Potential logging is raising concerns for some Squamish residents and advocacy groups.
Chris Small, a climber and representative of the Squamish Access Society (SAS), is troubled about the impacts to climbing in the area. British Columbia Timber Sales (BCTS), which manages 20 per cent of the allowable annual provincial cut, is considering the sale of a timber licence for late this year in Oleson Creek Drainage, east of the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park.
Grieg Bethel, who is the public affairs officer of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource (of which BCTS is a branch) said that no final decision has been made for logging plan SW 144 and that logging could take place in 2015 at the earliest.
“Timber Sale Licence for this area remains in the formative stages as BCTS staff consider and incorporate changes suggested by stakeholders,” he said.
No consultations for the general public have been scheduled, but BCTS is holding ongoing meetings with stakeholder groups, noted Bethel.
“BCTS has reviewed the cut block plans with the owners of the Sea to Sky Gondola, and the owners have agreed that the visual impact from the gondola is acceptable,” he said.
Other stakeholders include, local First Nations, District of Squamish, Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, forestry companies, Squamish Offroad Cycling Association, Squamish Dirt Bike Association and SAS.
Small moved to Squamish in 2006 and has been climbing for 26 years. He has represented SAS during the consultations with BCTS since May when the climber’s advocacy group became aware of the issue. He explained that there are climbing interests near the proposed cut block and that recently, hikers are opting to head there over the increasingly busy trails to the Chief’s summit.
He communicated concerns for impacts on Squamish generally.
“I used to work as a forester, I’m not against logging per se, but this logging seems a little bit of a juxtaposition in terms of developing a tourism-based economy. The iconic piece of our tourism economy is that big chunk of rock sitting there,” said Small, gesturing towards
the Chief.
When the area was initially being considered for logging, Small was troubled that BCTS didn’t reach out to SAS for consultation. The climbers found out about it by discovering flagging tape in the Oleson Creek area. Some members of the SAS went into the forest service office to bring attention to the matter, said Small.
“We’re still trying to get our political pressure to bump up so it’s not logged, but right now we’re in a phase where we’re trying to get a plan B going in case our other efforts don’t work,” he said.
BCTS is working to accommodate competing interests in the area. They have removed a part of the area under consideration directly below Tony’s Bench, which sits behind Slahany, and are working to incorporate buffers around existing trails.
“[BCTS] has made some concessions. They basically cut out a third of the block. That’s where a lot of the trails were,” said Small, noting discussion between BCTS and SAS have been civil.
There have been two meetings between BCTS and SAS held on June 23 and July 22. There is another to take place mid-August, with no date confirmed.
During consultations, Small also noted the discussion of longer-term plans.
“In the future we’re going to be looking at a multi-use environment here for all sorts of recreationalists and forestry,” he said. “We have plans to make a spatial database for [BCTS] to show where all the climbing and bouldering is.”
