There is an important public meeting regarding Mt. Elphinstone forest coming up on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Chatelech Secondary School theatre. The meeting is sponsored by the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) and will be attended by regional district directors. Representatives from B.C. Timber Sales, the Provincial Forest Ministry's licensee (the largest licensee in B.C.), will be there to present their plans for the Sunshine Coast timber supply area and to answer questions from the public. These representatives include: Ken Mathews, timber sales manager; Rob Martin, B.C. timber sales planner; and Kerry Davies, area forester based in the Powell River Ministry of Forests (MOF) office.
Mt. Elphinstone is a controversial area and has been the location of numerous civil actions in the past. Several cutblocks on the mountain have recently been approved by MOF District Manager Greg Hemphill. In response, formal complaints to the Forest Practices Board have been lodged and are currently under investigation.
The complaints have been made because these cutblocks are located in strategic areas: one is in the middle of the horseshoe shaped Elphinstone Park that was set up to protect a rare species of mushroom. Another impacts a proposed wildlife habitat area that is the site of proven habitat for two species of threatened amphibians. Two other blocks are on either side of Clough Creek, which is highly instable following a mudslide in 1983 that took out part of Lower Road, caused extensive property damage and necessitated the evacuation for several days of all families living on Orange and Crowe Roads.
The representatives from B.C. Timber Sales will be outlining their plans for Mt. Elphinstone and will hear from the public. This is an important opportunity for the community to make their concerns known. See the SCRD website for more details: www.scrd.bc.ca/documents/BC%20Timber%20Sales%20mtg.
