Pian spells
out rules
for region

IT’S a white binder filled
with nearly 200 pages of
objectives, strategies,
maps and appendices,

And the just-concluded
Kalum Land and Resource
Mangement Plan will, if
approved, be the Bible for
land use. in this region. © «
. The document sets out
many land use rules in a
2.1 million hectare -area .
from the Nass River to the
Kitlope at the end of Gard- _
ner Canal, ,

A key part of it are 10
Specialized zones that re-
cognize everything from
the need for protection of
community watersheds to
areas well suited for re-
creation and tourism.

There are a number of.
areas earmarked for back- }
country recreation, includ- {
ing heli-skiing, hiking, rid- & =

ge-foaming and snowmo-
biling. Some are non-mot-
‘orized zones to prevent
conflict between hikers or-
skiers’ and snowmobilers.

The backcountry re-
creation areas are general-
ly in the montains west of
Terrace and immediately
east of Kalum Lake.

There are also some
special management zones
where logging is banned to
protect important habitat.

‘designated to protect the

endangered tailed frog,
The upper Copper River

and the upper Kitsumka-

special zones.
The upper Kitsumkalum

and other wildlife values.

The upper Copper still
allows logging and mineral
exploration, but under seven per cent.
more tightly controlled
and the high-quality steel-
head angling there.

The Lakelse River is
also a special zone that

‘ Jowed to here.

earlier under the Thunder-

Feb, 12. Detailed informa-
tion is available at the
Kalum Forest District of-
fices on Keith Ave.

Agreement to —
create 23 new

protected areas |

From northwest to south, here are the areas
the Kalum LRMP has agreed to protect. The
table is split on three other areas. ,

Skeena River West

Bi Lower Skeena River sites: Rich fish and
wildlife habitat at mouth of Exstew and Kasiks
Rivers. 622 hectares.

w Exchamsiks River Park: Expands existing
provincial park to take in a boat launch pre-
sently outside the park and a potential alter-
nate campground area. 1,565 hectares,

- (@ Gitnadoix Recreation Area: Upgrade ex-
isting rec area to full provincial park status,
ending potential for mineral exploration.
57,760 hectares.

Terrace area
wi Kitsumkalum Lake North: Wetlands, wa-
terfowl habitat. 354 hectares,
lB Sleeping Beauty Mountain: Scenic hiking
and skiing area near Terrace with trail to al-
pine. 295 hectares.
 Lundmark Bog: Wetland. 68 hectares.
Wl Hal Lake - Mount Herman: Hiking traii in
old growth forest, wetlands. 309 hectares.
m@ Lakelse Lake Wetlands (south end): Wet-
lands, waterfowl habitat. 1,197 hectares.

Kitimat area

w Nalbeelah Creek wetlands: Important wet-
land, unique geology. Rich fish and grizzly
bear habitat. 311 hectares.

@ Kitimat River Ecological Reserve Propo-
sal: Old growth forest along Kitimat River. 39
hectares.

@ Eagle Bay: Large scenic anchorage and

Land to be preserved totals 0.36 per cent

But the forest industry recession
rules to protect scenery has meant that companies are cut-
ting way less wood than they're al-

In two of the past four years, the
undercut exceeded 400,000 cubic
follows rules determined metres, meaning the industry would
have. to greatly expand operations
bird Integrated Resource: before ninnitig ip against the néw-li-\;
Management’ Plan! :=-* 1 ognits the’ LRMP ‘will impose: 2 0"

The deadline for public:*:-For that? reason, ‘Holman cons ..
comment on the plan is cludes, it is “not likely” that the
plan’s AAC reductions will result in
loss of existing jobs.

Holtman notes the forest industry
may also be affected by other ele-

KALUM LRMP table member Fred Philpott points out an area on the map to local rasident Rudi Peters.
People got a chance to ask questions about the new land-use plan at tha Skeena Mall on Saturday and
Monday night at an open house at the forest district offices. ;

Land-use plan

No job losses for now,
impact report concludes

, By JEFF NAGEL
Ascaphus Creek is 50 FOREST INDUSTRY jobs won’t be
lost immediately because of this re-
gion’s just-finished land use plan,
Says an assessment of its impacts.
But the growth of jobs in future
lum, are the two largest years may be stunted by the restric-
tions to be placed on industry.

. : Consultant Gary Holman’s report
is a no-logging zoné to on the Kalum Land and Resource
protect moose winter rang¢ Management Plan projects the mea-
sures contained in it will reduce the
annual ailowable cut in this region
by 100,000 cubic metres, or about

lective harvesting methods.

states.

ates,

Holman notes the AAC is on the
way down in the region, regardless
of what's in the plan, in order to en-
sure the sustainability of the forests.

