Why are we looking to harvest Stoney Hill during fire season?
Re: “Claims about ramped up logging need some context”, (Citizen, May 10)
As stated by our North Cowichan mayor, that due to a long intense fire season the logging in the municipal forest had to be put on hold in 2018, is “nature” telling us to pay attention to what the future has in store? Shall we listen or ignore the message? And why are we possibly going to harvest/log Stoney Hill during fire season (as stated in the tender)?
We all know summers have been getting drier and drier. Even this winter and spring have been extremely dry. (Droughts, water shortage, dying trees, endangered salmon runs….) Is 2019 a better year to harvest trees from the 2018 contracts and removal of the the blow down trees? Is this the right time for the Cowichan people to know when and where the logging for 2018 is taking place in 2019, and who has the contracts to harvest these trees under such extreme weather conditions?
If we paused 2018 logging contracts, would these companies seriously consider taking the municipality to court in a case like this? Times are changing and logging contracts from the past and future should be reviewed by educated professionals with the best long term interest for this community. We are talking about a forest that belongs to the people of North Cowichan. People in this community should have a say on what happens to our forest, how we log, how to remove blown down trees and what value this forest could have, managed differently.
We are living in uncertain times. We all have an important choice to make on how to shape our future. What will it be?
Juergen Suelzle
Glenora