The Sunshine Coast Regional District sitting as a Local Board of Health reached a decision earlier today regarding logging in the Chapman Creek Watershed. For those looking for a complete shut down of logging in the Chapman Creek Watershed there is disappointment; however, others believe the ruling has put Western Forest Products into "an impossible money losing situation." The latter view is held by Dan Bouman, Executive Director of the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association who presented the major submission seeking to end logging in watershed.
The SCRD Board produced a Media Release and a 5-page "Order Under the Health Act." (These are .pdf files and we recommended a right click and save to your hard disc for perusing at your leisure). From this writer's quick read through of the documents, the SCRD hedged its bets by banning any further logging by WFP on slopes 60% or greater (Block WC-043, Block WC-043P); although, WFP will be able to remove the trees already felled and already prepared for removal by helicopter. The Board has also banned any road work plans by WFP in cutblock WC-043 and set road work restrictions during periods of heavy rain. It has also ordered WFP to perform daily water sampling at locations both parties must agree to. While the Board felt there was no compelling hazard to health evidence presented that could lead to a ban on logging in the more gentle slopes of WC-021 and WC-023, it did find enough evidence to support a hazard to the 'quality' of drinking water posed by steep slope logging.
This would appear to close one chapter in the battle to stop industrial activity in a watershed. Bouman says the SCRD went as far at they could acting as a Local Board of Health and now the issue will likely return to the BC Supreme Court if WFP seeks to over turn the Board's Order. As well, there will be the Ministry of Forests reaction to this move by a local government into its 'jurisdiction.'
Now, what are all those pesky protestors going to do in the meantime? Rumour has they might go wild blue berry picking. After all, it is that time of year here on the Sunshine Coast.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Sunshine Coast MP - Town Hall Meeting
Blair Wilson, our MP in Ottawa, is undertaking a series of Town Hall Meeting throughout his riding. Wilson will be in Pender Harbour next week. Wilson is apparently lobbying for a national drinking water policy and is looking for input from his constituents. We strongly encourage everyone to attend and let him know how strongly we want to see him fight for our watersheds. Rides can be arranged for anyone needing to get to the Harbour (contact FOE). The meeting details are:
"On Safeguarding Our Coast and Our Water"
Pender Harbour Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, August 15
7:00 to 8:30 pm
Pender Harbour Community Hall
Pender Harbour Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, August 15
7:00 to 8:30 pm
Pender Harbour Community Hall
Sechelt Nation Members Speak Out
Band Members of the Sechelt Nation have spoken out on logging in the Chapman Creek watershed and their views can be heard in the video below produced by 'digitaldebbie' and posted to YouTube. Band Members Robert Joe, Willard Joe and Anthony Paul explain the Band's historical relationship to the lands of the watershed and it's significance to the Sechelt Nation today. What is encouraging to hear is Robert Joe's comments that the Band will stand up for "the protection of the drinking water of the Sunshine Coast."
Once again, we are making that video available on this blog. The video is 8 minutes long and will take some time to download for those on dial-up but it is worth watching.
Once again, we are making that video available on this blog. The video is 8 minutes long and will take some time to download for those on dial-up but it is worth watching.
Sunshine Coast Waits Ruling on Watershed
The Sunshine Coast Regional District sitting as Local Board of Health wrapped up three days of hearings regarding logging in the Chapman Creek Watershed. During those hearings, the Board heard submissions from Western Forest Products' legal team, the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association, and the 'Concerned Citizens of Sunshine Coast.' The hearings ended at 3:00 pm Friday and the Board immediately went 'in-camera' to debate amongst themselves the merits of those submissions. The Board did not reach a decision by late last night and have resumed its deliberations this morning. The Board says it will sit until it makes ruling on whether logging in the watershed is a threat to human health and will make their decision public as soon as it is reached. The whole of the Sunshine Coast now waits to see if the battle lines will be drawn over logging in community watersheds not only here on the Sunshine Coast but throughout BC.