The forest ministry projects the
cuirent AAC of 1.458 million cubic"! Jation’:declines :is: reduced by de-
metres of wood per year in the‘ plan. .-signating a large 387,000-hectare.no,, ,,
hunting zone west of Kalum Lake |

in 50 years time.

ments of the plan, such as rules to
protect scenic views, which could
result in more labour intensive, se-

“At worst, the LRMP would result
in the foregoing of about 80 future,
direct jobs and an additional 25 to
40 indirect and induced jobs at risk
within -the plan area,” the report

That's about 0.6 to 0.7 per cent of
total employment in the region,

The loss of fibre here copld also
cause the loss of an extra 85 to 100
future direct jobs and 75 to 140 in-
direct jobs in Prince Rupert, where
Skeena Cellulose’s pulp mill oper-

area will begin falling in 10 years,
etiding up at 1.12 million cubic
metres ~ a decrease of 23 per cent ——

That decrease is considerably
more than the effect of the Kalum

FOCH ESTUARY and its mossy cliffs are a favourite anchorage for boaters, It’s one of

.

LRMP's provisions. ;

The report also concludes protec-
ted and no-logging areas, plus pro-
tection for scenic views and grizzly
and goat populations will improve
the prospects for jobs from eco-tour-
ism in the future.

And other plan components
should help protect fish, wildlife and
mushrooms, plus the jobs of people
who depend on them,

Biodiversity guidelines in the
plan should help protect species that
depend on mature and old growth
forests, the report says.

Site-specific strategies will help
protect specific fish and wildlife
ateas by careful location of roads
and restricting their use.

Moose and mountain goats get
improved protection by the designa-
tion of a special wintering area.

And the sisk of grizzly beat popu-

and north of the Skeena River.

Two movement corridors are to
also aid grizzly migration, and a ser-
ies of sirategics aim to protect their
critical foraging areas.

23 protected areas, mainly in marine areas south of Kitimat, to be created.

beach trails close to Kitimat. Site of contro-
versial proposed log dump. 259 hectares.

@ Jesse Falls: Scenic waterfall near Kitimat.
19 hectares.

Douglas Channel Recreation System
@ Coste Rocks: Offers recreational diving on
an underwater pillar and underwater.sea gar-
den. Bird watching. 35 hectares.

M Giltoyees Inlet (estuary): Anchorage for
fishing, diving, boating and wildlife viewing.
395 hectares.

Mi Giltoyees Inlet (The Hook): Scenic an-
chorage. 99 hectares,

‘Bi Foch Lagoon: Scenic waterfall and anchor-

age with high biodiversity and fishing opportu-

nities. 78 hectares,

@ Foch Lagoon (narrows): Scenic tidal nar-
rows. Diving. Kelp beds and wide array.of mar-

ine life. 39 hectares.

@i Soe Channel/Hawkesbury Island: An-
chorage for recreation, fishing, whale watch-
ing. 60 hectares,

w Sue Channel/Loretta Island: Marine re-
creation, fishing, whale watching. 148 hec-
tares.

@ Weewanie Hotsprings: Anchorage featur-
ing hotsprings and camping. 31 hectares.

Other marine areas
g@ Dala/Kildala River Estuaries: Productive
estuary and wetlands featuring wide variety of
wildlife. Two log dumps proposed adjacent to
area, 452 hectares.
Brim River: Contains hot springs, unusual
vegetation, grizzly bears. 988 hectares.
2 Owyacumish River: Old prowth coastal .
forests, grizzly bear habitat.

NEW PROTECTED AREAS have
turned out to be the most conten-
tious part of the new Kalum Land
and Resource Management.Plan,

+ And for people pushing for their
inclusion, planners simply didn’t:

agree to add enough of them.
’ "In all, LRMP, members did
reach consensus on.23 new pra-
tected areas, most of them 10 be
small marine parks south of Kiti- .
mat along the Douglas Channel.

‘Together, they cover 7,632 _
hectates, of about 0.36 per cent of -

the plan area.

The new protected areas, along
with an upgrade of the Gitnadoix
recreation area to a provincial

~ park, will bring the total protected

area within the region to 18.62 per
cent, ot 403,191 hectares.
Conservationists, however,

fought to the end to add more
areas, and that fight continues.

For that reason, the completed
plan has gone.to public review.
and. possibly on to, cabinet with a
few. aréas unresolved. 8:

Conservationists at the table
are still fighting for inclusion of
two extra protected areas.

One would create a larger pro-
tected area than currently agrecd
fo behind Foch Lagoon and Gil-
toyees Inlet. The proposal would
protect the entire 60,000 hectare
watersheds right to the southern-
most end of Gitnadoix River Pro-

-vincial Park, forming a large con-
- tignous protected atea.

A second unresolved issue is

~ ovér a smaller 2,200 hectare pro-

tected area to set aside the scenic

Miligit Creek atea in the upper -

Copper River watershed. .
Other table members refused to
agree to add the Miligit and
Foch/Giltoyees, so. now public
input becomes critical in how the
unresolved areas are settled.
If opinion runs overwhelmingly

~ jn one direction, the group would

likely come to agreement in line
with the public. Otherwise, the

unresolved areas could be deter-

mined by cabinet.

