Logs harvested on the Coast and sold entirely within Canada netted the Sechelt Community Forest a $515,316 net profit in 2007.
The numbers were presented at the Seaside Centre last Thursday (Feb. 28), during a community forest open house attended by about 50 people, many of them forest workers. They heard details about the first year of operations for Sechelt Community Projects Inc. (SCPI), the corporation formed to administer the forest.
"2007 was a successful year where we managed to hit the log markets at the right time," said Len Pakulak, chair of SCPI's nine-member board of directors, before revealing the (unaudited) numbers for last year. The figures show revenue of $2.47 million. $311,855 of that was presented in the form of three giant cheques to Sechelt Mayor Cam Reid, as a repayment to the District of Sechelt, that, as the sole shareholder of SCPI, had lent the community forest $380,000 to get started. The total repayment to the District of Sechelt included $250,00 in principal repayment, $35,965 in interest (7.5 per cent) on the loan and $25,890 as a dividend, based on 15 per cent of the District's share equity in SCPI. Pakulak said the District will also be reimbursed for staff time involved in helping launch the community forest.
Director Peter Moonen told the crowd last year's cut came from a block near Angus and Burnett Creeks, and from a block near Trout Lake.
Slides shown at the meeting mentioned no roads were built or improved in the community forest last year, and Moonen emphasized the curved lines used to delineate the cutblocks, in order to better retain certain veteran stands of trees. "We're able to really suit the logging method to the forest type," he said. A total of 27,223 cubic metres of wood was harvested from the five management units of the forest last year, nearly half of which was fir and hemlock peeler logs. The profits came courtesy of 5,248 cubic metres of timber sold locally and 6,368 cubic metres sold to other Canadian markets. The Wormy Lake cutblock was upheld as an example of recreational potential and ecological values taking higher prominence in some parts of the community forest. Terry Hind from the from the Community Forest Advisory Committee (CFAC), a group set up to solicit public input into the forest's operations, said input from recreational groups resulted in the amended cutblock, where retention patches were redesigned to leave intact more trees as seen from around the lake. Hind noted the CFAC is looking for more members.
Pakulak informed the crowd SCPI is under a five-year, 100,000 cubic metre probationary term from the Ministry of Forests and needs to keep up an average 20,000 cubic metre per year harvest or provide plausible reasons why they can not. Questions arose from the crowd about how the community forest - 36.7 per cent of which is located in the Chapman Creek watershed - can hope to meet the minimum cut needed without harvesting in the contested watershed. Pakulak and Reid cited the District's guarantee made in September 2007 that no logging will take place in that area during the probationary term.
This summer, SCPI plans to log 15,000 cubic metres in cutblocks near Wormy Lake and Angus Creek. If market conditions are favourable, 15,000 more cubic metres will be harvested from Trout Lake, Angus Creek and Wilson Creek cutblocks in the fall.
The community forest will also soon take part in a UBC watershed study along with the District of Sechelt, the Sunshine Coast Regional District and possibly the Sechelt Indian Band. The community forest is looking for interested community members to take part in their "Walk in the Forest" guided tours. To book a spot on the next outing, taking place tomorrow morning (Saturday), call 604-885-7809.
