When Kalsenikoff Lumber Company (KLC) took a group of concerned citizens out on a field trip they showed us an area with Ponderosa Pines left every 35 meters. KLC said this would be similar to how our side of the mountain would look with the 'leave' trees. Only problem is that we do not have Ponderosa Pines with 35 feet + tap roots on this side of Pass Creek valley. We have primarily Fir, which have a shallow lateral root system and grow primarily on bedrock with a very thin layer of topsoil. The trees they propose to 'leave' will most certainly blow down with the winds we get here in the valley. The video below of logging next to us in Goose Creek is a perfect example.
Terrible, just terrible what a mess at Goose Creek - is this?:
ReplyDelete"Take care of the land, and the land will take care of you"- Kalesnikoff Lumber.
I think not! Citizens!, you have a voice, please use it! Protect our watersheds! Make sure logging companies are accountable for their logging practices.
What a surprise. Another great plan gone wrong. The seed trees that were left were for the most part on the ground as were a lot of the trees along the edge of the clear cut. Anyone with half a brain knows that the only thing clear cuts are good for is PROFITS!!!! The sign does not make everything beyond it OK. Unfortunately, as in this case the damage done cannot be undone and no one is responsible. I guess they did the best they could. I'm sure they will be more responsible and careful on this end of the valley. I am glad that for the most part this industry is self regulated.
ReplyDeleteIn this day and age how does this continue to happen? Get out of our watersheds and stay out!
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty depressing. I want to understand more about the "prescription" for this end of the valley. What are they leaving? Just ponderosa? They should leave many mixed species for re-seeding properly the genetic diversity of the very mixed forest we are lucky to have here. They are logging a neighbourhood. We'd like to see it much better communicated and re-considered.
ReplyDeleteAgreed^^. A healthy ecosystem is diverse, not segmented into one species.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, in Big Business today the moto seems to be:
ReplyDelete"It's easier to ask for "forgiveness" than "permission".
So that makes it alright then does it?
COMMUNITY ACTION ALERT
ReplyDeletePlease join us on a field review with KLC to tour the Goose Creek cut block on Tuesday, October 8th at 10 am. Email passcreekvalley@gmail.com for more details.
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ReplyDeleteWhile I think this group's requests/ demands are very reasonable, I can't see what this video illustrates that's all that bad. Are seed trees a big deal, or can diversity be dealt with by replanting mixed species?
ReplyDeleteNewly-logged areas always look awful, but in my opinion the appearance is no more cause for alarm than what our gardens look like after harvesting at this time of year. It doesn't stay that way forever, unless it's for instance on a slope that's too steep (which this one doesn't seem to be) in which case there are landslides etc.
Could someone point out what other poor logging practises this video is illustrating, other than the blowdown of the rather-useless seed trees? Perhaps I missed something?
Hi Antoinette - thanks for your comment and question - the point that the video is trying to illustrate is that the BC government is reversing decades of forest policy and logging companies are back to clear cut logging practices, which creates havoc on our eco-systems and watersheds. Just today a group toured through the Goose Creek site with KLC and found a road had washed out because of clear cutting practices and it was draining sediment into people's water intakes. Communities up and down the valley are dealing with the same issues, there are some good articles online if you google Laird Creek logging. Clear cuts also increase the chances of the 'leave' trees blowing down and then clogging creeks which can cause a land slide. So it is more than the appearance that is worrisome.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see a video of the area today. I would imagine that we may see a new forest growing up through the fireweed. I would also expect that a lot of the blowdown seen in the video would have been salvage logged and subsequently replanted. The roads probably have all the culverts pulled and are deactivated helping to limit vehicle traffic. Forestry is gardening on a large spatial scale over a very long time period. Sometimes we have a hard time looking out much further than today let alone years from now. Our world is forever changing as will our forests whether they change from fire or logging you can make the choice. I like the later as it helps to provide jobs and the quality of life that you and I both enjoy in BC. It is important for the public to hold forest companies to a high standard, but there is defiantly a right way to do it. An adversarial approach is fundamentally unsuited to planning issues in land use as land use planning is often polymorphic and multi-dimensional, with many interrelated variables where positive discussion would yield better results.
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