Pacific Northwoods Resources (PNR) has withdrawn its interest in Crown lands at Egmont Point, clearing the way for Egmont Point to become a park.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has applied to Land and Water B.C. (LWBC) for a free Crown grant for the land to become a park.
The SCRD hopes the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services (CAWS) will sponsor the application.
Paul Thompson of the SCRD said he hopes to hear about the sponsorship in July. The SCRD has made a separate application with LWBC for a foreshore lease. Glenn Krahulic, the Egmont community representative in talks with PNR, LWBC and the SCRD, said he hopes that with PNR's withdrawal of interest in Egmont Point there will be no more roadblocks to making it a park. He said he hopes to meet with the community this summer to outline the community's wishes for the park's use. "My goal is to help get a plan that will not lead Pacific Northwoods and the community to polarize their positions and to come to an agreement that will achieve everyone's goals," he said.
The consensus might be to maintain the land as a natural area. Other possibilities include tying in a trail network that connects the park and the private trails or perhaps the SCRD's support of a plan for a series of small marine parks along Sechelt Inlet and Jervis Inlet.
Under discussion is a joint federal-provincial marine protection areas system. In a letter to the SCRD last month, the deputy minister of sustainable resource management assured the SCRD that Egmont Point would be considered for inclusion in such a system.
Meanwhile, PNR is still working on its development plan for a resort community bordering on the Crown land at Egmont Point. PNR must apply to the SCRD to rezone the land.
In a letter to LWBC, project director Gregg Lindros stated that the upcoming proposal to develop an oceanside resort village on PNR lands would be compatible with the proposed park. Lindros also requested that LWBC give consideration to a direct sale of Crown parcels at Highland Point, which borders the south end of PNR property. The tenure rights for that area are currently held by Western Forest Products under the Ministry of Provincial Forests.
The Sechelt Indian Band is remaining quiet on this issue while they continue negotiations with the government for their own lands.
Following up community concerns regarding the logging practices of PNR on its property, members of the Private Managed Forest Land Council (PMFLC) met with board members of the Egmont Community Club (ECC) and the Friends of Egmont (FOE) in May.
They stated they had conducted aerial and ground inspections of all the PNR holdings. This was the first inspection on this large a scale.
Trevor Swan, chair of the PMFLC, said the inspections showed no problems with road construction and no signs of soil erosion on slopes or into creeks. He also informed the group that the council officially began its regulatory duties on Aug. 4, 2004. Any logging that occurred before that date was not under their jurisdiction. Much of the logging that is of concern by the community was done by PNR before that date.
At the May meeting, it was learned that PNR had not filed a required annual declaration, which was due on May 1.
Stuart Macpherson, executive director of the PMFLC confirmed that PNR has now filed the declaration and that he is sending out letters to the ECC and other concerned parties on findings from the inspections.
A posting on the Friends of Egmont website states that "while we may find this logging ugly and offensive, there is no law against ugly and offensive."
FOE will continue to monitor the logging across from Egmont.
The PMFLC consists of two private landowners and two government appointed members. The chair is selected by the four members.