Friday, August 10, 2007
SCRD Local Board of Health
The regional government will wrap up hearings today in its role as our Local Board of Health. At the end of the hearings, the Board will deliberate and make its ruling on whether or not logging in the Chapman Creek watershed poses a risk to human health. The 'Concerned Citizens of the Sunshine Coast' are asking everyone who can attend today's session to do so. It is felt a strong public presence will hopefully give the Board the courage to rule in our favour.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Hike into the Waugh Lake Watershed -Part 4
As we moved east along the southern side of the ponds, we left the large 20-odd year old regrowth of the 1990's clearcut and moved into the mature second growth forest. Wildlife biologist, Dave Stiles believed some of the trees in this area could be from 200 to 600 years old. He felt this forest had re-established itself and we definitely found it easier to hike in this area without the debris left behind from recent clear-cutting. After resting for a while, we decided to head up the valley side and look for Tsain Ko's road location tapes in this older section of the forest. It didn't take too long to find them.
As you can see, the ferns are well established on this very old logging road bed. We had actually entered IR 27 by this point and as we travelled back towards our starting point we passed through more old growth.
Once we were back under a full forest canopy, it wasn't long before we came to some very large and obviously old cedars.
Dave says there are many more of this large cedars around the far side of the ponds. It would be very interesting to check the trees in the proposed cutblock EG273 which butts against the old growth management area along the park's southern edge. I noticed many of large cedars were quite close if not almost on the proposed road location and therefore will be removed if the road goes ahead. After alsmost three hours, we soon found ourselves back where we started.
After this hike, I have a greater appreciation of some of our long term residents grave concern over the proposed road activation and building in this part of the watershed. Above all, the fact that it is being proposed that this should be a permanent road through the watershed boggles the mind. As mentioned earlier, once the road skirts North Lake it enters and travels through the very heart of the Waugh Lake Watershed. I would like to repost the last two points of pathologist Dr. Lee Hutton's comment to this blog.
"2) logging roads increase human access which is a well known risk to watersheds used for human consumption. This is why Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland legally prohibit public trespass into their watersheds.
3) logging causes compaction of the soils and so that the forest floor no longer absorbs and filters water as it does in an undisturbed area. Roads where compaction is worst, are used for travel by animals and people which often leave their wastes which now wash off the road unfiltered, into a culvert and directly into drinking water sources. "
As you can see, the ferns are well established on this very old logging road bed. We had actually entered IR 27 by this point and as we travelled back towards our starting point we passed through more old growth.
Once we were back under a full forest canopy, it wasn't long before we came to some very large and obviously old cedars.
Dave says there are many more of this large cedars around the far side of the ponds. It would be very interesting to check the trees in the proposed cutblock EG273 which butts against the old growth management area along the park's southern edge. I noticed many of large cedars were quite close if not almost on the proposed road location and therefore will be removed if the road goes ahead. After alsmost three hours, we soon found ourselves back where we started.
After this hike, I have a greater appreciation of some of our long term residents grave concern over the proposed road activation and building in this part of the watershed. Above all, the fact that it is being proposed that this should be a permanent road through the watershed boggles the mind. As mentioned earlier, once the road skirts North Lake it enters and travels through the very heart of the Waugh Lake Watershed. I would like to repost the last two points of pathologist Dr. Lee Hutton's comment to this blog."2) logging roads increase human access which is a well known risk to watersheds used for human consumption. This is why Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland legally prohibit public trespass into their watersheds.
3) logging causes compaction of the soils and so that the forest floor no longer absorbs and filters water as it does in an undisturbed area. Roads where compaction is worst, are used for travel by animals and people which often leave their wastes which now wash off the road unfiltered, into a culvert and directly into drinking water sources. "
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Hike into the Waugh Lake Watershed -Part 3
Once we made it down the mountain side into the three ponds valley, we were rewarded with quite a beautiful sight...
The area surrounding the ponds is marshy but as you can see that didn't stop a logging company from venturing into the area. We next headed east following the ponds which took us towards the old second growth area. Once back into the woods, it wasn't long before Dave's experienced eyes caught sight of one of his field subjects...
