Summery of the Brazeau Forest-Sunpine FMA issue
Old Growth Forest, Natural meadow within FMA. Photo credit: Mark Arneson
By Diane Szlabey, WCWC Boreal Research Station Staff
Forest Management Areas (FMAs) are public forest areas leased to logging companies to use as private lands, to clearcut. Often, as in the case with ALPac and Daishowa, FMAs are given with enormous loans, and low stumpage fees.
The massive Sunpine FMA covers an area the size of Prince Edward Island. It lies between Rocky Mountain House and Banff and Jasper National Parks. The FMA is about 30km from the park boundaries.
It's a unique junction of three ecological regions: the southern tip of Alberta's boreal forest, the montane region and the aspen parkland. The area contains rare plants, 123 species of birds, plus elk, wolf, moose, coyote and other animals supported and protected by old growth forest.
The Rocky Mountain/Clearwater FMA was handed over to Sunpine Forest Products Ltd. on Aug. 18, 1992 without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or a Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) hearing, although the Alberta government had promised to include these with all future FMAs as of 1991.
As then Environment Minister, Ralph Klein got out of his promise by saying it's "just a sawmill." 80 million board feet will be cut each year without any public input. The area may be completely clear cut in seven years.
The plant and animal species in the area have not been catalogued by the government or Sunpine. No benchmarks exist for successful reforestation. Species may be lost forever.
As a part of the FMA, Sunpine plans a $2.1 million expansion to its Sundre mill and a $32 million laminated veneer lumber (LVL) plant in Rocky Mountain House.
Sunpine says the Sundre operations will create 300 jobs. But as John McInnis, environment critic for the New Democrats points out, "most of this timber will be processed in Sundre, which is way outside the Rocky Mountain House area."
"So they're going to not only export their timber and the jobs with it, but they're going to lose on the tourism potential of that region," states McInnis.
The LVL plant is another point of contention. Sunpine wants to build on the site of an old gravel pit because of existing infrastructure. The Friends of the West Country don't want the plant in their community. Over 600 people signed a petition asking for a pleblicite. Again, the government and the bureaucrats did what they wanted anyway.
Sunpine has been stalling its application for a development permit leading many to believe they don't really want to build the plant. They just want access to the forests.
Sunpine finally applied for the development permit and it was granted Feb. 23, 1993; the FMA would have expired Mar. 1, 1993 if they hadn't got the permit. However, judging from his predecessor's actions the new Environment Minister, Brian Evans, would likely have extended the deadline.
This area has seen tourism increase by 17% last year. There are 30 guides and outfitters who make their living in the area. These businesses are in a position to grow, due to the increased interest in wilderness tourism. Their work is sustainable.
The Western Canada Wilderness Committee is not against logging. We are against clearcut logging. We advocate alternatives to single use forestry: manage the forest, not just the timber.
We want sustainable use of the forest. We want to see tourists use the area. We advocate selective logging, zipper and feather cutting. We advocate producing finished forest products right here in Alberta.
We want to see alternative ways of producing paper, such as using flax and wheat as fiber sources.
We've got to stop being "drawers of water and hewers of wood". Our resources will run out if the present rate and type of timber management continues.
NEWS UPDATE: The provincial government gave Sunpine an ultimatum. They have been issued a letter of default. If they do not meet the term of their FMA by September 1, 1993, they will be shut down!
