Friday, July 27, 2007
Advisory Committee on Logging
I just took a look at the Coast Reporter. Well, at least our concerns about the watershed took higher priority than news about the Thrift Store. I am not slamming the reporter; but, I had expected better from our District A Director and the SCRD. So, this is how they will help us and this is how they will notify us, is it? At the very least, I would have expected a letter sent to all residents from Ruby Lake to Egmont with an explanation as to why this decision was made and the overall impressions of their meeting with Tsain-Ko's consultants.. Personally, I think the way this has been handled is pathetic.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em
It appears the SCRD has come to the conclusion that the only way to get the provincial government's attention on the watershed issue is to find a good lobbyist. Last week, the SCRD placed a notice on BC Bid for (and I quote) a "professional public affairs advocacy and communications services" company to "bring about effective legislation for watershed protection on crown land and private managed forests land within watersheds." One can hardly blame the SCRD for going this route when the issue fails to be be picked up by the major media outlets to be debated in the public arena. With all due respect to the Coast Reporter, one doubts it is being read in Victoria. You can read the details here on the Public Eye Online blog.
Fitz & Patagonia
American mountain climber, freelance journalist and photographer, Fitz Cahall is helping to spread the word about the logging in our area. He has added our blog to his list of links on his blog "The Dirtbag Diaries" (check out the right column). We have also been linked via a story on the Patagonia blog "The Cleanest Line" (see 'The First Time - Part 2'). The podcast link features Tanya Shuman a pro kayaker who began her search for the perfect wave here at the Skookumchuck. Thank you, all.
Stripping & Flipping in Beautiful BC
Welcome to the new BC : the "Greatest Place on Earth" where forest companies and developers dictate land use policy. Where the forests are cleared and good paying jobs are disappearing to be replaced by pavement and land strata developments peopled with retirees and where the only jobs are in the service sector at $ 10/hour if you're lucky. Read this Globe & Mail article and weep.
("Greatest Place on Earth" is the new header appearing on this year's automobile licence plates; the plate with the Olympic logo on it. It makes me think of China and its slogans papered everywhere. Say it enough and they will believe.)
("Greatest Place on Earth" is the new header appearing on this year's automobile licence plates; the plate with the Olympic logo on it. It makes me think of China and its slogans papered everywhere. Say it enough and they will believe.)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Strategy Meeting in Egmont
Help set our community's strategy towards future logging in our area.
Friends Of Egmont (FOE) has been busy speaking out at watershed meetings and working with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
On May 29th, four FOE members joined 50 protesters in a rally that took place in downtown Sechelt and then moved outside the SCRD offices.
On June 11th, five FOE members represented Egmont at a meeting of 350 people in Robert's Creek where the community at large decided that it was time to take the Provincial government to court to stop them from granting permits to log in our watersheds.
On June 12th, ten FOE members participated in an SCRD committee meeting where the following 3 resolutions were adopted:
1. That the SCRD work on a way to place a moratorium on all clear-cut logging on the Ruby Lake, North Lake and Waugh Lake watersheds.
2. That the SCRD work with the Sechelt Indian Band (SIB) to extend the Chapman Creek Watershed Agreement to protect all other coastal watersheds (including ours!).
3. That the SCRD work to establish permanent watershed reserves on lakes such as Ruby Lake and Waugh Lake.
On June 18th, 35 people attended a presentation at the community hall to hear about Three Points Properties' plans to find parking in Egmont to serve a new development across the narrows, as well as their future logging plans.
On July 5th, FOE hosted at the Egmont Community Hall, an Eco-Forestry presentation by Jay Rastogi, site manager for Wildwood, the oldest eco-forest on the west coast of North America.
On July 23 & 24th, FOE participated in the new Local Health Board (LHB) meetings at the SCRD offices in Sechelt. The SCRD has taken on the role of a LHB and is holding public meetings to address logging in the watersheds and the risks to our drinking water.
Please participate in the upcoming strategy meeting on Monday night at 7 pm. There will be a lot to talk about including the following two items in the agenda:
1. Finding Egmont residents who would like to form an Advisory Committee of the SCRD in order to hold meetings with Tsain-Ko Forestry Development Corporation reps. Members of this committee will meet on a regular basis and review all areas of proposed logging around Egmont.
