Talks with Island Timberlands

Notes arising from meeting with Island Timberlands
Friday, February 29th, 2008
Attending: Darshan Sihota, Bill Waugh, Wes Bingham, Eagle Walz
Introduction: Appreciation for meeting

• Regrets from Glenn Parkinson that he couldn’t make it.

• Wes Bingham hand delivered Glenn’s letter – Island responded that we don’t always get a chance to respond to every letter that comes in to us

Many groups involved with and concerned about future of Lois River (not mentioned at meeting)

• Sechelt & Sliammon First Nations
• Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
• Western Canada Wilderness Committee
• Sierra Club, Malaspina Group
• Friends of Eagle River
• Council of Canadians
• PRPAWS

Positive Actions of Island Timberlands (based on negotiations of IT with PRPAWS)

• Retention and wind firming of trees in Lois River "sliver" will prevent or minimize blowdown, slide, siltation of salmon river, road collapse.

• Island indicated that the windfirming practices do not guarantee that the trees will not blow down but they have been successful in some areas

• 30m buffer on Manzanita bluffs section of SCT (Okeover Inlet)

• Agreement to leave buffer along Myrtle Creek and protect ephemeral creek running through cutblock there. Also we will look into what the buffers are left by other property holders along Myrtle Creek. More development is being readied by another subdivision. Myrtle Creek is the only creek on the whole coast north of Vancouver, which is being monitored by DFO. It is an important indicator of the state of the wild salmon.

• Island is not a large landowner in this area.

• Eagle and Wes indicated that the biggest issue is the proposed development in the area.

• 10 m buffer along SCT near Fiddlehead farm section.

• PRPAWS appreciates these considerations by Island Timberlands very much. They help maintain biodiversity and ensure the Sunshine Coast Trail continues to grow as an increasingly important economic driver in Powell River.

What We Are Asking of Island Timberlands Horseshoe River

• Reforest the canoe route portage, clean up. Comments: Darshan: Who pays for clean up? Eagle: FIA funding. BOMB Squad volunteers do work on the Canoe Route. Bill: Island Timberlands hired a crew. It is all cleared up now. Discussion of cause: While it was an act of nature that caused trees to fall from all directions, the lack of buffer between falling corners 10 and 11 gave the wind an opportunity to enter the river channel and add to the blowdown from that direction. A buffer like elsewhere along the river would likely have resulted in a buffer remaining, likely also impacted, but nevertheless remaining. We seek not to lay blame, but to avoid future mishaps through these discussions.

• Bill pointed out that the same storm decimated Stanley Park and other parts of the coast causing widespread damage and power outages

• Bill stated that Island provided a buffer on the Horseshoe River far in excess of the legal requirements and carried out “best practices” (pruning) on the buffer to lessen the potential for blowdown

• There was general disagreement on the direction of the most damaging winds and the influences of the manmade lake vs the adjacent cutblock

• Darshan stated that Island doesn’t object to the public using our lands in this area for the canoe route.

• All agreed that we need to get past the blame game and develop a respectful relationship

• It was agreed that Bill would arrange to visit the site with Eagle and Wes to understand the remediation issues

• the trail has been cleared since the blowdown event and is fully accessible.

• The adjacent cutblock was planted last year and some planting will occur along the canoe route this spring or fall

• Leave a 50m buffer along Horseshoe River, including the south side of the road when doing remaining cut, and ensure that cutblock edges are made wind firm.

• Bill will contact us and set up a walkabout of the area in the near future.

Lois(Eagle) River

• Retain intact forest ecosystem between the roads east and west of Lois River from dam to sea.

• Inherent value of intact wildlife greenway from sea to dam: ecological, social, recreational & tourism value

• Public relations value to IT.

• Valuable spawning river especially if new or upgraded dam with fish ladders built. This would be a showcase IPP project, illustrating ecologically sensitive private power production.

• Retention of this forested area would enhance value of nearby lands with development potential.

• Retention could be made possible through a buy back by provincial government to protect this ecologically sensitive area. Sierra Club and PRPAWS will investigate the feasibility of such a buy back program and suggest monies to come from a small surcharge on crown land volume (e.g. $0.05/m3) to go to a Parkland Acquisition Fund. (This might have to be a coastal initiative and at a lower rate, e.g. $0.01/m3.)

• Darshan noted that we would expect that this would be the whole corridor – not just that portion owned by Island Timberlands.

• Eagle indicated that they would keep us updated on their progress toward their buy back goal

• Malaspina Group of the Sierra Club BC will begin talks with the BC chapter of the Sierra Club, asking them to approach the government with this request of a “parkland acquisition fund”.

