Orenda Forest Products believes the Swan Lake area is the best place to build its proposed pulp and paper mill, despite concerns expressed by the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine board of direc- ‘tors last month. Orenda vice-president Frank Foster said Monday the company has a thorough record of avalanche Closures in the Bear Pass — clo- sures which would cut off a large portion of the plant’s workforce living in Stewart — and statistics show it is no worse than the road between Terrace and Prince Rupert. "Our truckers travel that road daily and have for several years," said Foster. "We have a good reading on that road." One factor that prompted the company to locate the plant at Swan Lake, he said, involves mak- ing employment benefits regional. "Locating in Stewart would have precluded employment for the people in the Nass Valley," he explained. Addressing the concern expressed by the regional board about uncon- trolled growth in the area of the plant, Foster said Orenda doesn’t want to see any homes spring up in the area of the plant, located approximately halfway between the unorganized areas of Meziadin Junction and Cranberry Junction. "We don’t want to see ‘residential growth in that area, we do not support. We appreciate the con- cers of the communities, and we support them,” he stated. The plant is planned for an area that falls within the tribal territory claims of the Nisga'a, and Foster said Orenda officials "have met a couple of times" with Nisga’a representatives and further meet- ings are planned. He expects the next mecting to take place late this month, noting that the tribal coun- cil executive is on a tight schedule due to the land claim negotiations. Another factor in Orenda’s choice of location is the nearby Swan Lake wilderness study area, Orenda sticking with Swa a 19,000 hectare tract of land that is currently high on the Ministry of Forests candidate list for a full- fledged designated wilderness area. Kalum Forest District manager Brian Downie said Monday that local personnel are presently wait- ing for a decision from Victoria on the designation of Swan Lake, but the area was recommended for wilderness status after a review last. year. A designated wilderness area is less restricted than a park, but limits are placed on some types of activities. No logging is permitied, mineral development is allowed, and toad access is restricted. Foster said the Swan Lake wil- derness area boundary lies within 10 miles of the proposed plant site, but he added that it is in a dif- ferent watershed. "We don’t expect to have any impact on it," he said. Orenda filed a prospectus on the project with the provincial govern- ment’s Major Project Review Process Jan. 7. Company officials will host a public information meeting on their proposal in Terrace Review — Wednesday, January 9, 1991 AS n Lake plan Stewart Jan. 10. The plant as proposed would produce about 173,000 tonnes of machine finished coated paper — a stock used in magazines and brochures — per year. The pulp mill is a Finnish design that uses massive ceramic stones to grind whole logs into pulp and uses hydrogen peroxide rather than chlorine to brighten the pulp. Orenda describes the design as “zero-effluent", and the company says the environmental impact is expected to be virtually nil. Port development study still under wraps But Parker, local officials think it’s going well so far A committee of local representa- tives has reviewed a draft of the second phase of a study for the proposed Terrace-Kitimat port development in December and is expecting the final report later this month. The report, however, is not being released to the public, nor is the first phase final report. The idea was announced in June 1990 by Skeena MLA Dave Parker as a comprehensive industrial development plan for the entire Terrace-Kitimat corridor. Proposals within the plan included building a deep sea dock at Kitimat, upgrad- ing of the CN line between the two communities, changing the jurisdictional authority for the Terrace-Kitimat airport from the federal government to a local port authority, and developing an indus- trial park at the airport. The government alipcated $400,000 for a two-stage feasibility study to be undertaken by Sandwell of Vancouver. Sandwell completed the first phase of the study, covering mar- keting and infrastructure for the port, in late November. The second phase covers local social, econo- mic and environmental impact. The Port Committee will decide if and when the contents of the study reports are to be made pub- lic, said port communications officer Doug Smith in last week. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT + A PUBLIC MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 17 7:30 P.M. AT THE INN OF THE WEST, WEST BANQUET ROOM - TO DISCUSS INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANNING, Se FOR THE THUNDERBIRD FOREST AREA Plan Purpose Ministry of Forests, Phone: 638-3290 The plan will recognize the habitat; commercial, residential, recreational and hi timber management within this section of the Lakesle River watershed. For further information contact: Jim Culp, Project Facilitator 200 - 5220 Keith Avenue, Terrace, B.C., V8G 1L1 Province of British Columbia Ministry — of Forests The Ministry of Forests, Kalum. Forest District, in cooperation with B.C. Environ- ment, is seeking public input into the development of an integrated resource management plan for the Thunderbird Forest Area. The planning process will lead to the selection of an optimum management plan for the Thunderbird Forest Area. importance of old growth retention; fish and witdlife storical. useage; as well as Terrace mayor Jack Talstra, a member of the Port Committce, said Friday, "They’re looking specifically at a seaport now, a dock for one or two ships at Kiti- mat," He added, however, that the scope of the plan has not been reduced and will still include Ter- race. "Ii will be something unique, the only locally-controlled port author- ity in B.C." Talstra said. The phase-one feasibility study looked good, he said, and phase two in its draft form looks equally promis- ing. The main benefit for Terrace would be to bolster its position as a centre for the trans-shipment of goods, he said. "Along with that," Talstra added, “it’s in line with my feeling that what’s good for Kiti- mat is good for Terrace. "I think our main challenge will be to develop a warehousing infra- Structure around the airport." Talstra said the committee is to meet again Jan. 29 to go over the final version of phase two of the report. It will then go to the pro- vincial government’s Major Project Review Process group, to public hearings, then back to the MPRP, and finally to cabinet. Parker said Dec. 13 in Terrace that he has a preliminary figure for the development to put betore cabinet for inclusion in the 1991- 92 provincial budget. Key Map of the Thunderbird Forest Area Scale 1:250 000 xe