The future of Reed Road and Clack Creek forests – two cutblocks local government has been trying to get removed from the BC Timber Sales (BCTS) auction schedule – remains up in the air. “A decision on whether to advertise the two timber sale licences has not yet been made,” the B.C. forest and lands ministry told Coast Reporter on Jan. 15.
More certainty could come, however, following a meeting scheduled for Feb. 11 between Lori Pratt, chair of Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), and a representative of the ministry’s South Coast Natural Resource Region.
A representative called Pratt last Thursday to schedule the meeting, the same day SCRD directors discussed a letter from the ministry dated Dec. 21, on the subject of logging on Mount Elphinstone.
The letter, written by Allan Johnsrude, references resolutions directors made in November to request a halt of the auctioning of Clack Creek Forest, licence A93884, before land use planning is undertaken in the Mount Elphinstone area, and to do the same for DL 1313 (Reed Road Forest), using “public use and ecological integrity” and concerns about its location on a rural urban interface as the rationale. DL 1313 is located in Skwxwú7mesh territory.
The letter stipulated that pending a “modernized land use planning process” with shíshálh Nation as part of a Foundation Agreement signed by the province and Nation last October, “the province will continue to employ existing land use and resource management approaches,” and that “resource management and use are expected to continue during modernized land use planning, including forest development.”
“We look forward to providing the SCRD with a detailed update on modernized land use planning,” said the letter.
At the SCRD committee meeting, Elphinstone director Donna McMahon said her constituents “would like to see a freeze on the blocks in question while all of this consultation and planning process goes on because they are very concerned this is a delaying tactic.”
She also noted that since DL 1313 is located on Skwxwú7mesh territory, the SCRD should discuss the matter with the Nation. Gibsons Mayor Bill Beamish said he was “surprised” there was no mention of Skwxwú7mesh Nation in the letter.
Earlier in December, directors had attempted to schedule a meeting with Forests Minister Doug Donaldson and this letter turned them down before noting “a response to these SCRD resolutions from Minister Donaldson is expected in the near future.”
The Reed Road and Clack Creek forests both appeared on the sales schedule last November for auction in January 2019. Both auctions had been deferred on several occasions previously. Clack Creek Forest is situated between Clack and Gough creeks along Roberts-Flume Forest Service Road, on shíshálh swiya.
“I know this is not the news that folks wanted, but this is what we have in terms of an update,” said SCRD chief administrative officer Janette Loveys at the Thursday meeting.
As of Jan. 14, the two cutblocks remain on the sales schedule.
