The Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) group wants Island Timberlands to stop logging in sensitive coastal tailed frog habitat. Island Timberlands is bringing in a frog expert instead.
"We have employed an amphibian expert to develop a frog management strategy for the design and installation of the crossing planned across the east Gough Creek branch," said Morgan Kennah, manager, sustainable timberlands and community affairs with Island Timberlands.
She said Island Timberlands owns privately managed forest lands adjacent to Gough Creek on Mount Elphinstone. In order to log the area, the creek crossing must be built. ELF says the creek and surrounding area is home to the coastal tailed frog, which is a blue-listed species on the Ministry of Environment's endangered species list.
"We request that these lands be considered too important to log because of the habitat needs of the coastal tailed frog," said ELF spokesperson Ross Muirhead. "In this light, we request that Island Timberlands do the right thing and set aside the lands and join them up with Crown land and create the wildlife habitat area. Option B would [be for] Island Timberlands to defer logging until a scientific habitat study can be completed. Risk management or remediation during and post logging is not suitable when an at-risk species is concerned."
Island Timberlands feels their planned management measures for the frog will be sufficient to protect the species.
In addition to bringing in a frog expert, the company will be working on the creek crossing construction during the "fish window," which is a period of time when the water levels are low and government deems it acceptable for forest activity to occur directly in and around streams.
Kennah also said a large riparian retention zone is planned adjacent to Gough Creek.
She notes a comprehensive habitat study was already completed for the area in 2004, which was commissioned by the Sunshine Coast Con-servation Association.
"Island intends to incorporate the intent of the information provided [in the report] and management recommendations in the final planning, harvest and reforestation of this opening," Kennah said.
ELF maintains the measures are not enough, and the group staged a protest to get their message across on July 10.
"The coastal tailed frog is the oldest and most primitive frog species on the planet. Today [July 10] ELF has erected a large sign on a logging road leading into the cutblock stating their concerns of further road-building and logging into the frog's habitat," stated a press release from ELF.
The blue-listed coastal tailed frogs are at risk, but not endangered or threatened. However, ELF notes that continued damage to their habitat may reduce population levels, forcing the frog onto the endangered list.