In Dave's gloved hand, is the red-legged frog (he was being very gentle with this rare creature, believe me!). In Canada, the red-legged frog is located only in British Columbia and it is now considered at 'species at risk.' The Environment Canada website has a good write up and an excellent map here on this shy amphibian. It is worth noting that this frog is protected under the 'Species at Risk Act' (SARA). In BC, the frog is on the Ministry of Environment's 'Blue List.' Now, it is interesting to note that on the MOE website, it says that the red-legged frog is protected under the 'Wildlife Act.' It goes on to say "Under the Identified Wildlife Management Strategy of the Forest Practices Code, Wildlife Habitat Areas can be established for important breeding habitats."
The site also encourages us to be ambassadors for the frogs in Council meetings and other planning meetings. Therefore, dear members of the 'Egmont and Area Advisory Committee on Logging', we hereby appoint you as Ambassadors for the endangered Red-legged Frog in your talks with Chaskin, the management arm of Tsain Ko Forest Development Corporation. Your first priority should be to establish the extent of the wildlife habit that will be set aside for the frog. Of course, this will entail extensive field studies to establish the overall range of the frog's breeding area. This could take some time given the number of creeks feeding the area. No doubt, though, you will have the full support of the Ministry of the Environment and the Sechelt Band Council in this endeavor.
(Dave Stiles says he was quite surprised to find the frogs so well represented up at this end of the Sunshine Coast. He strongly suggests their range should be established as soon as possible in and around the Waugh Lake Watershed Reserve and particularly in the ponds area).
The area surrounding the ponds is marshy but as you can see that didn't stop a logging company from venturing into the area. We next headed east following the ponds which took us towards the old second growth area. Once back into the woods, it wasn't long before Dave's experienced eyes caught sight of one of his field subjects...
In Dave's gloved hand, is the red-legged frog (he was being very gentle with this rare creature, believe me!). In Canada, the red-legged frog is located only in British Columbia and it is now considered at 'species at risk.' The Environment Canada website has a good write up and an excellent map here on this shy amphibian. It is worth noting that this frog is protected under the 'Species at Risk Act' (SARA). In BC, the frog is on the Ministry of Environment's 'Blue List.' Now, it is interesting to note that on the MOE website, it says that the red-legged frog is protected under the 'Wildlife Act.' It goes on to say "Under the Identified Wildlife Management Strategy of the Forest Practices Code, Wildlife Habitat Areas can be established for important breeding habitats."The site also encourages us to be ambassadors for the frogs in Council meetings and other planning meetings. Therefore, dear members of the 'Egmont and Area Advisory Committee on Logging', we hereby appoint you as Ambassadors for the endangered Red-legged Frog in your talks with Chaskin, the management arm of Tsain Ko Forest Development Corporation. Your first priority should be to establish the extent of the wildlife habit that will be set aside for the frog. Of course, this will entail extensive field studies to establish the overall range of the frog's breeding area. This could take some time given the number of creeks feeding the area. No doubt, though, you will have the full support of the Ministry of the Environment and the Sechelt Band Council in this endeavor.
(Dave Stiles says he was quite surprised to find the frogs so well represented up at this end of the Sunshine Coast. He strongly suggests their range should be established as soon as possible in and around the Waugh Lake Watershed Reserve and particularly in the ponds area).
Hike into the Waugh Lake Watershed -Part 2
The North Lake logging road was deactivated following the clear-cutting in the watershed in the 1990's. Basically, what the logging company did was remove all the culverts and let the road grow over naturally. We met up with Dave Stiles at North Lake Road and then drove in as far as we could and then suited up for the hike. It poured rain in the early morning so we were resolved to the fact we would be getting wet one way or another. It wasn't long before we met with the major creek that feeds the ponds which I mentioned at the end of the post below. 
Once past this creek, we were on the old decommissioned road and had a great view of the three ponds valley.
The hiking was easy following this old road. Logging companies use lots of different coloured plastic tape each with its own special meaning. Red tape which you see hanging in the tree below means "road location." This is the route Tsain Ko wants to take, too.
We walked along this old road until we reached its end and then it was time to head down through the bush to the three ponds areas. 
