lot of wood was removed leaving a forest that is healthier

and looks better. When the remaining trees expand into the new area they have to grow, we will

see large beautiful evergreens  that make Canadians proud.

           But Terminal Forest Products, the company in question plans on clearcutting in the area.

With the 2010 olympics approaching I feel this would be Canada putting its

worst face forward.  The highway to Whistler above looks down on the Cheakamus and its inappropriate

 for stopping visitors to look down on the primitive slash-and-burn logging they've heard

Canadians still do.

           We want this logging to be a showpiece to the world of an evolving Canada.

             Now the Ministry of Forestry has some excellent regulations. In this case they have a 1.5% rule that says

that from any registered viewpoint only 1.5% of the view can be in clearing.  The problem here seems

to lie in which views are registered. Clearly the  main viewpoint on the highway will be covered,

but what about the several other places cars can stop to look down on the valley?  I propose that one

of the views registered should be the view from a river raft, full of tourists floating down the river.

Or the view from a quiet stroll up the old logging road on the west bank where several people walk

their dogs each day. Indeed the view from a helicopter heading up the valley (there are many of these

each day, heading to whistler) should also be considered.

         Water use is another concern. All of the houses on the west bank draw water from the river.

While it is so wet in the rainforest that no-one would think about legally claiming a water right,

I dont believe that people would pause at holding a company liable if their water ran brown.


          At the public meeting, one of the company spokesmen started with an offensive remark

"Can I have a show of hands of how many people feel qualified to speak on the technical issues

involving logging today"

          I rolled my eyes at my wife. Together we share almost 20 years of university.

          "Can we have show of hands from the speakers on who feels qualified to use even basic

rhetoric in public?" I whispered to her.

           Terminal Forest Products is owned by a man who is  over 80. He comes from a time when

the only stake-holders in the woods were loggers, and a clearcut was something to be proud of.

That is NOT THE CASE TODAY. In fact the stake holders who are most important in the

Sea to Sky today are in tourism. When we look at a popular recreational event like the Cheakamus

Challenge bike race we see the citizens of Canada have other uses for this land. They do not want it

defaced in the name of a 20% higher profit for some backward outfit from Richmond. We live in a

country with thousands of miles of forest to choose from. What makes clearcutting in the Sea to Sky

in the years between 2005-2010 a good idea?

               Nothing.