Vote for the Watershed!

The Coast Reporter is conducting an online poll. The question is:

"Do you support taking legal action to protect our drinking water?"

It seems Coasters are spoiling for a fight with the province because the 'yeas' are leading 10 to 1. Pay the site a visit and vote to save our watersheds!

Ruby Lake Landholders Association Submission

Presentation to Planning and Development Committee

Sunshine Coast Regional District

Thursday June 21, 2007 Meeting

Agenda Item # 30 Tsain-Ko Logging in Egmont, B.C.

Presenter: Ruby Lake Landholders Association. represented by Catherine McEachern.

BACKGROUND

The Ruby Lake Landholders Association (RLA), is a society formed in 1979 to maintain the ecological nature of Ruby Lake and the surrounding area. It also deals with certain issues relevant to fire protection and safety. It now consists of over 70 members, comprising most of the residents on Ruby Lake, almost all of whom draw their water from Ruby Lake. As most of you are aware the Cove Cay waterworks also draws water from Ruby Lake to service the water needs of Earl’s Cove.

ISSUES:

1. LACK OF NOTICE AND CONSULTATION

I have read the staff report accompanying this agenda Item #30 and want to address one of the most critical concerns of the Landholders Association: lack of proper notice and consultation. Neither Canfor in 2002, nor Tsain-Ko in 2007 have mentioned anywhere that the proposed logging is to take place in the Ruby Lake watershed. As the staff notes indicate, the maps were missing from the 2002 presentation so it is unlikely the effects on the Ruby Lake watershed were considered.

For this reason we cannot accept the staff conclusion: “ Tsain-Ko have carried out a public consultation…”. Canfor also did not appropriately describe the location of the cutblock in relation to Ruby Lake. The only reason Ruby Lake residents are now aware of the location of the proposed logging is by (my) walking the area and observing where the cut marks were in relation to the downslope. And now we are advised by Forestry Services that it has been previously approved and our comments are not relevant.

We are also receiving information that an Area A Water Management Plan is circulating which may involve Sakinaw and Ruby Lakes. The Ruby Lake Landholders Association formally requests the SCRD to provide not only notice but allow representation by the RLA in all such issues relevant to Ruby Lake.

2. INCONSISTENT APPROACH TO WATER QUALITY ISSUES

The SCRD has implemented two significant zoning changes specifically to the Ruby Lake area in the name of protection of water quality: imposing a 30 metre setback from the water (which is not applicable to Sakinaw) and designating Ruby Lake RU5 – a Rural Watershed Protection Zone. Many argue that this “downzoning” has the potential to reduce property values by restricting use. Thus, it seems quite inexplicable that the SCRD is not monitoring road building and logging activity in the watershed that will commence within a month or two. I understand that the SCRD has requested and will review the updated operational plans and the RLA encourages the SCRD to formally monitor the situation Also, Ruby Lake is not a “designated community watershed” (DCW) and will not benefit from the SCRD’s earlier resolution opposing logging in a DCW. We have asked that the licensee agree to implement all the standards and protocols applicable to DCWs to their proposed road building and logging activities north of Ruby Lake and to reduce the cut areas occurring on the downslope.

3. CLEARCUT LOGGING: EFFECT ON TOURISM, ENVIRONMENT AND SCENIC APPEAL

Ruby Lake and the Egmont/Earl’sCove area is considered a picturesque gem on the Sunshine Coast and has recently experienced a surge in local and international visitors as witnessed by the growth in the Ruby Lake Resort and the Bed and Breakfasts established over the last few years. The majority of the cottages and homes on the lake are occupied by retirees and seasonal visitors who come to this area for the pristine scenery and wildlife habitat. In fact, tourism is the number one attraction to this area. Although no data has been supplied on this point, it is most unlikely that this upslope logging will be not be visible by canoers, kayakers and boaters on Ruby Lake. From an environmental perspective alone, surely this is a pristine area of deserving of consideration for protection.

4. ACTION REQUESTED

The RLA asks that this Committee consider for adoption the following resolutions:

1. A formal request be forwarded to: Tsain-Ko, Terminal Forest Products and BC Timber sales asking that adequate prior notice (i.e. concurrent with the initial filing of a draft FSP) be provided to the SCRD, respecting any proposed logging within Electoral Area A.

2. Forestry licensees provide to SCRD staff (in a timely fashion and at least two months prior to logging commences) operational plans relevant to logging in watershed and lake or road- visible areas and that the SCRD monitor logging practices in watershed areas (include post-operational inspections) to adequately protect water quality.

3. This Committee confirms its prior resolution opposing logging in community watersheds.

4. The Ruby Lake Landholders Association be provided with notice and be given an opportunity to provide input and involvement of all matters affecting Ruby Lake, the Ruby Lake watershed and its contiguous lands.

