The Big Lie – disappointment with the leadership provided by the SCPI board…
Sechelt Community Projects Inc
Unit C – 5588 Inlet Avenue
PO Box 215
Sechelt, British Columbia
V0N 3A0
Attention: Glen Bonderud – Chairman & President SCPI
Dear Glen,
I am writing to express my disappointment with the leadership provided by the SCPI board regarding the recent logging activity in the Wilson Creek watershed. You are quoted in the local paper saying, “The board’s direction is only following the Province’s marching orders”, “the Province is the landlord, they make the rules”.
This is not totally accurate, the Province recently made major changes to the cutting permit rules for Community Forests.
Since 2008, the Community Forest Association membership has been clear that when it comes to tenure administration, the greatest obstacle is the amount of time it takes for cutting authority approval. Responding to Community Forest’s across the Province, top priority was given by the Government, to the single cutting permit (CP) pilot project. The pilot project was initiated in the summer of 2011, with 5 communities participating, including Powell River.
Community Forest Agreements are subject to tabular pricing, so appraisal information by cutting permit is not required. A single cutting permit for the entire chart area eliminates multiple cutting permit submissions and streamlines processing by the government. It gives the Community Forest licensee the discretion over their land base.
The BCCFA President, Kevin Davie, responded to the announcement commenting, “This process will provide needed flexibility for community forests.”
Chris Liang, Powell River CF, has already experienced the benefits. “We were able to see both time and cost savings when we did some blow down salvage. One hammer mark simplifies trucking and tracking. You are basically approved before you start.”
By using the government as the reason for cutting the Wilson Creek forest decries the fact that SCPI can apply for a single CP for their entire chart area and reap the benefits, without resorting to logging Wilson Creek at this time.
John Bebbington
Sandy Hook Resident & taxpayer
CC: Coast Reporter
The Local
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The main point is that Community Forests across the province are tenure based licenses vs volume based, which means they do not have to harvest a minimum volume of wood in any one year.
Trying to pass the “buck” to the Province and dodge the fact the CF board made the decision to log Wilson Creek is cowardice.
If they at least owned their decision I would have more respect for their management of the issue, even if I do not agree with their decision.
Passing the buck is just not acceptable, they should come out and state their own reasons for making the decision to log Wilson Creek and stand by those reasons
Please find below some comments I received regarding this subject of area based tenure.
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The big lie the CF tell is that they are obligated to log 20,000 cu/meter/years. Only Forest Licences have this minimum logging obligation. Tree Farm Licences (TFLs), Woodlot licences and CF tenures are all area based tenures, they have a maximum cut but no minimum cut.
If they refuse to operate in a particular (and log-able) area, there is precedent for removing that area from the licence but the Ministry of Forests would be loath to do that.
Where would they find another licencee dumb enough to take on a logged out tenure like Wilson Creek???
The fact is they never undertook a meaningful consultation with the community and they accepted a very poor land base far to pillaged and small to support a sustainable operation. And now they’re public enemy #1 !!!