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SPORTS MENU C2

 SKEENA ANGLER |
ROB BROWN

Cassiar concern

n February 41 took issue with the

Cassiar Timber Supply Analysis

and its hait-brained recommenda-

tion ‘to increase the annual allow-
able cut there six-fold, | attributed the responsi-
bility for the report to Gary Miltenberger, the
District Manager, who, apparently feeling I had
saddled him and dug my spurs into his side,
promptly galloped off in ail directions.

“The environment and sustainability were
given very substantial (sic ) priority in the
review assumplicns,’’ writes Miltenberger in
his letter to this paper.

On close inspection (his is just another one of
those vacuous bits of bureaucratic bullwool so
often found under government letterhead. The
problem stems from the use of ‘‘substantial’’ to
modify priority, "Top’’, ‘‘high’’, ‘low?’ are
the usual, more precise adjectives used to ex-
press how much importance has been given
something.

Miltenberger’s statement gives the hazy im-
pression that matters of the environment were
given high priority when the Timber Supyily
Analysis was cobbled together; but it really
doesn’t say that. Were environmental concems
given low priority or high priority? It’s far from
clear, The profits of the timber companies or the
need for foresters in Dease Lake to increase cut-
ling in order to justify their jobs may well have
been accorded a higher priority than environ-
memlal conccrns yet the statement would still be
true.

“:Miltenberger gocs on to say that only a third.
‘F the forested land base in Cassiar was consid-" |
ered “econamically or environmentally accept-

able for logging.”
’ The implication of this vague assertion is that

logging can proceed in an environmentally |

sound manner on the remaining third of the
forest land base, and economic bencfits will be
forthcoming,

The report of Norman MacLcan, Ministry of
Environment forest ecosystem specialist for the
Cassiar Forest District — a report Miltenberger
admitted neither surprised him nor took him
aback —~ gives chase to that idea. Calling the
recommendation for an increase to the annual
allowable cut unrealistic, MacLean makes it
very clear sich an increase in B.C.’s largest
forest district may have dire consequences for
its environment.

MacLean’s report points to “huge areas of

unique ecosystems [that are] are not protected,
and available to timber harvesting.” The forest
ecologist emphasizes that there is very little
known about the many animal species for which
the Cassiar is justly famous, Given this lack of
data he calls for a thorough inventory of wild-
life values before any cutting increase of Cas-
siar timber,

To my assertion that the forest inventory in

Cassiar was wingy, Miltenberger states that the |

aerial overviews were backed up by 2500
ground observations. ‘‘These samples,’’ he
says, ‘‘were then rolled up into a statistically
valid analysis of the timber resource.’’ Sounds
impressive, ch? Not too impressive according to
Norman MacLean who questions ihe data used
in the analysis, characterizing it as ‘‘uncertain’’,
“The weakness of the data is supported by
discussions with Cassiar Forest District staff
who recognize problems with how the inventory
was collected,’? MacLean reports. In another
section he says; “‘The Jack of statistical robust-
ness indicates the dubious nature of the dala
presented in this document.’’
- Without a sound economy, it becomes very
problematic to protect the environment,’’ ac-
cording to Miltenberger, who once again plays
fast and joose with the language. Things are
problematic or they are not. Protecting the en-
vironment is problematic, I agree. It is also vital
and deserves priority. With the environment

dying around us, managing the economy will be-

a short term pursuit,

In his submission Maclean bas much to say
about the economy in the Casslar District, as
well as the misapprehension of it in the Timber
Supply Analysis. Guide outfitting, he points out,
hires more people than forcsiry, gencrates more
income for the local economy (most of that
money staying in the area) and has the Icast im-
pact on the environment. [t is hard to disagree

‘with the forest ecologist when he says, ‘Tt is in

our best interests to support the most benign im-
pact on the environment until the proper data is
collected for zcalistic land use management,”
As a parting shol, Gary has me supporting
sawmills in Cassiar. Whoa boy! I did not say |
supported sawmill development. What I said
was if the kind of rapid forest liquidation envi-
sioned in the report was viable (I'd just spent
the preceding 800 words arguirig that it wasn’t)
then the very least we could do was to increase
employment by milling it la Cassiar.

BEEN THERE, done that.

But it didu*t make a second
provincial championship any
less sweet for Terrace ringet-
ters,

And the victory couldn’t
have been any more - nail-
biting if they'd. written the
scripl.

Winners of last year’s ‘Tween
€ championship, Terrace this
time found itself competing in
a different, higher division,
Junior C.

Temace took to the . ice
against Quesnel in their
opener, the first of three meet-
ings the teams would have by

‘TERRACE STANDARD.

PORTS .

ampions once again -

Nanaimo.

the lime the title was settled,
and squeezed a 6-5 win,

Next up was Nanaimo and
again the margin of victory
was a single goal, 9-8.

