Editor:
What would you say if you learned that 90 per cent of the forest around your community was to be logged?
Then, as a result of this excessive logging, what would you say when your creeks are drying up and you no longer have access to the vital water you once had?
And what would you say if this can all be done with the approval of the Ministry of Forests and with the knowledge of the Ministry of Environment?
Most people are responsible and respect our environment, so you may wonder how could this happen. The recipe is relatively simple and it is all created by “professionals.”
First, the government creates the laws that rely on the goodwill of a forest company to follow.
Then throw in a recession so the forest company’s only concern is to survive.
Add a bit more help by government to relax their oversight.
Add mountain pine beetle to the mix and increase the cut.
Add some more relaxation of the rules.
Then to put it all together, hire a “professional” forester and create a plan that only has one result that matters — get the wood to the mill the cheapest way possible.
The result: begin logging in one area as close to the mill as possible and don’t stop until every tree is cut.
If someone complains, tell the forest workers to support the mills as this community wants to shut us down.
Blame the lack of water on the drought; the lack of moose on hunters; more wildfires on someone else; and when you’re done, head over to the next closest community.
And to think, this is all legal and without water some ranchers will be out of business.
What will be left of a community based on ranching?
Randy Saugstad and the Big Creek Livestock Association