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News -
LFGA News
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CLEAR CUT LOGGING IS A GRAVE CONCERN FOR US
This activity affects our water and our recreational use in the Castle.
Find out more from both sides of the argument here...
Here is a site organized to provide information in opposition of clear cut logging in the Castle.
- The Crowsnest (C5) Forest Management Plan (C5 FMP, SRD's detailed, 20-year logging plan under which companies do their five-year and annual logging plans) remains without approval by the SRD Minister. (SRD Minister deferred approval in March 2007, due to public concern, until state of watershed report and watershed planning done.)
- SRD & SLS are proceeding with logging anyhow, as if that plan was approved by the Minister, and prior to (a) completion of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and (b) completion of the Integrated Watershed Management Plan being done by the Oldman Watershed Council.
- That C5 FMP has logging occurring in the Castle Special Place / Special Management Area, primarily within the first 10 years of the two 10 year blocks of time covered by the plan.
- Detailed maps of the scheduled logging areas in the Crowsnest Forest are only available to public by visiting SLS offices (main office, Cochrane or district office, Blairmore).
- Attached to this link is a map showing the Beaver Mines Lake / Castle Falls logging licence (CTLC050015) boundary in which the clear-cut logging would be done as cut-blocks (boundary drawn from off display map at open house).
- The license was issued by SRD in 2005 and then expanded in 2006; both during the development of the Crowsnest (C5) Forest Management Plan and public consultation on that plan. (See outstanding concerns of SRD's Crowsnest Forest Public Advisory Committee - CROW PAC- letter to Minister, Apr. 2006 & shorter versions to local papers, May 2006.)
- Spray Lake Sawmills asked for a further expansion of that licence February 11, 2010, and that too was approved by SRD.
- License boundary on attached map includes those expansions.
- Now planned that a total of 3,750 truckloads of logs would come out of logging Beaver Mines Lake / Castle Falls area. Plus, during the next 10 years, additional logging, including in Mill, Whitney and Galdstone valleys within the Castle Special Place.
- About two weeks ago, SRD approved SLS's amended, five-year, General Development Plan (for 2010-2014). It is now available on the SLS website and replaces the prior plan (for years 2008-2013 and dated 2009). (I have the prior plan, if you need it for comparison.) http://www.spraylakesawmills.com/Woodlands/ForestManagementPlanning/GeneralDevelopmentPlans/tabid/274/Default.aspx
- Its Five Year Harvest Sequence Map now shows logging in the Castle Special Place and replaces the prior 2008-2013 map with no logging in the Castle.
- Its General Development Plan - Summary Table (2010-2114 Production Table) shows the change in truckloads of logs for the first two winters of logging - 2011-12 and 2013-14. (Prior plan had 5,075 truckloads with logging commencing this winter, 2010-11.)
- The General Development Plan text now includes reference to logging in the Beaver Mines Lake / Castle Falls Area.
- SLS has requested licenses (in addtion to existing ones) for an additional 10,757 truckloads of logs in the Crowsnest Forest commencing 2012-13. Requested areas include North Porcupine Hills, East side of Livingstone valley (including White Ck valley), North Bermis and Maycroft Road (south of road and east of Forest Reserve Boundary on grazing lease land).
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