• Eagle requested that we retain buffer of approximately 50 m along shoreline from archaeological site at mouth of Lois (Eagle) River to log sort. Ensure wind firming of edges upon logging the rest of the Sort Block below the haul road and above the riparian buffer, and between the two patches already logged in that location. Replant.

• Eagle asked if the record could show that Island Timberlands has no plans to log the Lois (Eagle) River corridor

• Bill indicated that Island has no plans to harvest adjacent to Lois(Eagle) River at this time.

• Bill indicated it is planning to complete the block by the DLS. This includes the area below the road near the ocean – we will be maintaining the existing trail and buffering the shoreline as required.

• Eagle said that he did not see any issues with us completing this block as it is not adjacent to Eagle River, and would be prepared to support us (on behalf of PRPAWS) in public on this issue.

• Darshan indicated that it retains the right to harvest all of the trees on its lands over time subject to riparian management issues.

• Bill stated that the sort block will be replanted this spring

Stillwater Bluffs

• Eagle raised the prospect that we were planning to sell or develop the Stillwater Bluffs property as communicated by Stephen Henderson.

• Darshan indicated that none of Island Timberlands’ properties can be sold or developed without his knowledge and that the only property issue he was aware of in this area was the site separation process between our land and the WFP DLS. Darshan clarified for Wes that the Approving Officer has the discretion to waive the water access requirement on subdivision, but has chosen not to, which has caused us to investigate options to achieve access on the lot to be subdivided.

Sunshine Coast Trail

• PRPAWS requested a 30 m buffer along most sections of the trail wherever possible, and depending on variation of terrain.

• Bill questioned why the 30 meter buffer on our lands when Crown land tenure holders are only required to leave a 10 m buffer

• Eagle responded that PRPAWS will be asking WFP to commit to a 30m buffer as well

• Darshan reiterated our point about all of the trees eventually being harvested, which may require that any trail be relocated over time. This is the model that works very well on the Trans Canada Trail on southern Vancouver Island

PRPAWS is interested in ensuring that the SCT is retained through Islands Mowat Bay property.

• PRPAWS requests a 30 m easement from Powell River Bridge to Mowat Bay to keep trail intact when this area is developed or sold. This would ensure the future viability of the Sunshine Coast Trail there and through the other stretches where the SCT traverses IT land. We would very much like to keep the trail going along from the bridge toward the loadout on the historic railroad grade, which has been hewn out of the steep sidehill. From the vicinity of the loadout across the hump down into Mowat Bay the trail might be moved this way or that in the eventuality that the area becomes residential in the future.

• Darshan stated that Island prefers not do easements.

• Eagle indicated that Dave Formosa had dedicated the SCT across his property.

• Darshan asked if this was in connection with getting entitlement for his development.

• Darshan asked if they thought that our property had any potential future residential value, or was it long term forestry land? Eagle did not offer a preference

• Eagle indicated that they were open to options of the trail going along the lake or inland, as long as we can retain a route for it.

SCT – Fiddlehead Farm

• Bill would like to explore the possibility of relocating the SCT near the Fiddlehead Farm area onto Crown Land

• PRPAWS is open to work together with IT to relocate the SCT around the Fiddlehead property onto crown land.

• In correspondence after the meeting Eagle broached the topic of School District 47, PRPAWS, BOMB Squad, and Model Communities applying jointly for a $1.5 million grant through ICET to put cabins and chalets on the SCT to develop Powell River’s tourism infrastructure. They have widespread and documented support in the community for this initiative and would like the opportunity to speak with Island about this proposal, perhaps during our walk-about.

Bill: I know you know this, but we are not in the position to authorize construction of such buildings on our lands, but do not object to this on Crown Land.

Island Timberlands Concerns

• Misinformation is spread through the community and Island Timberlands public image takes a beating. IT would appreciate having all sides of the story told. Eagle can through his PRPAWS position set record straight if inaccuracies are mentioned at public meetings, and to list positive actions of IT.

• Island would like the record to show that PRPAWS and the Sierra Club, Malaspina Group have no concerns with the harvest of the remainder of the Sort Block as it is not adjacent to Lois River, provided the oceanfront riparian buffer is maintained

• Darshan reiterated our Good Neighbor policy and our expectation of our neighbors returning the favour.

• We are a small company with limited resources.

• Our people work hard to find compromise with our neighbours. They are proud of the work they do and of our environmental stewardship. They are offended by attacks on the company, which are also attacks on their integrity.



Respectfully submitted by Eagle Walz and Bill Waugh March 6, 2008