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What a travesty and a shame for Fernie
Letter to the Editor
I am a long-time resident of the beautiful and quaint town of Fernie. Some years ago, it was even more scenic before Canwel came into our surrounding forests and started decimating them.
It is now completely obvious that Canwel is a poor steward of the environment with its clearcut logging on their private land. My understanding is that the “moonscape” they leave behind does not even have to be reforested. This would never be permitted on B.C. Crown land.
What a travesty and a shame for the little town of Fernie that heavily relies on tourism.
Not only are the clearcuts an eyesore, the effects on wildlife are devastating. One of the most pristine rivers in the world runs thru the Elk Valley. The Elk River is recognized as one of the last remaining rivers with a good population of native cutthroat trout and Bull trout. The erosion caused by clearcutting will adversely affect both species.
My understanding is that Canfor in Elko purchases the logs harvested by Canwel. Canfor says it is committed to only purchasing logs that are sustainably harvested. It would appear that Canwel is not sustainably harvesting the wood Canfor is processing; obviously Canfor is almost as much to blame as Canwel for the devastation in the Elk Valley forests.
I believe that the B.C. provincial government has promised an audit of the Private Managed Forest Lands Act. We who call the Elk Valley our home would encourage the provincial government to undertake this audit and make changes as soon as possible to prevent further degradation to our beautiful valley.
The above image shows some of the clearcut logging by Canwel (from our home in Fernie).
Bart Davies,
Fernie