2. If the SCRD fails us, and if Tsain-Ko starts road building and logging in our watersheds as planned for September 2007, WHAT SHOULD WE AS A COMMUNITY DO ABOUT THIS? Should we hold peaceful protests? Should we physically try to stop them? Should we blockade the road? What do you think?
Stay informed and help out!
Monday, July 30, 2007
7:00 pm
Egmont Heritage Centre
(on the deck)
7:00 pm
Egmont Heritage Centre
(on the deck)
Friends Of Egmont (FOE) has been busy speaking out at watershed meetings and working with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
On May 29th, four FOE members joined 50 protesters in a rally that took place in downtown Sechelt and then moved outside the SCRD offices.
On June 11th, five FOE members represented Egmont at a meeting of 350 people in Robert's Creek where the community at large decided that it was time to take the Provincial government to court to stop them from granting permits to log in our watersheds.
On June 12th, ten FOE members participated in an SCRD committee meeting where the following 3 resolutions were adopted:
1. That the SCRD work on a way to place a moratorium on all clear-cut logging on the Ruby Lake, North Lake and Waugh Lake watersheds.
2. That the SCRD work with the Sechelt Indian Band (SIB) to extend the Chapman Creek Watershed Agreement to protect all other coastal watersheds (including ours!).
3. That the SCRD work to establish permanent watershed reserves on lakes such as Ruby Lake and Waugh Lake.
On June 18th, 35 people attended a presentation at the community hall to hear about Three Points Properties' plans to find parking in Egmont to serve a new development across the narrows, as well as their future logging plans.
On July 5th, FOE hosted at the Egmont Community Hall, an Eco-Forestry presentation by Jay Rastogi, site manager for Wildwood, the oldest eco-forest on the west coast of North America.
On July 23 & 24th, FOE participated in the new Local Health Board (LHB) meetings at the SCRD offices in Sechelt. The SCRD has taken on the role of a LHB and is holding public meetings to address logging in the watersheds and the risks to our drinking water.
COME TO THE MEETING!
Please participate in the upcoming strategy meeting on Monday night at 7 pm. There will be a lot to talk about including the following two items in the agenda:
1. Finding Egmont residents who would like to form an Advisory Committee of the SCRD in order to hold meetings with Tsain-Ko Forestry Development Corporation reps. Members of this committee will meet on a regular basis and review all areas of proposed logging around Egmont.
2. If the SCRD fails us, and if Tsain-Ko starts road building and logging in our watersheds as planned for September 2007, WHAT SHOULD WE AS A COMMUNITY DO ABOUT THIS? Should we hold peaceful protests? Should we physically try to stop them? Should we blockade the road? What do you think?
Stay informed and help out!
SCRD-Egmont-Tsain Ko FDC
The SCRD Board of Directors met behind closed doors with Tsain-Ko Forest Development Corporation's logging consultants on Thursday, July 19th. Area A Director John Rees says he was impressed with Tsain-Ko's presentation. That's nice. One can only assume the consultants polished it up a tad since they met with our community at the end of May. I spoke with Director Rees on Monday, July 23rd after the Board of Health marathon. I wanted to know if the consultants indicated when they planned to start road building and logging. Rees said no but that Tsain-Ko doesn't appear to be in a hurry. That's nice. Jeez, did no one think to ask them when they were going to start?!! But the good news, according to Rees, is that an advisory committee will be established comprised of area residents who will sit down with the logging consultants and work together to make the logging as painless as possible. Yep, the chickens and wolves will be sitting down at the table together. Perhaps, my dad would have said at this point, "Well, it is better than a kick in the ass with a frozen boot."
Anyways, Rees sent this information to the Coast Reporter's stringer - not to the community. The reporter has kindly shared the information with us and it will be appearing in this Friday's newspaper. Here is what Bev Saunders has written about this advisory committee:
"Our Area A Director John Rees has been listening to our concerns about logging here in Egmont. With the support of the SCRD Board, John is looking for local residents in our area to join an advisory committee that will work with Tsain-Ko's management group, Chaskin. Members of this committee would meet on a regular basis and review all aspects of proposed logging around Egmont. Meetings could also include field trips. He is looking for ten committee members from North, Waugh, and Ruby Lake areas plus a chairman. Anyone who is interested in joining this committee should contact Rees at jarees@dccnet.com. This is a great opportunity for our community to have some real input in how our forest are logged. Please consider joining to represent our community."
