Big logger hearts beat
beneath oil and chaps

Ask one and you'll often find sensitive men of the woods, who will protect
birds and marve! at-nature’s splendour,

By ALLAN KENNEDY

] WANT to tell you something
nice about loggers. | spent
most of my time in the woods
as a faller so I will say a few
words for some of them.

[ hada danger tree falling
and burning contract one time

quite a few years back at Ex-.

stew.

It was a hundred foot width be-
tween highway 16 and the CNR
track. In those days the telegraph
wires: were on poles next to the
track and the trees were large cot-
tonwood.

My older brother Murray asked
me one day if | minded him tak-
ing the time ta move the bird
nests: he kept finding on the
ground. He would pick up the
naked little robins, pul them back
in their remade nest and move
them closer to the track so the big
trees coming down would be less
likely to hit them again.

This from a man who had kept
his compassion and his heart in-
tact :after being on the Prince
David. The first landing craft car-
rier on D-Day. He witnessed and
took part in all the death and
camage that took place there.

All this was before the words
conservation, tree huggers, Ra-
chel Carson’s book (Silent
Spring) and Paul Watson and
Greenpeace were ever heard of.

These are the people who
would’ classify Murray and I as
ted-necked, mouth-breathing louts

_ that cared only to smash as many

lrees down as we could to make
as much money as possible.

This is an example of one man
only but there were others like
him then and there still are.

By the way, the adult birds
stayed and kept feeding the little

hi sont ot

‘ive the

pin-feathered chicks. Three days
later the CNR brush control spray
machine came by and poached
them all. =

Another time and another day I
listened to a continuous peeping
just about all day before [ located
the exacl place it was coming
from. It was a hole in a balsam
dry snag with the hole down so
they couldn't get out.

I cut a piece of the snag three
feet long with the nest in the mid-
dle, stood it upright on a stump,
put a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on a
white conk with the red marking
chalk.

The skidding crew stayed clear’

of it, the parent wood peckers
came back, looked after them,
and as far as I know they lived
happily ever after.

In the middle fifties I worked
for a company called Star Creek
Logging, my boss (bullbucker)
was a young fellow just a little
older than me. I was 24, His name

while doing a dangerous day’s work

for me.

] had to hold my
hat on with one
hand and step back
to see the first limbs
Starting at about 90
feet up, and the tree
grew out of the
ground as round as
fence posts.

Close to the cen-
ter of this stand was
a little log cabin
very well made but
very old. It had
about six inches of
moss on the shin-
gles, It had three
glass windows and
an overhang on the front with
about a cord and a half of fire-
wood stacked there.

About 30 feet from the door
there was a natural ice cold spring
just slowly rising out of the
ground. Some one, years ago must
have thrown out a raspberry jam

He would pick up the naked little robins, put
them back in their remade nest and move them
closer to the track so the big trees coming down
would be less likely to hit them again. ;

was Harold Lynum.

He helped me pack my gear
into a new setting at White Bot-
tom at about 7 a.m. just as the sun
was high enough to cast long
beams of light between the trees
illuminating the pollen drifting in
the still air.

The trees were five to seven
feet in diameter spaced about 10
to 12 feet apart, Since then I have
seen Yorkminster Cathedral, Saint
Pauls and Westminster Abbey and
none of those places could ever
inspire as much awe as that place

can as they were growing thick
and wild all over the place.

As we were both stood looking
around, I said to him jokingly, “I
can’t fall these trees, Harold.”

“What's the matter, Al?” he
asked. “Not good enough for
you?”

“IT wish I was an arlist instead
of a faller,” I told him. “A week
fram now when this wood is down
and the skidding crew moves in,
this beautiful place will look like
a W.W.1 battlefield, totally de-
vastated.”

Allan Kennedy

=] Harold said, “I agree
“) with you but it has to
came down under

| progress.”
| I wonder.
When Harold left |
checked inside the
cabin for anything
that might identify
the person who had
| built it many years
] ago. Finding none, |
used that opening as
my starting point-and
fell the first tree
down the length of it
and it disappeared in
a cloud of flying
moss and rotten chunks of logs.

While bucking a large hemlock
log the exhaust from the saw went
directly into a clump of moss next
ta my cut and a flying squirrel
jumped out, ran about three feet
and stopped. It startled me so that
1 flipped the switch off and
jumped back.

When | looked closer I could
see it had a baby in its mouth and
was looking at me with its big
blue gray nocturnal eyes as if to
say why!

I left the saw in the cut and got
my partner and we went home to
give it a 12-hour break to find a
new home. I don't know if it ever
did. I hape so,

I think loggers are doing a job
that is necessary as we all use
wood and wood products every
day. Ostracizing us for producing
it is akin to hating the meat-pack-
ing workers while you're stuffing
your face with a hamburger.

Good luck to all you guys out
there doing a hazardous and
thankless job.

Allan Kennedy is a retired Ter-
race logger.

people their trees .

