The following letter was sent to Norman Kempe, planning forester; Tom Jensen, assistant deputy minister, Forests Lands and Natural Resources; and Don Hudson, timber sales manager, and copied to Coast Reporter.
It has come to our attention that you are planning to put to tender BC Timber Sales Cutblock A84612 (DK045) this summer.
As the organization of community members elected to represent Roberts Creek and its people, we want a moratorium on the sale and logging of this area. The cutblock is located between two wildlife habitat areas established to protect the marbled murrelet seabird, which nests only in old-growth forests. It lies across the headwaters of two creeks, including Roberts Creek, the heart of our community. We want this precious area declared an old growth management area and preserved.
The Roberts Creek Headwaters Forest, as we are calling this area, represents a unique and irreplaceable forest of 250 to 1,000 year old yellow cedars, with groves of small yew trees. We are concerned that this logging would destroy forever a potential tourist destination and therefore have shortsighted economic effects. But we are even more concerned about unknown effects on our own Roberts Creek, on our water, our fish and our community.
We support and request that a land resource unit plan be implemented for all of Mount Elphinstone and that no further timber sales go ahead until this is done. With 90 per cent of the mountain already logged, these few old growth areas must be saved.
We welcome your inquiries about our thoughts and would be happy to set up a community meeting to help you learn more about our hopes for our forests.
Roberts Creek Community Association