Gosh, isn't that wonderful? Do I sound cynical? You bet. So, let's see now. According to the the posting below while the SCRD is holding a Board of Health meeting and WFP's reps and lawyers are in attendance and while WFP is preparing to state its case to the board, damn if WFP isn't out logging its cut in the watershed. And, if I remember correctly, I heard that back when Pinnacle Ventures (pre-PNR) was doing its logging at Lake Cowichan one partner was talking to the Boy Scout Camp manager about the nice spot they were going to move the Scouts to and lo and behold if the other partner wasn't out logging that very same spot. Yep, lots of jawing while the trees are falling. Oh, but I am sure that won't happen here because we will have real input on how the trees in our watershed will be logged.
Anyways, Rees sent this information to the Coast Reporter's stringer - not to the community. The reporter has kindly shared the information with us and it will be appearing in this Friday's newspaper. Here is what Bev Saunders has written about this advisory committee:
"Our Area A Director John Rees has been listening to our concerns about logging here in Egmont. With the support of the SCRD Board, John is looking for local residents in our area to join an advisory committee that will work with Tsain-Ko's management group, Chaskin. Members of this committee would meet on a regular basis and review all aspects of proposed logging around Egmont. Meetings could also include field trips. He is looking for ten committee members from North, Waugh, and Ruby Lake areas plus a chairman. Anyone who is interested in joining this committee should contact Rees at jarees@dccnet.com. This is a great opportunity for our community to have some real input in how our forest are logged. Please consider joining to represent our community."
Gosh, isn't that wonderful? Do I sound cynical? You bet. So, let's see now. According to the the posting below while the SCRD is holding a Board of Health meeting and WFP's reps and lawyers are in attendance and while WFP is preparing to state its case to the board, damn if WFP isn't out logging its cut in the watershed. And, if I remember correctly, I heard that back when Pinnacle Ventures (pre-PNR) was doing its logging at Lake Cowichan one partner was talking to the Boy Scout Camp manager about the nice spot they were going to move the Scouts to and lo and behold if the other partner wasn't out logging that very same spot. Yep, lots of jawing while the trees are falling. Oh, but I am sure that won't happen here because we will have real input on how the trees in our watershed will be logged.
Support the Chapman Creek Five
It's party time in Roberts Creek! This Saturday night, the Robert's Creek Community Hall welcomes the Sunshine Coast to a benefit concert and dance to raise funds for the Watershed Legal Defense Fund. There will also be a Live Services Auction with the opportunity to bid and out-bid on such items as 'A night at a beautiful B&B.' 'Two hours of with an Accountant.' 'Two hours of quilting lessons for beginners (yeah, Three Ducks on a Roof in Egmont!). The event is also a celebration of the uniting of the Coast from Port Mellon to Egmont over an issue that affects us all - logging in our watersheds. Here are the details:
"Winning the Watershed Benefit"
Saturday, July 28, 2007
7:30 pm
Roberts Creek Community Hall
featuring
The Billy Hillpicker Band
Trudy Diening Groupl with Graham Ord & Blaine Dunnaway
Dance 10 pm - midnight with Fat Fish Creek
Saturday, July 28, 2007
7:30 pm
Roberts Creek Community Hall
featuring
The Billy Hillpicker Band
Trudy Diening Groupl with Graham Ord & Blaine Dunnaway
Dance 10 pm - midnight with Fat Fish Creek
The Chapman Creek Five lost their bid to block Western Forest Products' injunction in the BC Supreme Court on the 17th. You can read the Coast Reporter story here or you can read the details on the 'Protect Chapman Creek Watershed' website. The next hope to prevent WFP from moving ahead with its logging rested with the SCRD assuming the role of a Board of Health. It did so on early this week and accepted public submissions on both Monday and Tuesday. As a result of these exemplary submissions, the SCRD in this adopted role issued a 'stop work' order against WFP; however, the motion was too late. After punching through the logging road into the watershed, WFP headed straight for the watershed portion of its cutblock and brought the trees down. You can read the details here. We are all waiting to see what decisive action the SCRD undertakes next.
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