This hike down into the valley was a bit of a slog despite the fact we were following a route used by Dave on a regular basis. He is conducting field studies of amphibians, bats and other forest critters that we tend not to see or tend to ignore. Dave's research will be use to update and build upon the the work of Kye Goodwin, John Field and John Dafoe who mapped out the sensitive ecosystems on the Sunshine Coast. That earlier research was put to good use in the SCRD's habitatAltlas. Dave's research will go to updating this Atlas; in addition, it will be used at the Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre located south of Ruby Lake.
Once past this creek, we were on the old decommissioned road and had a great view of the three ponds valley.
The hiking was easy following this old road. Logging companies use lots of different coloured plastic tape each with its own special meaning. Red tape which you see hanging in the tree below means "road location." This is the route Tsain Ko wants to take, too.
We walked along this old road until we reached its end and then it was time to head down through the bush to the three ponds areas. 
This hike down into the valley was a bit of a slog despite the fact we were following a route used by Dave on a regular basis. He is conducting field studies of amphibians, bats and other forest critters that we tend not to see or tend to ignore. Dave's research will be use to update and build upon the the work of Kye Goodwin, John Field and John Dafoe who mapped out the sensitive ecosystems on the Sunshine Coast. That earlier research was put to good use in the SCRD's habitatAltlas. Dave's research will go to updating this Atlas; in addition, it will be used at the Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre located south of Ruby Lake.
Hike into the Waugh Lake Watershed -Part 1
This morning myself and three other area residents joined Sunshine Coast wildlife biologist, Dave Stiles, on a hike into a very special area of the Waugh Lake watershed: the three ponds. I had heard about the ponds area from other residents and because of its proximity to Tsain Ko Forest Development Corporation's proposed logging road reactivation and extension and its planned cutblock EG273, I felt the opportunity to see this area through the eyes of a biologist shouldn't be missed. The area we would be visiting can be seen on this map.
The large mossy green area at the top of the map is the Skookumchuck Provincial Park. Each year, thousands of visitors to the Sunshine Coast follow the trail through the park to the famous Skookumchuck Rapids, the largest saltwater rapids in North America. You can see the three ponds area to the south of the park. The green areas represent old growth management areas which should protect them from logging. The large pink area to the right of the ponds is the forested Indian Reserve 27. IR 27 belongs to the Sechelt (Shishalh) Nation. The purple dotted line represents the reactivated and extended logging road proposed by Tsain Ko. That logging road would give Tsain Ko access to the band's land which it plans to log for the band and access to cutblock EG273. The green dotted line is the Waugh Lake Watershed boundary and the logging road, a portion of IR27 and half of EG273 are within the watershed. In fact, the logging road runs right through the heart of the watershed and not only does Tsain Ko want to reactivate it but they propose it become a permanent route to IR 27.
To give you another perspective, I have prepared a Google Map of the same area.
At the top of the this shot is Brown Lake which is in the provincial park. Below this can be seen the pond area with its old growth management area in dark green and around that is the old 1990's cutblock that took out a huge swath of the watershed right to Waugh Lake at the upper left of the image. Waugh Lake is where the village of Egmont gets its drinking water. Following this clear-cutting, many residents vowed to fight future logging in the watershed. Here is a close up view of the ponds, again, using Google Maps.
At the bottom of this image, you can make out the deactivated logging road from that 1990's clear-cutting. Where the road takes a dip down is located a major creek that feeds the ponds. Today, we hiked that old road, crossed the creek and headed through the old cutblock down to the ponds. We then moved into the old second growth to the right and then back up to where Tsain-Ko plans to build the road extension. The next postings will show you pictures from our trek.
