Southern Alberta Community initiative sustainable community dialogue on logging (Yahoo!)

SASCI hosted an open house information day, a community dialogue on registration, on Tuesday, 7 December, the heritage hotel in Pincher Creek. Four groups-the State Wilderness Coalition Castle, Canada society for nature parks, Oldman basin watershed planning and Advisory Board, which was unable to obtain database DBS, severely limiting the accuracy in their report on the State of the watershed area and the ad hoc group representing the interests in the Castle, stopcastlelogging.org - focused on plans for the sustainable development of resources about half of the licence of 52 square kilometres - nearly 13,000 acres - Alberta local stakeholders clear-cut forest first Crown Castle nature recreation areas. Well as seed will be scattered on the largest area, the volume of timber transported will be a significant of which was destroyed by fire Creek fraction lost in 2003 and will affect harmful such places revered and popular such as Beaver Mines Lakes, Lynx Creek and river raised Falls.Issues Castle were diverse, but all noted lack of flexibility of DRS, as concerns local heavy in the Castle Wilderness, reduction of interest in the region as the first recreational forest State protected industry stakeholders to nearly four thousand logging, making seven hours round-trip from the Cochrane - riding DTH Minister Ted Morton and spray - Lakes sawmill House date across the tiny hamlet of Beaver Mines, 507 road and highway 22. Related related to this concern, mentioned danger to normal local traffic – business, household and leisure - thousands of skiers use this route to access their Nordic skiing zones and beloved Castle Mountain ski resort.

Cutting costs paid by Spray Lakes sawmill, the licensee have calculated about dollar tree - perhaps a quarter of a million dollars paid to the province by Spray Lakes for 52 km2 area of this unique biodiversity in southwestern Alberta. Spray Lakes has reportedly was admitted that the operation is not profitable - they are what they are told to reduce SRD cut. There would be no local economic benefit operation - this high-tech operation could be inhabited by approximately fourteen staff, everyone at Spray Lakes.

In addition to the loss of the appeal by fans of the forest and real stakeholders, other damage based on accepted forestry science concerns were compromised watershed - which necessarily and absolutely affects the quality of water well beyond cut areas, loss of habitat for wildlife, including for the grandfather of all species indicator, grizzly bear, said recently at risk. This area is designated an area of Grizzly recovery and its integrity is essential - crucial - grizzly bear survival.

A puzzle mentioned repeatedly during the meeting was the agenda of the DRS for this operation. The science and history support not DTH claims that cutting blank will reduce fire hazard and prevent the spread of mountain pine beetle. It was pointed out that the pine beetle is already in the region and the likelihood of recurrence is very small, and there is a greater risk of fire in the areas of logging heavy in the forests of commands.

Alberta Sustainable Resources has declined to participate, in referring to a possible lack of "crowd control".

Spray Lakes sawmill has also refused to attend. Is there any representation of Pincher Creek MD or Evan Berger MLA Office.

Further information is available at:

http://www.stopcastlelogging.org http://www.castlespecialplace.ca/ http://www.ccwc.ab.ca/