Regarding : EAGLE RIVER and STILLWATER BLUFFS.
When Brascan in Toronto purchased Weyerhaeuser it was announced that ISLAND TIMBERLANDS would be created as a REAL ESTATE COMPANY to own and operate the former private lands. The Tree Farm Lands would go to Cascadia and that company has now been taken over by Western Forest Products. This was historic in area "c" as the private lands had always been managed as if they were in the TFL. Here we now have a large mature forest area in the hands of a private company, which can act on their property in the same manner as you and I can in ours.. The lands are not under the direction of the Provincial Government, and certainly not in the local Government.
Once Island Timberlands decided to log next to pools of Eagle River, I was asked to become involved by the Friends Of Eagle River Society. The concern was how close to the riverbanks would the logging occur, and how much more logging would take place along the river. For awhile afterwards I understood that IT and the Society had an agreement to communicate with eachother on logging operations, but this broke down recently and I was asked to step in and try to help. Meantime, in the last year or so, IT had applied for a subdevision of the Olympic Log Sort and some properties to the east. The Regional Board had no problems with it as the blocks were large and the purpose was to assist with ownership issues. But we did expect beach access and the proposal did not provide a good solution. It wasn't satisfactory to the Approving Officer either. The board didn't rccommend a revised application either. It is important to note that Lot 3040, which includes the STILLWATER BLUFFS , was not a part of the subdivision.
My help has consisted of meeting with key people of the Area and then arranging to meet with Mr. Darshan Sihota, Pres. of Island Timberlands. My meeting with him lasted over an hour and we mainly diccussed some long term answers to a number of issues his Company is facing as a CORPORATE CITIZEN in area "C". We have agreed to meet again and at some point I can only hope ther will be some proposals to work with. Hopefully, we can air the matters at a public gathering. In the meantime it isn't my position to make announcements on behalf of Island Timberlands.
Just for the record- I'm not opposed to logging. I am concerned when logging could take place in recognized enviromentally sensitive areas or other areas of outstanding community concern.
If you are equally interested in these issues you should contact local leaders in the areas of concern. I don't recommend you wait for me to come up with all the answers. I'm trying to provide support and pave the way with the regional board for some long term solutions. Island Timberlands has to work with it's neighbors and the neighbors need to have positive suggestions.
Colin s. Palmer
Director, Area C