Community forésts ate a proven solution for B.C.’s new era in forestry

By DAVID HALEY
IN B.C., public forests that com-
prise 96 per cent of the province’s
total forest area are mainly ad-
ministered under long-term licen-
sing arrangements providing pri-
vate individuals and corporations

with exclusive rights to harvest

timber.

A Majority of licences, ac-
counting for more than 80 per cent
of the allowable annual cut, are
held by larger forest companies.

~Concern over concentrated
control over Crown forests has do-

“minated the forest policy debate

in B.C. since the inception of the
current system in 1947.

What is needed, many analysts
agree, is a tenure system that pro-
vides rights not only to logging

‘and timber manufacturing compa-

nies but also to groups and indi-
viduals who are in the business of
managing forests sustainably to
produce timber and other forest
products for sale in open competi-
tive markets while respecting in-
trinsic ecologica! values.

~ Holders of such tenures would
include individuals, cooperatives,
small corporations, First Nations
and conununities.

“Direct public involvement in
forest’ management at the com-

‘munity. level is becoming a cor-

nerstone of sustainable develop-
ment polices worldwide.
Community foresis make emin-
ently good sense in B.C. A large
proportion of this province's rural

‘population lives in intimale con-

tact with forested environments,
yet public forest policies have lar-
gely denied these people a signif-

“icant role in the stewardship of
_the resource that provides their li-
~velihoods, their living space, their

water, a portion of their food sup-

plies. ‘and sources of recreation
-and inspiration.

In establishing community for-

ests, actual rights to manage for-

estland adjacent to communities
are transferred from the provincial

government to bodies — municipal

governments, First Nations, com-
munity. based corporations or soc-

‘ieties — representing community
“interests.

Communities are thus empow-
ered io’ develop goals and manage
forests in ways that contribute to
their:collective health, prosperity

and survival over the long term,

- British Columbia is not entirely

without experietice in community
: forestry. For several decades the

DISTRICT silviculturalist Bab Wilson surveys a cut block south of Terrace run under the small busi-
ness program. While that type of licence exists, there are no community forests here — yet.

municipality of North Cowichan
has successfully managed a 5000
hectare forest owned by the muni-
cipality,

The City of Mission’s munici-
pa! tree farm dates back to
1958. And, the Revelstoke Com-
munity Forest Corporation man-
ages a tree farm license pur-
chased by the city in 1993,

These locally owned and man-
aged forests are success
stories. They are generally suppor-
ted by residents of the communi-
ties concerned and provide sour-
ces of revenue, jobs and a variety

verse including the production of
timber and other botanical pro-
ducis, watershed protection, edu-
cation and recreation, All support
innovative small-scale, eco-sensi-
tive harvesting.

To what extent the current Lib-
eral government will support and
facilitate the success and further
expansion of the communily for-
eslry program remains to be seen.

In my opinion they would be
very shortsighted not to do so.

Community forests offer many
social and economic benefits yet
the downside risks for government

A large proportion of this province's rural popu-
lation lives in intimate contact with forested envir-
onments, yet public forest policies have denied
these people a significant role in stewardship.

of recreational and educational
opportunities.

In 1998, a new type of forest
tenure — the Community Forest
Agreement — was launched in
B.C. A call for’ proposals was
greeted by an overwhelming
response.

Over 60 letters of interest were

“received and 27 detailed propo-

sals were submitted. To date, 10

‘community forest pilot agree-

ments have been: granted. These
are geographically dispersed and
vary in: size — from less than 500
hectares 10 25,000. hectares.. Their
management objectives are. di-

are minimal,

Community forests provide a
vehicle for economic develop-
ment based upon local initiatives,
innovation and entrepreneurship ~
the very values the Liberal gov-
erninent represents.

They can help provide employ-
ment in B.C.’s embattled rural
communities, increase public
awareness and support for forest
management activities, and help
resolve politically charged con-
flicts over timber ‘harvesting in
communily watersheds and other
sensitive areas.

Managemént practices. within

community forests are generally
more innovative, diverse and la-
bour-intensive than on other forms
of tenure and provisions are made
for a broader spectrum of forest
values, Furthermore, community
forests could augment the volume
of standing timber and logs avail-
able in competitive local markets
and thus support an important
government policy imperative,

Operational community forest
pilot agreements have an average
ailowable annual cut of 13,000
cubic metres. Fifty forests of
twice this average size would
have a total allowable annual cut
of only 1.3 million cubic metres -
less than two per cent of the pro-
vincial allowable harvest from
Crown lands — yet social and eco-
nomic benefits of such an exten-
sive network of community man-
aged forests would be enormous.

It is inevitable economic real-
ities, unforeseen managerial pro-
blems sud internal tensions wilhin
communities will lead to the fail-
ure and cancellation of some
agreements within an expanded
community forest program.

