The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board has responded to Cascadia Forest Products' proposed forest stewardship plan (FSP) in the Chapman and Dakota watersheds.
At its March 16 meeting, the board passed a number of staff recommendations. Firstly, it is requesting that Cascadia present its site plans for all harvesting and road building within the Chapman landscape unit and the Deserted and Salmon forest development units to the SCRD for comment before Cascadia makes harvesting decisions. Secondly, "that Cascadia include a policy regarding harvesting in the urban interface." Thirdly, it is requesting Cascadia consult the SCRD parks department before harvesting or building roads around the Dakota Ridge trails. Fourthly, it is asking for written comment from Cascadia on how it will address the SCRD board's policy that it is "not in favour of logging in designated community watersheds or watershed reserves." In addition, "that the SCRD advise Cascadia of the Joint Watershed Management Agreement [with the Sechelt Indian Band] and request Cascadia to make a presentation to the SCRD regarding their FSP."
Directors discussed the issue at the March 16 planning committee meeting before approving the recommendations at the board level later that evening. SIB Chief Stan Dixon was absent from both meetings. Dixon told Coast Reporter that SIB staff are currently looking at Cascadia's plan and a meeting has not yet been set between Cascadia and the Band council.
Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk said at the meeting the signed watershed agreement means that any industrial activity in the watershed needs the approval of both the SCRD and the SIB.
"We've set policy, and now we have to adhere to it," Janyk said.
Chair John Rees said the watershed agreement is not law and has never been acknowledged by the provincial government. But Janyk said whether the agreement is law or not is irrelevant. All the local governments on the Coast have agreed they want to be consulted, he said, so the SCRD has an obligation to ask Cascadia to respect the watershed agreement.
The public, including the SCRD, has a March 27 deadline for submitting written comments on Cascadia's FSP.
Roberts Creek alternate director Elaine Futterman said the community expects the SCRD to be strong in its resolve to protect the watershed. She suggested the SCRD contact the SIB to set up a watershed committee as the agreement proposed. Under the agreement, the joint watershed management advisory committee would make recommendations on "the management of the watershed, laws and bylaws surrounding the watershed and future changes that may be necessary to this agreement."
The board agreed to copy its response to its drinking water protection officer.
Dan Bouman presented recommendations from the Natural Resources Advisory Committee (NRAC) responding to Cascadia's FSP, many of which overlapped with the SCRD staff recommendations. NRAC also proposed recommendations about FSPs in general and the Forest and Range Practices Act, which the board will consider.
The meeting also addressed International Forest Products' FSP, now before the public for review. The board passed four almost identical motions to the Cascadia motions in response to Interfor's FSP. According to the staff report, in Interfor's FSP, "Interfor does state that they will not construct roads or harvest cutblocks in the Chapman, Dakota and McNair community watersheds." The NRAC report also states Interfor "commits to the strategy/result of not building any roads or doing any logging in the Gray or Chapman community watersheds."
