B.C. Ministry of Forests officials are investigating the alleged unauthorized cutting of trees in the upper Paradise Valley and while an official declined to say who is thought to be responsible, the production company for the just-completed Twilight movie shoot appears most likely.
In a letter, though, the company -Burnaby-based TSBD Productions -insisted the removal of trees for the filming were carried out with permission from the District of Squamish and B.C. Hydro.
Don McDonald, a compliance and enforcement technician with the Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural Resources, on Tuesday (May 17) said officials are investigating the cutting down of approximately 15 trees from "several locations" along the Paradise Valley Road from just south of the Jack Webster Bridge to the north end of the road.
McDonald couldn't say how tall the trees were because they had been removed, but from looking at the stumps, all were about six inches in diameter at the base, he said. All were coniferous (evergreen) trees, he said.
He said he couldn't say who authorities believe is responsible because of the ongoing investigation. McDonald did say, however, that the cutting occurred "within the last month, month and a half."
Abraham Fraser, TSBD location manager, told The Chief on Thursday (May 19) that the Twilight filming wrapped up in late April.
Paradise Valley resident David Thanh on Monday (May 16) said he lodged a complaint a couple of weeks ago with the District of Squamish about the removal of trees and underbrush associated with the Twilight movie shoot.
In an email sent to The Chief after DOS officials looked into the matter, Mayor Greg Gardner wrote, "The Twilight production removed trees on B.C. Hydro property -with B.C. Hydro permission. The District received a complaint and the film company ceased work upon notification that [the] District had received complaints, and resumed once advised by District staff that they may proceed."
After hearing the results of the DOS inquiries, Thanh said, "In the end, yeah, I guess it was legal what they did. My biggest concern still remains that it's the precedent, that while they removed trees [in the B.C. Hydro right of way], they also removed lots of the underbrush and all that's left is just dirt.
"My biggest concern is that if another production company came in, they could strip the B.C. Hydro right of way of all undergrowth and that would be OK."
McDonald said that while it's illegal to remove trees - in the B.C. Hydro power line right of way or not -without prior authorization, it's perfectly legal to remove salal, Oregon grape and other forest underbrush.
McDonald pointed out that while the area south of the Jack Webster Bridge is within the District of Squamish, the area north of the bridge is not. Some trees were removed from areas north of the bridge, he said.
He said at least some were taken from within the power line right of way. One thing Ministry officials hope to determine is whether some were not.
"They're not under the line but I believe they were within the right of way, for the most part," McDonald said.
As for trees taken from within the B.C. Hydro right of way, McDonald said. "It would depend on who did it. If it was Hydro themselves doing it, that's part of their authority, but falling and removing what's essentially Crown timber, without permission, that is an offence."
TSBD's Fraser said the letter to Paradise Valley residents would stand as the company's statement on the matter, but declined to comment further. In the letter, Fraser wrote that all tree removals were carried out with District of Squamish and B.C. Hydro permission.
The two agencies "had permitted the TSBD production to relocate some local material and small trees to be restored from the B.C. Hydro right-of-way over to private property we were filming," Fraser wrote. "This is to enhance the vegetation and allow continued growth of the trees.
"B.C. Hydro's policy is to remove trees below the power lines exceeding eight feet in height for safety, which is what our production was performing in conjunction with B.C. Hydro."
Thanh said one of his neighbours lodged a complaint in March about the production company having removed trees and brush from a parcel of private land up the valley. He admitted, though, that efforts were made to restore the area after the filming.
"What they did was they had broken a trail into one of the private properties for the filming. They put a driveway in there, but then they replanted some of the trees and salal and underbrush and replanted it in the driveway to make the property owner whole," he said.
Thanh, though, added that even if the film company's actions are deemed to be completely legal, he's not entirely satisfied with the outcome. He said some of his neighbours share his views but don't want to share them with the media.
"It's kind of just the attitude that they can come into what they perceive as the middle of nowhere and if they're accused of doing something, they say, 'We're really sorry about this,' and it just kind of drifts away," he said.
