An open letter to Premier Christy Clark:
In spite of five years of consultation between the Upper Clearwater Referral Group (1000clearcuts.ca), Canfor and the Ministry of Forests, our multiple concerns about proposed industrial logging in the Clearwater Valley adjacent to Wells Gray Provincial Park have been ignored.
Canfor is applying for permits to log four more blocks on the western slopes of Trophy Mountain adjacent to the Wells Gray boundary and immediately above the corridor road to the park.
Three permits have already been issued.
This area attracts tourists from all over the world to visit the beautiful Trophy Mountain flower meadows.
Old logging sites above the road have resulted in multiple road washouts in the past 20 years, so slope stability is of great concern. In addition, logging would occur smack dab in the middle of critical habitat for mountain caribou, a species at risk.
The resource manager for Natural Resource Operations in Kamloops said their hands are tied and they are required to issue permits to Canfor if conditions are met.
The problem is their conditions and our conditions are not the same.
The only recourse for us is to try to work with Canfor. However, several visits to its office have resulted in a stalemate.
Initially, Canfor would not release its site plans to us until the Ministry of Forests directed it to do so. However, the company still will not release its professionals’ reports on caribou, hydrology and terrain stability.
Canfor will be logging on public land and, considering the importance of the values at stake, it is in the public’s interest to have other experts be able to view opinions stated in those reports.
Canfor’s hydrologist overlooked several key factors in his report, which were pointed out to the company by the Upper Clearwater Referral Group. We have experts in caribou and terrain stability in our group.
What can you do, Premier Clark? Establish an immediate moratorium on industrial logging in the Clearwater Valley adjacent to Wells Gray Provincial Park until these issues are resolved.
Anne Neave, director
Wells Gray Gateway Protection Society
www.protectwellsgray.ca
