Editor:
The following letter was addressed to Sunshine Coast Regional District Area D director Kelly Backs and shared with Coast Reporter.
We are writing regarding the proposed sale of cutblocks from Joe Smith Creek to Higgs Brook. We are opposed to any logging in this area.
Our neighbourhood group has started a petition which now has more than 29,000 signatures, we have written to you and the SCRD and attended a Zoom presentation with BC Timber Sales. At that time BC Timber Sales, while claiming to have done an extremely thorough report, didn’t include Leek Creek (Leek Creek runs the whole length of lower Conrad Road and, in the past, washed out both Conrad and Lower Road) in their mapping information. When we brought it to their attention, they tried to tell us it was an unnamed creek, then that it wasn’t fluvial active.
We remain adamant that this area cannot be logged without putting our entire neighbourhood, as well as many properties above the highway, in jeopardy of landslides, that could contaminate creeks and streams, and cause road and bridge washouts.
We are also very concerned about the destruction of wildlife, habitat, fish spawning, and bird nesting habitat. In our opinion, clear cutting of this forest will detrimentally affect rainfall and water collection and storage – increasing the likelihood of extreme drought in summer.
While the SCRD may consider this logging to be low impact on SCRD services, the residents who receive regional district water would be highly impacted if the waterline, road, hydro, telephone and gas-line were destroyed by a flood or debris flow.
To our knowledge, there are also 40 water licence holders who are completely dependent on their own supply of water who are residents of the SCRD and need protection for their water.
We are asking you, as our director, along with the SCRD board to oppose any logging in this area and to take all steps necessary to make sure that these blocks are permanently removed from BC Timber Sales present and future operating plans. We also ask the SCRD to advise BC Timber Sales that they will be held legally responsible for all damages and costs if logging proceeds.
Charlene and Hans Penner
Roberts Creek