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Don’t freeze out the voter
Dear Str:

The northwest and many parts of the province with
unemployment hovering around 12 per cent (big city
and national average around 6 per cent) have been
left twisting in the polar winds by astronomical
heating and fuel costs.

The region has become a self-proclaimed “special
economic zone”, our battered industry has become a
basket case in dire need of subsidies, concessions,
grants, loans and sadly more raw log exports to eke
out survival. Where's that government shoulder to
lean on in surplus times, where's the foresight towards
a long range sustainable economy when we really
need it?

Oil is hitting US$40 per barrel, natural gas has
been spot priced at US$17 per gigajoule and
electricity is selling into the depleted American
market at US$200 per 100 kilowatts and winter has
just begun! Victoria is projecting a fiscal year end
surplus of $1 billion bolstered by $700 million from
oil and gas. wellhead royalties and Powerex electrical
sales into the U.S. making hugely handsome. profits.

Now you'd imagine with all those rosy provincial
windfalls from the energy sector, our NDP benefactors
might help offset and defray some of the NAFTA-
driven natural gas costs to commercial and residential
consumers with some rebates and by making ample
grid reserves of specially discounted electrical energy
as a competitive “B.C. Advantage” from a public
owned utility.

Rather, B.C.Hydro has exacerbated the problem by
disallowing independent power producers to bring
forward alternate waste cogeneration projects or
encouraging carefully chosen hydro dams on non-
salmon bearing smaller water courses and by putting
increased demand on natural gas use through such
operations as the Burrard Thermal Plant and proposed
gas cogeneration plants for Vancouver Island.

The rest of us including our local industry and
manufacturing have been left to shiver and freeze. So
since the ever unpopular NDP won't be inclined to
shelter us from the harsh elements, can we ask our
premier to call a provincial election pronto?

Gerry J. Bloomer, Lakelse Lake, B.C.

Keep up the pressure
Dear Sir:

You have to admire the courage of Brad Mazurak
in a recent letter to The Terrace Standard How This
Man Lost His Wife”. Mr. Mazurak should be
commended for having the guts to come forward and
tell us how bad our health care system is, in spite of
opening up the pain of his own personal tragedy.

The NDP government must be made to realize that
every British Columbian is entitled to proper health
care. It is simply not acceptable for people to risk
death waiting in limbo for life-saving procedures.

I blame the top-down mentality of our current

. government. You simply cannot dictate from ;Victoria
a gne-size-fits-all health care system, It doesn't, work,
boys. Face up to it.

With a dictated, top-down system, something very
valuable goes out the window; the cooperation of the
people you need to depend on to make the system
work. It's no wonder that the cost of healthcare is
spiralling out of control.

You might ask, “What about our local health
‘councils? Aren't they supposed to give local
representation to Victoria?” Not with this government.

The role of the politically appointed community
health council seems to be to act as a shield to
protect the government from the legitimate concerns
of the citizens. Nor can you expect any help from the
man who is supposed to be. our local provincial
representative, Mr. Helmut Quisling. He has also been
acting as a shield to deflect any criticism of NDP
health policies.

So what can we do about it? More people like Mr.
Mazurak need to speak out. Don't be afraid. It's only
by standing up to the bullies that we will be free of
them.

Another thing that we can do is consider private
clinics, paid by the medicare system. These would
not be the “beginning of the end of universal
medicare” as the NDP and the federal Liberals would
like you to believe.

What they would do is bring accountability into
the system, reduce waiting lists.and begin to build a
bottom-up model of heath care. Don't forget that there
are already private clinics in B.C. — private. abortion
clinics. : .

Perhaps private clinics, surrounded by bubble
zones to keep the socialists aut would go a long way
to preventing any more tragic and senseless deaths in
this province. ;

Until then, it's time to give the NDP the
proctologist's salute. .
Lorne Sexton, Terrace, B.C.

No mistaking these two.

Dear Sir:

_ Re: the December 2000 article “Could it be Santa
or ....”. May I suggest that professor Tatum wash the
grain of sand out of his eye from Dec. 12, 2000. It
must have been quite a piece of sand that came down
at 10:03 p.m. looking north-east from Queensway
toward Terrace Mountain. Especially, seeing the
meteor through a closed curtain as large as a fist held
at arms length.

Not to mention if the distance to the meteorite
could be 10 to 30 miles away. It was brown-orange at
the front with blue-green sides and a very short

‘|. trlangular white tail. The downward angle was at

more than 80 degrees nearly straight down. At 11:40

p-m. a second very long tailed greenish meteorite

came down near the same place.
Manfred Bader, Terrace, B.C.

About the Mail Bag

The Terrace Standard wetcomes tetters. Our
- address is 3210 Clinton St, Terrace, B.C. V8G
5R2, You can fax us at 250-638-8432 or e-mail
us at standard@kermode.net. No attachments,
please. We need your name, address and
» phone number for verification. Our deadline |s
noon Friday or noon Thursday if it's a long
weekend,