Game three saw Terrace face
Quesnel once more and this
time its supporters were kept
on the edge of their seats until
the final minute.

With 54 seconds left, Shawn
Smyth was awarded a penalty
shot. Smyth deked the goalie
and put it high into the comer:
Terrace win 8-7.

The round robin series ended
with a rematch against
Despite _ being

Durand ends
long drought

NERVE WRACKING,

That’s how Phillip Durand,
11, described the final frame
in his last game at the provin-
cial = - Youth Bowling
championships,

And no wonder.

His first four games’ having.
been split belween a couple, of
“so-so”? efforts and two ex-
cellent performances, he found
himself having to come from

_ behind in -his bid for the title, _
‘Especially in that final frame

where only a_ perfect »pef="
formance — three consecutive

- strikes —- could deliver the
championship banner.

Durand said he had only ever
throw :-the strike out twice be-

WHEN IT comes to the team

_ aggregate banner at the North-

west Open, they might as well
give it to Terrace before the
first ball is even delivered,
Bowlers from other com--
munilies must be feeling that
way after Terrace took its six-
th straight aggregate title at the

- 95 edition of the Open, held
in Kitimat.

-Tt-was one of two golden per-

“ formances by local: high rol-

lers, the other coming in the

Mixed team event.

fore in his bowling career.
And he picked an ideal mo-
ment to record his third, win-
ning ihe Bantam Boys singles
title by just four pins.
And in doing so he ended a
22 year drought for Terrace

bowlers, Melvin Euverman’s

1973 victory being the last

time a local alley ace reached

the Youth Nationals in 1973,
Durand now goes to the Ca-

_nadian championships in St.

Johns, Newfoundland on May

11,° nét . ‘surprisingly the.

furthest he’s ever travelled to
bowl.

Is he nervous? ‘‘Yes,’”’ he
says emphatically, but with a
grin too.

Double gold at Open

There Marg Mumford, Deb-
bie Lebeau, Wayne Lebeau,
Ken Dahms, Dave Wiebe,
Leanne Mumford and Ron
Evans outscored all for the
title,

Near misses came in the
singles, John Rasmussen sil-
vering in the Men’s, Sherry
Lopushinsky and Diane Fran-
cis finishing two-three among
the Ladies and the Ladies team
also earning silver.

The Men’s team came away
with a bronze.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 12, 1995 - B11

swamped by penalties, Terrace
stayed in the game all the way,
but couldn’t quite do it, post-
ing their only loss, 12-11.

The 3-1 record was enough
to put Terrace in the finals,
however, where Quesnel were
waiting. This time regulation
time wasn’t enough, the teams
finishing in a 7-7 tie.

Into overtime wilh the title
on the line, but Terrace de-
cided there was no sense in
prolonging the tension. Just 24
seconds in, Lindsay Frezell set
off the celebrations by netling
the championship winner.

Another star for the Terrace

CLARENCE MICHIEL defender goes to work as New Hazelton tries to launch an-
other attack during Pool B round robin action at last weekend's Grade 7 girls bas-
ketball tournament. The game was to decide who faced Uplands In the final.

-by the. coaches,

~ SECTION Cc

"MALCOLM. BAXTER’ 638-7283

squad throughout was goalie
Jennifer Smyth whose play
kept the team in il on several
occasions.

The triumphant Junior jeam
of Heather Wilson, Kelly
Prinz, Amanda Hawkins,
Sarah Watts, Shawn Smyth,
Jesse McCloskey, Nancy Ar-
buah, Amber Toombs, Jen-
nifer Smyth, Lindsay Frezell,
Eric Smyth, Michelle Fawdrey
and Kara De Jong were
coached by Dave Smyth while
Marie Smyth handled the
manager’s duties,

It’s the third provincial
ringette title for Terrace teams.

UPLANDS HAVE neited the =,
first of four Terrace
Elementary Schools Sports
Association basketball titles.
Uplands grade 6 girls proved . » |
too much for their rivals atthe |. ,
March 31 - April 1 annu L :
tournament. Tee ae
After opening round. robin bo
action with a comfortable 48-0) °°
12 over Thornhill; the team'* °°
went on a rampage against. %'
Copper Mountain, demolish-:
ing them 72-14, ve
Meanwhile, in the other”
round robin pool, Clarence «
Michiel were pulting together pet
their own unbeaten:<record, “>. 2
dropping Cassie Hall-45-20 in 2.0...
their opener, then getting a-34-".
24 verdict over Veritas, -
However, Clarence Michiel . .
found the poinis harder-to-”.~
come by in the final as .-
Uplands held them to just 16.
while scoring 33 of: their ow! 1,
for the title,
In the playoff for third place;
Veritas put Copper’ Mountain...
away 34-18, The game forthe
final spols saw the closest”
battle of the tournament, -
Thornhill squeczing out. Cassie, |
Hall 26-24,.0 0
Copper Mountain was vote
the. most sporismanlike ‘ten