Tree removal has begun at Gospel Rock as developer Greenlane Homes prepares to build roads into the area and clear its first building site.
The Town of Gibsons said in a notice March 21 that the clearing is being timed to avoid nesting season, and that it’s working with the developers of Gospel Rock, Greenlane, to “install storm water management, and erosion and sediment control measures, in conjunction with the clearing.”
Buffer zones will be retained around all development permit areas, according to the notice.
In a release timed to coincide with the logging, Greenlane Homes president Yan Ji said, “It is extremely important to Greenlane Homes that minimal clearing on-site is performed, and is done in such a manner as to have the least amount of impact to the bird nesting window. For the safety of the wildlife involved, clearing needs to start as soon as possible.”
Environment Canada supplies data on bird nesting seasons across the country, and many municipalities rely on it for the provisions of their tree cutting and construction bylaws.
According to Environment Canada, the Sunshine Coast falls into Zone A1, where the typical nesting period for migratory birds in wetlands, open areas and forests begins in mid to late April, although there’s an up to 10 per cent chance of “federally protected species that are predicted to be actively nesting on a given date” between the end of March and mid-April in forested and open areas, and a slightly higher likelihood in wetlands.
Greenlane said it has been working with the environmental consulting firm Diamond Head Consulting and the Town of Gibsons to establish “no-disturbance buffers” around all development permit areas “to protect wildlife and retain as many mature trees as possible.”
The Town said Monday that it has not received any formal complaints about the logging.
As part of the development agreement with the Town, Greenlane must protect 49 per cent of the land through park dedications and a covenant with The Land Conservancy (TLC).
In its release, the company said it is in the final stages of securing that covenant, “in conjunction with Sunshine Coast Conservation Association and the Town of Gibsons.”
