Our Watershed

The picture above was used in this blog's banner. It was taken around 2001 from the mountains on the other side of Skookumchuck Narrows when TimberWest owned the lands there. You can just make out the village in front and behind lies Waugh Lake and its watershed. It really is quite dramatic and having to reduce the picture for this blog does not due it justice.

Below is the same picture without the cropping. The logging road and debris piles are a nice touch, don't you think?

Here is another shot taken that same day. This one above Killam Bay and shows Captain Island out there in all its glory. And there is your clear cut, folks. It ain't a pretty way of doing things but, boy, is it efficient. Of course, if you use "faller-bunchers" you really make your shareholders happy because then you don't have to hire human beings to do the falling.

The Cutblocks

This month's Harbour Spiel has covered Tsain-Ko's Information Meeting held here in Egmont on May 23rd. There is a map of most of the cutblocks and I have scanned and highlighted those blocks. When I get my hands on my own copy of the map, I will be able to offer more in depth views of the cutblocks. There is one cutblock missing in this view and that is EG273 which butts up against the Skookumchuck Provincial Park. I have highlighted Hwy 101 and Egmont Rd in orange, the lakes in blue and the cutblocks in red. The cutblocks are as follows:

EG041 - the upper end of Ruby Lake
EG057 - the southeast corner of Hwy 101 & Egmont Rd
EG046 - before North Lake Rd and onto the hilltop above a number of homes
EG043 & EG042 - left side of Egmont Rd heading as you head into village
EG044 - the area where Dave Dieter has been working over the past year or so
EG058 - Tsain-Ko has expressed an interest in pursuing this large cutblock and it did not appear on the the first maps given to the Sechelt Library and Egmont Heritage Centre. It did appear on the maps at the Information Meeting.

A58201 - BC Timber Sales has had this and another cutblock (not shown above) up for grabs for some time but they have not been bid on to the best of our knowledge. Both of these blocks are in the Waugh Lake watershed.

The Coast Reporter also has a story on the Meeting in this week's edition; although, there are some facts that need to be clarified. FOE is asking for a copy of the Tsain-Ko's Forest Stewardship Plan and this help answer more of our questions.

Meeting & Movie Night

7 pm Egmont Community Hall
Monday, June 4th

An Inconvenient Truth
by Al Gore

You are invited to a free movie and to learn about global warming and why our watersheds are not only important to us, but to the whole world, as well. All ages are welcome.

Reminder: Deadline for FSP Comments is June 6, 2007!!

Call, Fax, Write, E-mail Cam Forrester to let Tsain-Ko know that you are opposed to logging in the watersheds and clearcutting in all proposed cuts.

Cam Forrester, R.P.F., Consulting Forester
Tsain-Ko Forestry Development Corporation
6231 Sunshine Coast Highway, Sechelt, BC. V0N 3A7
Email: cam_forrester@dccnet.com

(Please bring a copy of your comments to Monday's meeting)

International Help

The Friends of Egmont wants to let all area residents know that an offer of help has come our way from outside our country's border. This is a significant development and we hope it will give you the courage to stand up and be counted on this issue. We are not alone in fighting to protect our watershed and the beauty of this area. We will keep you posted.

Area Planning Committee

The Friends of Egmont attended last night's District A Area Planning Committee meeting and presented Tsain-Ko's Forest Development Corporation's logging map to the committee members. They took a keen interest. So much so, that they passed a motion to ask the SCRD to contact Tsain-Ko to learn more and to have the issue put on the June 14th SCRD Planning Committee agenda. We now have the attention of our local government agencies.

As interesting point was raised at last night's meeting. According to District A Director, John Rees, who sits on the APC, forest companies have as a rule submitted their logging plans to the regional government. However, Tsain-Ko Forest Development Corportaion has not done so. Last night's motion should correct this oversight on Tsain-Ko's part.

As I post on this blog, a question keeps popping up in my mind. What do the words "Forest Development" in Tsain-Ko Forest Development Corporation's name mean?

Silting Up

CNI's logging could be starting to have an impact. One of today's demonstration organizers learned that the Wilson Creek IGA had to toss all its ice out the other day. The ice and store's water was brown and they are checking to see if it was due to a burst pipe or something more beyond their control. In the meantime, we should find out what are the most popular water filters on the coast and start investing in the company because down at that end of the coast the bet is they will be going through a huge whack of filters every time it rains.

Busy Beaver

We learned an interesting piece of information today at the demonstration. Ken Sneddon who addressed us at the Community Hall the other night and whose company will be doing the proposed logging on our watershed. You know, he is the one who said he would take us to his other past logging sites to show us what a fine job he has done. Well, I guess we could ask him to take us to the top of Field Road and then onto Wilson Creek and Chapman Creek because he's doing the logging for CNI! Funny, he offered to take us to Robert's Creek but not to his most recent place of employment. I wonder why?

