After members of the Elphinstone Community Association (ECA) asked the regional district to urgently apply to withdraw District Lot 1313 from BC Timber Sales operating plans, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is taking formal steps to protect the 48-hectare area on Mount Elphinstone also known as the Reed Road Forest.
On Feb. 17, the directors moved to begin a formal referral to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation (Squamish Nation) about the protection of DL 1313, and notify the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD), BCTS, the Member of Legislative Assembly and the Member of Parliament of that referral.
In a letter dated Nov. 1, 2021, Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons outlined two options the SCRD could pursue for DL 1313: a sponsored Crown grant and a conditional withdrawal designation. SCRD staff also explored whether a nominal rent tenure would be applicable.
Of the three options, staff reported that none “appear to be an obvious fit to prevent logging of DL 1313. In different ways, each could form part of a strategy to highlight the value of the natural assets in the area and the ecosystem function of an urban-fringe forest.”
The staff report also said “some of the provincial tools seem to be out of step with contemporary demands, so their application today in lieu of any alternatives poses many questions.”
The directors also moved to prepare a letter to the minister and bring it to a second-quarter committee meeting, where they will seek direction to use the Land Act to temporarily address drinking water protection and stormwater management concerns until a management plan involving the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation can be established. The SCRD will also invite the Town of Gibsons to collaborate. Staff will also continue to work with the province and First Nations to find better tools and approaches to protect and manage watersheds.
A board meeting on Feb. 24 (after Coast Reporter’s print deadline) is expected to adopt those recommendations.
“As pointed out by staff in the report, the legislation we are trying to work with was not written to deal with the real and urgent challenges we face,” Elphinstone director Donna McMahon said. “So, we’re trying to adapt tools that weren’t designed for the job. In the long run, this is a stopgap measure. So, what we’re looking for right now is the best stopgap measure until we can get the appropriate water sustainability tools to protect our watersheds and our aquifer recharge areas and to manage stormwater.”
Appearing as a delegation, ECA member Hermann Ziltener gave three examples of the significance of DL 1313: its location in the recharge area of Gibsons’ aquifer 560, providing protection from flooding and climate change events, and its ecological and recreational value. The staff report to directors also cited concerns that forestry planning does not fully account for off-site or cumulative effects.
“What we would like to do with the forest is to basically preserve it as a conservation area, as a teaching forest. Just maintain the forest as it is,” Ziltener said, adding that the ECA would be happy to work with the Squamish Nation and the SCRD.
DL 1313 was not part of the BCTS managed timber supply until 2013, when it was added without consultation with local government, the ECA’s presentation to directors said. Although BCTS delayed harvesting plans for the area, advocates are calling for DL 1313’s complete removal from those plans.
“Doing nothing is not an option at this time,” McMahon said. “We’ve been doing nothing since 2013 and it’s not getting the results that we want. So, now we really do have to take action.”
