Island Timberlands is targeting tiny patches of old growth forest along the banks of one of the most endangered rivers in British Columbia. Millions of dollars have been spent, by both federal and provincial governments, to rehabilitate the banks of the Englishman River over
show more...
recent years. Meanwhile Island Timberlands is logging in the middle of the river. Only 1% of the Coastal Douglas fir ecosystem is left today and this is the most endangered Biogeoclimatic Zone in Canada. The 1 hectare island in the middle of the Englishman River is just 200 metres upstream from the Provincial Park boundary. On the island I noticed tracks and scat from Blue listed Roosevelt Elk, and a host of other species at risk have been identified along the riparian zone of the Englishman River. A few winters ago I photographed a Bear inside a den it had dug out of the base of a large cedar tree, it was this den tree that I took refuge behind when the helicopter was directly over my head. All the trees around it had been logged because Island Timberlands felled many wildlife habitat trees to make way for the helicopter extraction of the largest and healthiest old growth trees on the island. Since 2005 profits from Island Timberlands have been stored off-shore in Bermuda by Brookfield Asset Management in order to minimize taxes paid in Canada, therefore bypassing the public coffers of BC taxpayers. At the same time the BC Government employees pension funds were used to purchase 25% of Island Timberlands through the BC Investment Corporation. Certification for sales to European buyers must be questioned when it allow logging in the riparian zone of an endangered river watershed. Do the buyers in Europe know the reality of Island Timberlands logging practices? The day after my tour for Councilor Chris Berger he brought forward an Emergency Resolution which was adopted unanimously by the City of Parksville stating: that the City of Parksville strongly objects to this ongoing logging activity and urges the Provincial Government to take immediate action to halt all logging in proximity to the Englishman River: and, Be it further resolved that we request the Provincial Government take all necessary steps to prevent this type of harmful logging activity from occurring in the future. A similar resolution will be brought to the council of BC Municipalities so let your local government know how important it is to protect watersheds, drinking water supplies, and forest in these corridors. What is desperately needed in British Columbia, and across Canada, is legislation that protects watersheds regardless of private ownership of lands.
show less...