Field Road Demonstration

Four of us headed down to Sechelt today to offer our support for the citizens at that end of the coast who are protesting CNI's logging on their Chapman Creek watershed. We met up at the end of Field Road and I arrived just ahead of the police. They, apparently, wished to make sure we behaved ourselves and, most importantly not impede the flow of traffic on Field Road and Highway 101.

Organizers were extremely happy with the turnout and expressed their gratitude for support from Egmont. We all made our way down Field Rd and then divided and positioned ourselves at the four corners of Field and the Highway. We asked for a show of support from the passing motorists and a great many obliged; the noisiest being BCHydro workers. Way to go, guys!

I thought this demonstration would offer a good opportunity to get our own message across down at that end of the peninsula and made some small cloth banners that we could pin to our shirts both front and back. The message on the front read "Egmont says NO to Tsain-Ko." The message on the back read "NO Clearcuts on Egmont's Watershed." We also took our petitions and petition cards and passed them around to those attending the demonstration. There were many there who were not aware of the logging threat we face. Well, they know now and we have asked them to spread the word and show their support for us. We also invited them to attend the June 4 meeting at our Community Hall.

Joining Forces

Ours in not the only area with logging issues. As you are all aware, CNI has completed its work logging around Wilson Creek and is moving onto Chapman Creek. There has already been one vocal rally against this logging and another is planned for Tuesday, May 29th. Anyone who can attend is asked to meet at the top of Field Road in Wilson Creek at 11:30 am. Representatives from this action group came to our Information Meeting on the 23rd to show their support and we should repay their generosity. Remember, it is very true that "squeaky wheels get oiled" and governments do take notice of protests; more so, if a government is hosting the Olympics.

Photos Needed

There was a great turnout at the May23rd Tsain-Ko Information Meeting. Approximately 75 area residents arrived to learn how the logging company plans to enact its five year plan for our area. Tsain-Ko says, "No" to any thought of pursuing a sustainable logging approach along the lines of Vanvouver Island's Merve Wilkinson and, therefore, the community says "NO" to Tsain-Ko's FSP.

As you can see, pictures can be posted to the blog and we are putting out a call to one and all for pictures both historical and recent showing the proposed logging areas. They can be delivered to any member of the FOE Blog Team and will be returned safely to you.

A Deadline Reminder

We would like to remind everyone that the community has until June 6th, 2007 to respond to Tsain-Ko's "Forest Stewardship Plan" for the Egmont and Rubly Lake areas. You send your response to...

Cam Forrester, R.P.F., Consulting Forester
6231 Sunshine Coast Highway, Sechelt, BC V0N 3A7
Tel: 604-885-7142, Fax: 604-885-7112
Email: cam_forrester@dccnet.com

We also ask that you make a copy of that response and give it to a member of the Steering Committee. We need those copies!

Egmont Waterboard Responds to Logging Plans

Cam Forrester, R.P.F., Consulting Forester,
Tsain-Ko Forestry Development Corp.,
6231 Sunshine Coast Highway,
Sechelt, B.C.
V0N 3A7

Attention: Cam Forrester

Our Association would like to advise you of our ongoing objection to any logging practices being carried out in and around our watershed areas.

The Community of Egmont’s present and future water needs are totally dependent on maintaining good water sources.

Waugh Lake through our Association currently supplies 28 water licences with a potential of a significant additional requirement in the near future.

Water is far too important to jeopardize for the small short term economic gain realized by logging the area.

Trust you will appreciate our position and look to fulfilling your economic needs in more remote areas that do not affect local Communities.

Yours truly,
Doug Martin

President,
Egmont Cove Property Owners Association,
Egmont, B.C.
V0N 1N0

Blog Rules

The Friends of Egmont Blog welcomes both your insights and your comments. However, it is important to realize that the rules governing libel and slander apply to a blog as they would to any other printed and broadcast materials. Therefore, your postings to this site will be monitored before they appear and, if need be, edited or deleted. You can remain anonymous; however, words and convictions have far more weight when there is respected name standing behind them. As mentioned at the Information Meeting on the 23rd, this logging issue involves the community and a logging company. Yes, Tsain-Ko Forest Development Corportation is a business entity of the Sechelt Nation; that is a fact. However, the issue is logging and this blog will stick to the issues.

At this time, this blog is available for one and all to read and that means all parties in this logging issue will have access to this site. If we feel there is sensitive information to pass along that would best not be posted, we will email you so do get your contact address to us and we will set up a mailing list. Now, we ask that you start spreading the word about this site and begin drumming up support far and wide.

The Friends of Egmont Blog

Well, folks, here we go again. Welcome to the new Friends of Egmont blogsite. It is unfortunate we have another logging situation on our hands so soon after dealing with PNR but we do and this time the effects on this community will have by far a greater impact. Not only will the proposed cutblocks threaten us economically with their visual impact and its effects on tourism; but, above all, they threaten this community's watershed affecting both Waugh and North Lakes. Other proposed cutblocks could affect homeowners on the far end of Maple Road and at the North end of Ruby Lake. This blog is to keep you informed of all developments in regards to Tsain-Ko Forest Development Corporation's "Forest Stewardship Plan" for the Egmont area.