ee

—_

_

“Finding a few
corners to cut

PART III

Last week we left Herby Squish
explaining to RJ Jovial the ways
in which he could cut corners in
his forest operations to put off

_ the inevitable crunch after eight

years of high grading his forest
licences. Herby was also ex-

- plaining the reasons why RJ

shouldn't do it, but RJ has his
own ideas about that.

“Another option would be a
highlead operation. A tower can
reach about 200 meters upgrade
and 300 downgrade so you have
a cut block scenario pretty much
the same as the ground skidding
operation I just described.

"A couple of pros and cons
here. On the bright side a high-
lead operation . could work
steeper terrain and work during
the months the ground skidder

was shut down. But on the other
hand, you have to remember that
while your road costs would still
be only $5.72 per cubic meter,
highiead logging is one of the
most expensive methods of har-
vesting, so your overall cost

-would be much higher. Right

now, ground skidding is costing
you about $16.70 per cubic
meter, and highlead logging is
costing you about $24.”

Again, RJ made a few quick
notes.

"A final option, that is really
no option at all, would be a
skyline. You could cut about 500
meters downgrade and 220
meters upgrade... A block of
timber perhaps 700 meters long
and 720 meters deep.

"This would mean only 1.4
kilometres of road for each 50-

hectare cut block at a cost of

‘only $4 per cubic meter of

wood, It might sound great, but
the cost of setting up a skyline
for a cut block as small as 50
hectares would kill you. You’d
lose your shirt...”

"Okay," Jovial interrupted.
*l’ve heard enough, and I don’t
see any problem. It’s all very
simple. You get the most wood

you can per kilometre of road,

cut road inventory and construc-

tion costs, utilize the most econ-

omical harvesting methods... and
everyone will be happy."

"You, perhaps," Squish cut in
with a sarcastic tone. "But that
is far from everyone." RJ
scowled at Squish. "Minimal

Terrace Review —— Wednesday, November 6, 1991 7

Forestry :
Insignts |

by Tod Strachan, in consultation with Rod Amold and Doug Davies

road inventory... No access for
stand tending. Minimal construc-
tion costs... Few culverts, little
gravel. Abandon roads like that
and you're setting the scene for
major erosion problems. Some-
thing which could easily turn
into a very expensive environ-
mental disaster."

RJ took on a sarcastic tone of
his own. “Squish, you’re a
wimp. Road building in the
winter is relatively cheap. The
ground is frozen so basically
you only have to scrape a trail
with a cat. It will serve during
harvest, and in the spring it will
wash out and simply disappear."

"Right," cut in Squish. "In a
sea of mud."

Letters to the Editor

‘Only good spirits’ at-metaphysics centre.

To the Editor;
I would like to thank the many

students, friends and strangers for .

the supportive calls I have
received since the editorial Oct. 30
(Terrace Review, Oct. 30, 1991,
page 6).

I also thank the reporter for her
honesty and openness.

I would like to clarify a few
points, however, so they are clear-

ly understood. In regard to the
2000/New Age seminar, I was
repeatedly told they did not have
to talk to me, not that it was “none
of my business”, which may
amount to the same thing. Tarot
cards and astrology are used by
some metaphysic practitioners
although they are esoteric and an
extension of the metaphysical
field. Occult, black magic and

satanism are not the same things. I
did not mean to imply all bored
kids get into black magic and
satanism, but if they are reaching
for “power and off-colour excite-
ment” they are easy prey for those
individuals looking for followers;
often these are adults. In response
to the one clergyman, yes, medita-
tion can be scary if “played around
with”. We are trained to use medi-

tation methods properly for the

proper reasons and are monitored

by the teacher, at no time do we

ever use Ouija boards, seances or

witchcraft.

We only deal with “good” spirits
at Nirvana. Thank you.

Laurel Gregg, proprietor,

Nirvana Metaphysics

and Healing Centre,

Terrace.

Added water vapour won't add to flying

To the Editor;

I live adjacent to the Scott paper
mill in New Westminster, which
produces tissue primarily by
mechanical grinding of the pulp-
wood. It does not discharge efflu-

ent into the Fraser River, but large -

volumes of water vapour (so-
called steam) are emitted into the
atmosphere. It may be concluded
that Orenda Forest Products will
also have similar or greater vol-
umes of atmospheric discharges
per tonne of pulp produced which

P ifer —= Continued from page 6

not put them in another position
whereby they thought that was the
law of the land?
MH: No. No, they have — the
vast majority of them, I under-
stand — have the resources to
mect the requirements for this year
and neat year. And I have only
heard, indirectly, of onc or two
that they have problems in mcct-
ing next year’s obligations. I think
when you sign agrecmenis, you
responsibly have to provide the

must be considered very carefully
in weighing up the pluses and

- minuses of the proposed location.

