Press Release, July 1st, 2014
Elphinstone Forest-Sign Walk Completed
Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) is pleased to announce that a 2Km forest walk has been completed, through the ‘The Clack Creek Gallery Forest’, that features over 30 hand-crafted signs placed along the route. The signs are expressions of people’s connection to the forest and statements opposing logging proposed for the area.
BC Timber Sales has ‘engineered’ Block A87126 across a gently sloped, older forest, that has many residents concerned about its impacts. The forest contains some very large dead-standing trees, or snags indicating that its never been clearcut logged, an emerging stand of Western Hemlock and Douglas-firs create a tall canopy, and a rare native plant on the Provincial endangered species list was discovered (Rubus Nivalis) in 3 large patches in the cutblock.
“ELF organized 2 forest naming events in this forest that is threatened by clearcut logging.” Ross Muirhead of ELF says. “Local residents designed these signs and we attached them to the trees in a non-evasive way. The route where the signs are placed is the surveyed road-center line where logging trucks could be hauling out the fallen timber. We invited Coast residents to walk the route and take in all of the forest-signs that bring this situation into context.”
“This forest is accessed off the Roberts-Flume FSR #1 and is a 10 min. trip from Hwy 101. It’s in the proposed 1,500HaMt. Elphinstone Prov. Park expansion zone and is a key upper section of the new park.” says Hans Penner also of ELF. “The historic fire of the mid-1800, in a sense protected, this forest from the rapid logging we saw on the Coast from the 1950s to the late 1990’s as it continued to recover. Over 30 forest-signs tell a compelling story as you walk on top of a thick mat of forest duff, comprised of mosses and rotting woody debris.”
BCTS Block A87126 will be posted July 1st for sale. Logging contractors who are looking at the timber will walk down the road-centre line, and will see the many forest-signs. The messages range from: “Beautiful Trees & Forest – Our Source of Oxygen. Respect This & Us”, “I am a sacred Being Just Like You. Please Don’t Cut me down”, “This forest intact is a massive efficient & vital carbon sequestering system – keep it intact”, “My spiritual practice takes place in this forest. Do not cut down my church.” The signs are signed and dated by the residents.
For more information contact:
Elphinstone Logging Focus
604-740-5654