Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) is crying foul over B.C. Timber Sales' (BCTS) plans to log next to the largest clearcut on the Sunshine Coast.
The 160-hectare clearcut on Dakota Ridge was done by Columbia National Investments (CNI) four years ago in preparation for a failed housing plan.
BCTS now plans to open up cutblock A87124 for logging, which shares a common boundary with the CNI clearcut.
"This block borders the southern edge of the CNI clearcut, which will essentially open and add to the obscene destruction of the Dakota Ridge slopes," said ELF spokesperson Ross Muirhead. "The BCTS cutblock adds another 29 hectares to the CNI clearcut and will, if allowed to go ahead, certainly make it one of the largest clearcuts in recent B.C. history."
BCTS said they plan to put cutblock A87124 up for bid in early 2012.
"It covers about 40 hectares, and about one-quarter of the area - double the area usually required - will be retained in wildlife tree patches and riparian reserves to protect biodiversity," said BCTS media relations person Cheekwan Ho. "A87124 does share a common boundary with previously harvested private land for a stretch of about 900 metres. Harvesting is planned along 300 metres of this common boundary in order to make the recovery of wind-topped trees that are accumulating along this segment of the boundary easier. The remaining 600 metres of the common boundary will not be harvested."
ELF wants to see all logging in the area stopped while it pushes for 1,500 hectares to be saved for an expanded Mount Elphinstone Park.
"Cutblock A87124 is on the northern edge of our proposed Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park expansion. Removing this forest cover is the wrong thing to do, as a decision on expanding the minuscule Elphinstone Park of 139 hectares to 1,500 hectares could be forthcoming in the next few years," added ELF member Hans Penner.
