Editor:
The following was sent to public officials on the Sunshine Coast and shared with Coast Reporter.
As you know, the Sunshine Coast has endured severe summer droughts that threaten not only the surrounding forests but our homes, properties, livelihoods and our very lives. The Old Sechelt Mine fire of 2015, caused by practice target shooting, burned through 300 hectares of forest and claimed the life of logger John Phare. Lightning started last year’s Clowhom Lake fire, while the Grauman Road fire of 2022 was caused by a bush camper (video available). Whether by nature or human activity, the SCRD’s 2021 Community Wildfire Protection Plan has rated the risk of interface crown wildfire as moderate to high for Roberts Creek.
Yet it is hard to see how “moderate” applies, when last summer brought us 81 days without significant rainfall, resulting in 68 days of high risk and 13 days of extreme risk. In light of this, the Roberts Creek OCP Committee urges the following immediate actions:
• Train forest wardens to monitor and enforce fire safety principles and to issue much higher fines (on par with those of Nova Scotia). Besides extreme dry weather, human activities such as off-grid camping and bush parties are common, high-risk activities that require daily monitoring.
• Cease all logging activities until they can be assessed according to FireSmart principles (including riparian zone protections). Fire breaks are needed, and underbrush should be cleared and deciduous trees planted.
Local residents are embracing fire-smart principles but our government and ministries are not proactively preventing forest fires that threaten our neighbourhoods. Resources are being extracted from our “community forests” but reciprocity in terms of protection measures are not evident. Summer is almost here and we would welcome opportunities to partner with you to put our recommendations into effect.
Roberts Creek Official Community Plan Committee
Supplied by Simon Haiduk, chair
