0% wilderness protected on Sunshine Coast!
Huge clearcuts surround what is left of the Caren's ancient forests. This aerial view is of the upper most part of Lions Creek watershed. Photo credit: Paul Jones
Down stream erosion was severe when heavy rains combined with snow melt from clearcuts to send Lions Creek on a rampage in November of 1991. Photo credit: John Field
Abused Caren Uplands causes downstream disasters
For the second time this year, Lions Creek, (N. arm of Myers Creek), which feeds Pender Harbour Wildlife Society's Salmon Enhancement Hatchery has flooded and caused heavy mortality of eggs and fish. Lions Creek is one of the many small creeks with headwaters in the Caren Uplands now suffering from clear-cutting.
"It had already happened in February of 1991, which killed 150,000 eggs and fry..."
One of the most dangerous things that can happen in a clearcut area is a "rain on snow event". This is exactly what took place on November 19th, of 1991 and it spelled disaster for 12,400 soon to be released fingerling coho salmon. It had already happened in February of 1991 killing 150,000 eggs and fry. Silt and sand plugged the hatchery's life-giving water intake and deprived thousands of fish of vital oxygen.
The Ministry of Forests has allowed 38% of Lions Creek to be clearcut (mostly in 1988-90). If planned logging is allowed to proceed, 65% of the Lions Creek watershed will be cleared by this time next year.
Undisturbed ancient forest regulates, filters and provides the highest quality water available in creeks. The Caren Uplands Park Proposal would preserve the remaining forest so vital to this watershed.
What the Pender Harbour Wildlife Society along with all Sunshine Coast residents require is responsible stewardship of the forest.
1,313-year-old yellow cedar left as waste wood in Caren Range Uplands. Photo credit: Randy Stoltmann
BOLD STATEMENTS
"As a forester I am in a position where I feel that forest land has to be
protected for all of the people of the province, not just for a few busloads of
people who want to come up a logging road,"
-Chris Ortner, International Forest Products.
Reply
"We are talking about saving shreds of some of the world's most oldest genetic
material for future generations to see and enjoy. The people of Europe and
Asia, as well as most of North America, have nothing comparable."
-Paul Jones, Friends of Caren
"I will categorically state the (B.C. Ministry of) Parks are not interested in
that area as a park,"
-Barry Mountain, Ministry of Forests, District Manager, Powell River Forest
District.
Reply
"Mr. Mountain has himself made a retraction of this statement. He is not a
spokesperson for B.C. Parks. It is time that he stopped negatively influencing
the process of enacting sound forest stewardship on the Sunshine Coast which is
trying to determine areas where water quality, wildlife habitat, recreation and
heritage values far outweigh timber values. The Tetrahedron and Caren Uplands
areas are perfect examples where preservation must prevail."
-Ken Lay, Wilson Creek, B.C.
When you log a wild forest...
After a forest is logged and its soil disturbed, it is usually replanted, thinned, sometimes fertilized, sprayed with herbacides and eventually logged again. After the whole process is repeated one or two times, the forest ecosystem loses its potential to ever support the vast generic diversity of life it once housed. The natural forest, in a sense, degenerates into a managed forest. Unless adequate sized remnants of our natural ecosystems are protected, these wild areas will become extinct.
