As the District of Sechelt scrambled to meet a March 12 deadline to apply to the province for a community forest licence, regional politicians were alarmed to learn the Chapman and Gray Creek watersheds would likely be part of the tenure.
Sechelt mayor Cam Reid said the district would not log in the watershed.
"We're saying our plans would protect the watershed," said Reid. "We're very cognizant of the concerns in the watershed and feel we can provide assurances with our logging and forestry plans to protect that."
At the Sunshine Coast Regional District's community services meeting Feb. 24, where Sechelt councillor Barry Poole and forestry consultant Kevin Davies outlined the plans for the community forest, several regional directors voiced their opposition to including the watershed.
Adrian Belshaw, director for Roberts Creek, called the prospect of a community forest tenure in the watershed "extremely alarming."
"The SCRD board is on record opposing tenure in the Chapman watershed," said Belshaw. "This community is united against logging in this area it's not criminal now, but it should be criminal."
John Marian, director for Halfmoon Bay, agreed.
"It's utterly distressing Sechelt would have the nerve to contemplate a logging tenure in the watershed," said Marian. "You'd better sharpen up your conflict resolution skills. You'll need them big time."
And Celia Fisher, director for Elphinstone, questioned whether the Ministry of Forests was "setting you up for failure" by including the watershed in the community forest.
Stan Dixon, the Sechelt Indian Band representative, questioned whether the community forest was "doomed to failure" because the volume of wood offered by the province - 20,000 cubic metres per year - is too small to be economically viable.
"I could log that in three weeks," said Dixon.
Dixon also noted that much of the land base under consideration for the community forest has already been heavily logged. "The bureaucrats have cleaned you out before you've got the first tree felled," said Dixon.
Other people have raised concerns about other controversial areas being considered for the community forest, such as the Hidden Grove near Sandy Hook, which community groups have been trying to protect because of its old-growth trees. As well as portions of the Chapman and Gray Creek watersheds, the Ministry of Forests has proposed forest land in East Wilson Creek, Dakota Ridge on Mount Elphinstone, the area including Carlson Lake and Wormy Lake beyond West Sechelt and forest land near Homesite Creek in Halfmoon Bay and near Egmont.
Poole said the District of Sechelt told the Ministry of Forests they didn't want the watershed and other contentious areas to be part of the community forest.
"They said, we want you to have the watershed," said Poole. "We decided, if we have to take on the watershed, maybe it's not a bad idea for us. At least this would put the issue of forestry in the watershed under a corporation here on the Sunshine Coast rather than the provincial government."
Davies said if the watershed lands don't go into the community forest, they would likely be logged through B.C. Timber Sales.
"Isn't it better that we control it?" said Davies. "I'd sure like our watershed under local management, rather than B.C. Timber Sales with headquarters in Campbell River and Victoria." Davies added that most of the Chapman Creek watershed could not be logged for at least the next 20 years.
Dan Bouman, executive director of the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association, said a community forest would not protect the watershed. "Under this type of licence, we don't have any authority over the land base," said Bouman. "If there are any areas the chart holder is not utilizing, that area can be taken away from them."
Bouman said environmental groups are planning to write to the government saying the Sechelt community forest proposal does not have public support.
If the community forest includes the watershed, Bouman said, "instead of having a fight between the community and Interfor, it will be between the community and the District of Sechelt."
Poole emphasized the potential positive effects of a community forest, such as a secure supply of wood for local companies, more value-added forest products produced locally and profits which the District of Sechelt has promised to share with the entire region.
"We're not happy with the 20,000 cubic metres," said Poole, but added that the tenure could grow after the first five years to make the community forest more viable in the long term.
The SCRD voted to ask the Ministry of Forests to extend the deadline for the community forest application to allow more public consultation. On March 1, Gibsons council voted to support the District of Sechelt's application for a community forest in principle.
