Editor:
I’ve spoken to BC Timber Sales (BCTS) and confirmed the only trees being harvested in Block A87125 are mature second-growth less than 145 years old. There are some veteran trees in the stand – trees that survived the fire 400 years ago – and those trees are being preserved for biodiversity.
I absolutely agree that we need to protect B.C.’s forests and that is being done here. In the Mount Elphinstone area alone, there are more than 2,900 hectares of old growth management areas, with some established along Mount Elphinstone Park boundaries. Over and above B.C.’s strict forestry regulations, BCTS has also planned to leave a buffer of trees along a popular mountain biking trail and has extended the tree buffer along streams within Block A87125. This is a great example of small patch, innovative and sustainable harvesting.
The harvesting planning process takes several years and involves many legal requirements and technical assessments, so BCTS wants to understand community concerns in advance of doing that work. To that end, BC Timber Sales signed an MOU with the Sunshine Coast Trails Society (SCTS) in 2015 which formally recognizes the society’s role maintaining trails on the lower Coast and provided funding from BC Timber Sales for trail maintenance. Much of the trail access on the Sunshine Coast – for mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders – is dependent on logging roads, both active and historical.
Over and above the local jobs created by the logging contractors, log sorts and small mills on the Sunshine Coast, BCTS generated $20 million in gross revenue from the Sunshine Coast in 2015-16. That $20 million helps fund important things like the $41 million budget for School District 46 and the $44 million expansion of the Sechelt Hospital. Timber harvesting on the Sunshine Coast supports the local economy and creates jobs so people can work where they live.
More information about Block A87125 can be found here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/bc-timber-sales-and-timber-sale-licence-a87125-on-mount-elphinstone
David Elstone, RPF, Roberts Creek resident and TLA executive director
