Say no to private clearcuts in the West Kootenay | Wildsight

Photo: Steve Ogle

A grassroots community effort successfully crowdfunded $400,000 to buy a 40-hectare piece of privately-owned land on Cottonwood Lake near Nelson that was slated to be clearcut.

This huge win to save Cottonwood Lake, a cherished local recreation area, sheds light on a problem in our province: why do British Columbians need to crowdfund to save local landmarks, clean water and important ecosystems from logging?

Please speak up for much-needed changes to the Private Managed Forest Lands Act today.

Cottonwood is a unique success, but the story of private land logging and community efforts to stop these clearcuts is one told across the province again and again.

Clearcutting on private land near Cottonwood Lake. Photo: David Moskowitz

The lack of regulations for private land logging has shifted the burden to communities, forcing British Columbians to pay the price for lax provincial rules that let big companies claim tax breaks while clearcutting vast areas. Water, wildlife, and community recreation suffer in community after community when private land logging destroys forests. The Union of BC Municipalities has passed 15 resolutions dating back to 1991 asking the province to fix private land logging regulations, yet no real action has been taken.

Tell Forests Minister Katrine Conroy that the Private Managed Forest Lands Act needs to be fixed today to stop private clearcuts and protect our communities.

More clearcutting on private land near Cottonwood Lake. Photo: David Moskowitz

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To: BC Minister of Forests Katrine Conroy
cc: Premier John Horgan
Brittny Anderson, MLA for Nelson-Creston
Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands
John Rustad, Opposition Critic for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

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Dear Minister Conroy,
cc: Hon. John Horgan, Premier,
Brittny Anderson, MLA for Nelson-Creston,
Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, Brittny Anderson, MLA for Nelson-Creston,
John Rustad, Opposition Critic for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

I’m writing to request that you take immediate action to reform the Private Managed Forest Land Act.
 
The lack of regulations for private land logging has shifted the burden to communities, forcing British Columbians to pay the price for lax provincial rules that let big companies claim tax breaks after clearcutting vast areas. Water, wildlife, and community recreation suffer in community after community when private land logging destroys forests. The Union of BC Municipalities has passed 15 resolutions dating back to 1991 asking the province to reform private land logging regulations, yet to date, no real action has been taken.

When Cottonwood Lake near Nelson faced private clearcutting, threatening a treasured community recreation area and important wildlife habitat, it took local citizens rallying to raise the funds to purchase the land and stop the clearcut and local governments to step in and steward the land as a regional park. If the BC government reformed this outdated law, we would not have been faced with this challenge.

The Private Managed Forest Land Act has no requirement for forest harvesting to be sustainable and no limit on cut for landowners; short-term gain is prioritized over long-term sustainability. Environmental protections are lacking, with minimal stream and water protections and no requirements to maintain wildlife habitat. Landowners are not required to consider downstream values or to consult with affected residents, communities, and local government. We need stream and water protections, and requirements to maintain biodiversity such as old growth and wildlife habitat.

Communities should not have to face the impact from weak provincial regulations. Across BC, communities are having to defend their water sources from private clearcuts. Private managed forest logging plans should be subject to a public consultation process.

Thank you for taking my concerns seriously.

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