However, little will be lost
from such failures and will be
more than offset by benefits flow-
ing from the many community for-
ests that, I believe, will go.on to
become permanent and important
features of B.C.'s forest landscape.

David Haley is a forest econo-

inies professor at the University of -

British Columbia as well as a re-
gistered professional forester.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 5, 2002 - AS

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

the name of.

The Mail Bag

Water woes untrue
Dear Sir:

Re: “It's About the Water,” letter to the editor,
May 22, 2002 from Lloyd Brinson,

I need to respond to the inaccuracies. The Nisga’a
name for Irene Meadows is Logam Sdatx. It is located
within my family’s traditional hunting grounds ~
Hleeks house. ,

My family has been aware of the water supply at
Logam Sdatx since time immemorial. The water
would disappear underground or it would dry up
altogether in the summer time. Lloyd Brinson is not
aware of or would prefer nol to mention the historical
nature of Logam Sdatx’s water supply. The uncertain
future of Logam Sdatx, (Irene Meadows) will always
remain. They will always be al the mercy of mother
nature, not of Nisga’a Lisims Government. or any
future logging operations,

SCI had previously planned to log in the area of
Irene Meadows Watershed. The Forest Transition
Committee was formed on the effective date of the
Nisga'a Final Agreement, and. has to date rejected
SCI’s proposal to log the area,

The very essence of the Nisga’a Fina! Agreement
is Nisga’a rights — the ownership of Nisga‘a lands and
resources. The geographic extent of these rights and
the limitations to those rights have been agreed to by
the parties.

If the present population of Irene Meadows
increases, the present water supply will mat meet their
needs. Mr. Brinson should read the general provisions
section of the Nisga’a Final Agreement dealing with
amendments, paragraph 36.

The statement made by Mr. Brinson, “That Nisga’a
Lisims Government halted SCI’s plans to start logging
immediately” is completely untrue.

Dr. Joseph Gosnell, President,
Nisga’a Lisims Government,
New Aiyansh, B.C.

Where was Roger?

Dear Sir:

This letter is in response to the statements Skeena
MLA Roger Harris made in The Terrace Standard on
Wednesday, May 29, 2002.

Harris said he’s surprised that IWA members — wha
pushed Victoria ta negotiate with NWBC and at one
point demonstrated outside Harris’s office over the
issue — are now at odds with Veniez. “This is the puy
they supported,” he said. “I thought they would have
known each other better.”

Who have you been speaking to? The true fact of
the day in questign that Roger Harris is speaking
about is that the membership was there to express

‘their concerns over the exclusivity issue.

Also, the membership were concerned that
everyone was being kept in the dark and that all the
options were not made available during this important
decision making time,

Keen. in.mind that our own city council, here in
Térrace expressed the same concerns,

I myself was there on the day in question and
voiced the same concerns during an interview with
CFTK which was never aired. Why?

IT would like to make it very clear that Roger
Harris’s statements do not accurately reflect our
members’ position on this matter,

Who do you think you are fooling? Especially
since everyone knows who had contro] over these
decisions. Why weren't all the options made
available to all the communities involved?

if you had been at your office to talk with us in the
first place, you would have had your facts straight.

John DeMedeiros,
Terrace, B.C.

Campground i is open

Dear Sir:

Re: “Fears rise as cutbacks hit Super Natural BC,”
The Terrace Standard, May 29, 2002.

I would like to update the story noted above. The
article states access is being cut off to the Kinusea
Falls within Monkman Provincial Park in north
eastern British Columbia.

Recent negotiations with a non-profit group from
Tumbler Ridge has resulted in the campground to the
park remaining open for this year.

As well, the main road into the park has been open
for some time. A bridge.that was washed out last July
during heavy rains was replaced last fall.

Iam also happy to report that all of the provincial
campgrounds in the Peace and Liard are open this
summer and B.C. Parks encourages campers use these
facilities.

This includes Monkman Provincial Park and the
spectacular Kinuseo Falls which are taller than
Niagara Falls and we welcome all visitors view its
might.

Andy Ackerman, Regional Manger,
Environmental Stewardship,

Water, Lands and Air Protection, Peace,
Fort St. John, B.C,

What about the rest

of the public sector?
Dear Sir:

Last week after coming to an agreement with B.C.
physicians, health services minister Colin Hansen
said that this was a step in improving the
government’s relationship with the doctors.

Apparently the povernment’s relationship with
nurses, other health care and social service workers,
civil servants, or teachers, is not worth improving. Or
maybe Mr. Hansen and other politicians just forgot to
mention it in those other disputes.

Carol Harrison,
Terrace, B.C.

About the Mail Bag

The Terrace Siandard welcomes letters. Our
address is 3210 Clinton St, Terrace, B.C. V8G
5R2. You can fax us at 250-638-8492 or e-mail
us at standard@kermode.nei, No attachments,
please. We need your name, address and
phone number for verification. Our deadline is
noon Friday or noon Thursday if it’s a long
weekend,