The large mossy green area at the top of the map is the Skookumchuck Provincial Park. Each year, thousands of visitors to the Sunshine Coast follow the trail through the park to the famous Skookumchuck Rapids, the largest saltwater rapids in North America. You can see the three ponds area to the south of the park. The green areas represent old growth management areas which should protect them from logging. The large pink area to the right of the ponds is the forested Indian Reserve 27. IR 27 belongs to the Sechelt (Shishalh) Nation. The purple dotted line represents the reactivated and extended logging road proposed by Tsain Ko. That logging road would give Tsain Ko access to the band's land which it plans to log for the band and access to cutblock EG273. The green dotted line is the Waugh Lake Watershed boundary and the logging road, a portion of IR27 and half of EG273 are within the watershed. In fact, the logging road runs right through the heart of the watershed and not only does Tsain Ko want to reactivate it but they propose it become a permanent route to IR 27.To give you another perspective, I have prepared a Google Map of the same area.
At the top of the this shot is Brown Lake which is in the provincial park. Below this can be seen the pond area with its old growth management area in dark green and around that is the old 1990's cutblock that took out a huge swath of the watershed right to Waugh Lake at the upper left of the image. Waugh Lake is where the village of Egmont gets its drinking water. Following this clear-cutting, many residents vowed to fight future logging in the watershed. Here is a close up view of the ponds, again, using Google Maps.
At the bottom of this image, you can make out the deactivated logging road from that 1990's clear-cutting. Where the road takes a dip down is located a major creek that feeds the ponds. Today, we hiked that old road, crossed the creek and headed through the old cutblock down to the ponds. We then moved into the old second growth to the right and then back up to where Tsain-Ko plans to build the road extension. The next postings will show you pictures from our trek.
Advisory Committee on Logging
Tick, tock, tick, tock. Well, we have our Advisory Committee that will sit down and "work" with Chaskin the management arm of Tsain Ko Forest Development Corportation. Tick, tock, tick, tock. One local resident was heard to say on Monday, "Well, I guess I am on it because it says so in the newspaper." (Coast Reporter, Friday, Aug 3, 2007). When asked if she had any idea when the Committee would first meet, she said no. Tick, tock, tick, tock. So let's see, it is Wednesday, August 8th and the road building and logging is to get underway in early September. This looks really promising, doesn't it? Tick, tock, tick, tock. Our Area Director, who is setting up this Committee under the auspices of the SCRD is now tied up for three days in those local Board of Health meetings mentioned below. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Well, someone on the Committee better assume temporary leadership and call a meeting and begin planning a strategy. It is this writer's opinion that the first priority should be to meet with the Sechelt Band Council and ask if they will respect this community's logging concerns otherwise these meetings with Chaskin are nothing but a complete waste of time. Tick, tock, tick, tock.
According to the newspaper article, the following residents will make up the Advisory Committee: George Connell, Ron Fearn, Kim Foster, Doug Imbeau, Norma Martin, Catherine McEachern, Martin Mees, Maureen Parrott.
According to the newspaper article, the following residents will make up the Advisory Committee: George Connell, Ron Fearn, Kim Foster, Doug Imbeau, Norma Martin, Catherine McEachern, Martin Mees, Maureen Parrott.
Western Forest Products to address Health Board
The Sunshine Coast Regional Government resumes its role as a Local Health Board for three days of hearings beginning today. At the end of these three days, the Board is to rule on the following: "Does logging in the watershed pose a threat to human health?" Something to bear in mind is that drinking water from the Chapman Creek watershed is chlorinated. Therefore, we would like to post a comment submitted to this blog on August 5th.
"It is too bad that our government fails to address or talk about the adverse effects of watershed logging from a real scientific perspective.
The real problems are:
1) logging is well known to increase peak runoffs (mainly because of decreased evapotransiration) and thereby increasing water turbidity making disinfection more difficult as organisms are able to "hide" in the particulates. When using chlorine, increasing turbidity increases the production of trihalomethanes and other carcinogens. There is an accepted link between chlorination and bladder cancer.
2) logging roads increase human access which is a well known risk to watersheds used for human consumption. This is why Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland legally prohibit public tresspass into their watersheds.
3) logging causes compaction of the soils and so that the forest floor no longer absorbs and filters water as it does in an undisturbed area. Roads where compaction is worst, are used for travel by animals and people which often leave their wastes which now wash off the road unfiltered, into a culvert and directly into drinking water sources."
Dr Lee Hutton, Pathologist, Nelson
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