Editor, The Times:
The following is an open letter to Premier Christy Clark:
I’m sure you know the song, “Ain’t Got No Satisfaction!” Well that pretty accurately describes the feelings of many citizens of Clearwater. Why? In spite of five years of consultation between the Upper Clearwater Referral Group, Canfor and the Ministry of Forests, our multiple concerns about proposed industrial logging in the Clearwater Valley adjacent to Wells Gray Park have been ignored.
Canfor is currently applying for permits to log four more blocks on the western slopes of Trophy Mountain adjacent to the Wells Gray Park boundary and immediately above the corridor road to Wells Gray Provincial Park. One permit has 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 the logging would occur smack dab in the middle of critical habitat for species at risk mountain caribou.
The resource manager for Natural Resource Operations Kamloops, Alan Card, says that 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 the company – Canfor. However, several visits to their office have resulted in a stalemate – initially they would not release their site plans to us until the Ministry of Forests directed them to do so. However they still will not release their professionals’ reports on caribou, hydrology, and terrain stability.
Canfor will be logging on public land, and considering how important the values at stake are, I think it is in the public’s interest to have other experts be able to view the opinions stated in those reports. We believe that Canfor’s hydrologist overlooked several key factors in his report. These were pointed out to Canfor by the Upper Clearwater Referral Group. In our group we have experts in caribou and terrain stability.
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.
Hoping to hear from you directly.
Anne Neave, director
Wells Gray Gateway Protection Society