SCRD Planning & Development Committee

This past Thursday morning, the Friends of Egmont, the Ruby Lake Landholders Association and other community members appeared before the SCRD Planning & Development Committee to voice our concerns regarding Tsain-Ko Forest Development Corporation's logging plans for the Ruby Lake, North Lake and Waugh Lake watersheds. We submitted the following six requests to the Committee based upon knowledge gained at the Watershed Meeting in Roberts Creek the night before and input from the Egmont Water Board and the local citizens who have fought hard to protect the watersheds over the years.

"Therefore, when we combine our concerns about our watersheds and all the proposed cutblocks in the Ruby Lake and Egmont area we recommend the following:

1. That the SCRD ensure on our behalf that the Waugh Lake Watershed is registered with the provincial government as a “Watershed Reserve.” (According to the BC Tap Water Alliance, Waugh Lake does not appear as a Watershed Reserve in their government documents; although, we have maps dating back from 1998 calling it a Reserve).

2. That the SCRD support our wish to see the North Lake Forest Service Road be decommissioned permanently beyond the last properties at North Lake. We are against Tsain-Ko’s plans to reactivate and extend this FSP which runs through the heart of the Waugh Lake watershed.

3. That the SCRD call for a moratorium on all clear-cutting on the Ruby Lake, North Lake and Waugh Lake watersheds. Tsain-Ko’s FSP is based upon Canfor’s 2002 Development Plan’s which is now 5 years out of date. We are calling for time for a new comprehensive Development Plan to be development that will reflect new knowledge both about watersheds and weather patterns.

4. That the SCRD extend to our watersheds, the same efforts it is undertaking to protect the Chapman Creek watershed. This would include contacting the Vancouver Coastal Health Officer who in turn would contact the Provincial Health Officer to ensure the long term safety of our drinking water supplies and that we, too, will be served by the ‘Drinking Water Protection Act.”

5. That the Joint Watershed Accord between the SCRD and the Sechelt Band be extended to include all coastal watersheds.

6. That the SCRD be as resolute as the GVRD whose watersheds are 88% crown land and who demanded that all logging in the watersheds be stopped.

7. That the SCRD join forces with other regional governments to bring about effective legislation for watershed protection that would be applied to both crown and private managed forest lands within watersheds.

The P&D Committee is comprised of all Area Directors and Chief Stan Dixon of the SIB. A number of motions were passed and once the minutes are available I will the post motions on the blog. The Committee expressed support for our concerns and reassured us that despite their immediate preoccupation with the Chapman Creek watershed they were aware of our needs and will begin work on our behalf. Their first action will be to request Tsain-Ko and its representatives to appear before the Committee to address our concerns and correct their glaring ommission of failing to inform the regional govenment of their logging plans.

The Committee has admitted they are being inundated with logging issues up and down the coast. Their planning staff is working flat out trying to keep up with the myriad of requests coming in from APC's and the Committee. Therefore, it is my suggestion we here in Egmont and at Ruby Lake continue to do our homework and assist the SCRD in any way we can.

Now, until I get the Committee's motions, I will begin posting some of our submissions.

Watershed Meeting

The issue of watershed protection is definitely a hot topic on the coast. The Roberts Creek Community Hall filled Wednesday night to hear how such a precious commodity as our drinking water is now finds itself at the mercy of logging companies here in BC. Anyone who has been reading the Coast Reporter for the past few months knows that the ravages of private land logging has once again made headlines with the stripping of trees around Wilson Creek and now the threat to Chapman Creek which is the water source for 26,000 people. While the main thrust of the evening was how to protect the Chapman Creek watershed, people from all coastal districts wanted to know how we have found ourselves in this mess and what can be done about it.

Lee Ann Johnson, emcee; Hans Penner, Concerned Citizens of the S.C.; Will Koop, BC Tap Water Alliance; Dr. Paul Martiquet, Vancouver Coastal Health Officer; Mayor Barry Janyk, Gibsons; Nicholas Simons, MLA Powell River - Sunshine Coast; Dan Bouman, Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (not shown)

A six member panel above attempted to supply us with the answers. We learned about the latest actions by citizens to block Western Forest Products from starting road construction to its public tenure cutblocks on the Chapman Creek Watershed and how such action opens them to a whole range of legal issues. Dr. Martiquet described the new Drinking Water Protection Act which he would like to see be put to the test by the Provincial Public Health Officer. Mayor Janyk explained the SCRD's role and how the possibility of suing the provincial government is a very real option. Nicolas Simons said he would do all he could (drawback: the legislature is in summer recess) but what is needed is a change in government. Dan Bouman illustrated what little power local governments have to protect watersheds while being held legally responsible to provide safe drinking water to its constituents. This is but a brief highlight of the meeting and the local paper will offer more.