I had come to visit Terrace on a
recent stormy day and concluded
while flying through cloud at
1,500 feet and 300 mph, that to
allow another pulp mill on the
flight path must surely be an act of
desperation on the proponent’s
part. After all, if an alternative
existed, why do they make the air-
lines go through those ‘kamikaze’
dives when approaching over the

resources that are required to carry
them out.

I] am not going to get into any
details of how we are going to
deal with next year’s negotiations,
except to say that we want to
restore free collective bargaining.
You sign contracts; now mect

- your obligations.

*There is a lot more, but I’m out
of space for now. I'll try to get
more of it into next week's col- -
umn,

Skeena? Further, the idea of build-
ing another pulp mill in your back-
yard, where the log supply is mini-
mal, appears to be part of a larger
game where Orenda may benevo-
lently back off and agree to a loca-
tion where they wanted to be in
the first place.

Terrace citizens must remain vig-

Encounter

ilant and not assume that others
know better. Could it be possible

_that those Orenda-type pulp mills

studied in the southern states are

not subject to freezing fog, heavy

snowfalls and a flight path over a
pulp mill?

‘David Grigg,

New Westminster, B.C.

with candy

nearly fatal to boy

To the Editor;

I had a bad experience Oct. 29 of
choking on a gob-stopper (jaw-
breaker) and I want to caution all
the other kids who eat hard candy,
because it really hurts if you choke
on something.

I had to go to the hospital and I
really felt bad. I couldn’t breath
through my mouth at all and if |
spit it hurt my throat. Luckily, Dr.
Vanlierde put his hand down my
throat and moved the gob-stopper
a little and I was able to throw up
and it came out.

At one time I didn’t know if 1
would make it because it was real-
ly stinging. So I just want to cau-
tion all the kids who eat hard
candy because there are at least
3,000 different kinds of candies a
person can choke on. You can lose
your life as fast as you can snap
your fingers if you choke on
something.

So.1 just want to caution about
the hard candies you eat.

Thomas Crawford,
Terrace,

"So schedule a shoriened skid-
der operation season and hold
the contractor’s cost per metre
down. We can use skidders from
mid-November to mid-March,
and again from mid-June to
mid-September... Plus or minus
a couple of weeks."

"That’s only seven months a
year," Squish protested. "The
contractor would be bankrupt in
the first year."

RJ ignored Squish. "The high
lead contractor," he continued.
"Would also work a shortened
season... From about May to
October."

"And that’s only six months
per year," Squish cut in. "No
contractor can work half-a-year
and still cover his costs. A
shortened year, steeper terrain
and higher costs when you won’t
pay more... It adds up to missed
bank payments, and that adds up
to bankruptcy. Even you should
be able to figure that one out."

‘‘Y'm a” Businessman," Jovial
said flatly. "And the logging
contractor is a businessman. I
make sure my operation is effi-
cient and profitable. He can do
the same. And that’s not theory,
Squish, it’s a simple matter of
survival in a very real world.

"Oh. And while I'm thinking
of efficient .and profitable,
Squish, you estimated road costs
for a skidder operation would be

about $5.72 per cubic meter. -

That’s too high. Figure out how
to do it for an even five dollars."

*That’s impossible," Squish
said harshly. "You can’t expect
these people to work for nothing.

And if you put him out of busi-.

ness, then what are you going to
do?"

"Simple," RJ returned in an
equally harsh voice. "We'll find
another operator with a little
business sense. One who knows
how to survive. One who knows
how to keep the banker at bay."

"That person doesn’t exist,
RJ,"

"You let me worry about that,
Squish," RJ said finally termin-
ating the discussion. "You've got
your orders. Now get out of here

_and start writing that plan. You

have a few public information
meetings to attend in a few
months and you had better have
your thinking and facts sorted
out so you can make a presenta-
tion they'll readily buy.”
Squish rose in silence and left.
"It's useless," he thought. "What
are my options? What do I do

now?" At the same time, though,
he knew there were only two

things he could do. Write the
plan as instructed, or quit and let
someone else write it for him.