For many of us, the history of how we are having to now fight for clean water was the most interesting part of the discussion and this was provided by Will Koop of the BC Tap Water Alliance. Koop has researched the history of BC's Watershed Reserves over the past ten years and explained how the Reserves were at one time completely off limits to all logging and how that protection has eroded since the 1950's through a collusion of successive provincial governments, forestry companies and forestry academics. FOE has purchased his book 'From Wisdom to Tyranny: A History of British Columbia's Drinking Watershed Reserves.' After picking up the book, we attempted to discover what category listing our Waugh Lake Watershed possessed from the list of watersheds at the back of the book. Waugh Lake was not on the list! We spoke to Koop at the end of the meeting to find out why and his only explanation is that the watershed though it has obviously been recognized as a watershed reserve may never have been 'officially' registered with the provincial government What the implications of this is we do not know but we intended to raise the issue at the SCRD Planning & Development Committee meeting the next day.

Three Point Properties

There have been three meetings in four days and I'll try to update the blog over the next few days. However, let us begin with Monday's Community Meeting with the development company that purchased the private lands on the other side of the Skookumchuck Narrows across from Egmont.

The land is a large private managed forest holding and much of the marketable timber was logged of when it was owned by Pacific North Woods Resources. There is a good map that shows the extend of those lands on the FOE - PNR website (click here). You will notice that the holding extends from Killam Bay, juts into Egmont Point, moves down the Narrows past the the Lafarge gravel mine and the rapids into Sechelt Inlet and ends two lots short of Highland Point. There are only a few areas were the property actually comes down to the water line: Killam Bay, two lots before Lafarge (but, the one with the 'million' dollar house was sold this year and the other is next to a noisy gravel mine), from the Earle Creek logging camp up to the SIB land holding and East Doriston where it picks up again until it hits those two Highland Point lots. Now, except for the logging camp which really is a beautiful setting and the east Doriston area most of the Inlet shore line is quite rugged.

The community's interest is those lands were twofold: a resort that didn't begin and logging that didn't seem to end; and PNR's pursuit of the crown lands of Egmont Point which we blocked. We learned that PNR had approached forestry at one point to procure Highland Point but the tenure there belonged to another company. So, now that trees are gone and Egmont Point is temporarily out of reach (another story), why should we care about this new company and its plans?

Well, TPP is interested in land on the Egmont side to use as a 'staging area' for the individuals who purchase its lots. 'Staging area' is a euphemism employed by developers to politely say 'we need parking' but it is crass to say so and FOE was taken to task for using the plain English version in a recent brochure. So, henceforth, FOE will use 'SA' when meaning 'parking.' So, TPP is on the hunt for SA in Egmont. TPP is in talks to purchase the Egmont Marina & Resort (EMR) for some of the SA and has approached Pete & Linda Dressler (PLD) for some of their property on the bluff above EMR for possibly more SA. But, how much SA does TPP need? Well, that is where the community comes into the picuture. We are to decide if TPP needs only EMR SA or EMR + PLD SA by letting TPP know how much development we would like to see over there. In other words, density + zoning = SA.

I'll stop here because I want to review the video of the meeting. We want to report the facts because we have promised never to write anything ever again based upon ugly rumours and offensive conjecture.

Forbloggen van Earlsy Coven...

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Joe Stanton/Dennis Jensen concert at the CommCen on Saturday. A super show from two wonderful performers to celebrate our cause. Special thanks to Rob at A Lakeside Retreat for the use of four of his barbies :-*

Good food, good music, and good folks. What more could you want?
George

Meetings...

Just a quick reminder of the three important meetings taking place this week.

• Three Point Properties: Community Info Meeting. Monday (tomorrow night), June 18, 7:00 pm at the Egmont Community Hall.

• Roberts Creek Town Hall Meeting: Saving our Watersheds. Inviting all Sunshine Coast residents from Port Mellon to Egmont. Wednesday, June 20, 7:30 pm at the Roberts Creek Hall.

• SCRD Planning & Development Committee: We'll be presenting our cause and asking for our regional government's support. Thursday, June 21, 10:00 am, SCRD Boardroom, 1975 Field Rd, Sechelt.

If you want a say in determining the health and growth of our community, we strongly encourage you to attend these meetings and show your support. We are organizing rides for both the Wednesday and Thursday meetings. If you need a lift, email us at info@ravagedegmont.com or call George at 604-883-2299.

The concert

Thank you, Joe Stanton and Dennis Jensen for coming to Egmont and putting on a great performance. Thank you, George and Ambrose for the organizing and hall set-up and the really great birthday cake for Joe. Thank you, to the residents from Ruby Lake, North Lake, Waugh Lake, Egmont, Jervis Inlet, Earls Cove and our American boating guests from the government dock for dropping in to listen to some great music. Thank you, for your generous donations and your signatures on our petition. Now, put on those buttons before you head down the road and help spread the message!