Letters to the Editor re Castle logging

Below is a collection of letters to the Editor and press releases received by the Pincher Creek Voice in the last few days regarding the logging protest in the Castle area.
We couldn't possibly print all of these as standalone pieces without drowning all of our other coverage, which would be unfair to our readership, but wanted to respect the writers and make sure their points of view were available, and have thus amalgamated them here.


Re: Chaos courts the Castle
Society was recently stunned—“slapped” may be more descriptive—when told the Castle River valley would be logged because of a need to,  “… balance environment and economic development.”
The statement is absurd. Why? There is no balance because logging in southwestern Alberta produces no economic benefit to society as a whole. What appears obvious is that it costs the government more to manage these cold, high elevation forests for timber production than the resultant timber is worth.
In other words, managing this treasured headwaters landscape to generate timber revenue results in a net economic loss. Having the government report that this logging strikes a “balance” makes it sound as if a thoughtful review had led to a logical conclusion. Well, the review may have been thoughtful, but it didn’t produce a logical outcome. Instead, the government chose to embrace welfare logging over economic and environmental options and, as a result, authored a course of action that’s guaranteed to cost taxpayers dearly.
Phrased another way, the government’s decision implies that nothing—absolutely nothing—is so rare, or valuable, that it won’t be sacrificed in order to support commercial clear-cut logging of the forest … even if society forfeits buckets of cash in the process, even if the logging kills endangered species and degrades essential watershed values.
But don’t worry. Everything’s fine. All the paperwork’s in order. And it shows that the government didn’t find a single grizzly den in the area. And why not? It didn’t have time to look; it was too busy approving logging permits.
Why does the government choose to act in a direct affront to science, economics and overwhelming public sentiment? Why does the government wish to flaunt its ability to degrade, needlessly, an iconic, world-class landscape, even if nothing is to be gained, even if the degradation enrages the populace?
Here in Alberta, purported economics tend to trump the environment in every case. But in the case of the Castle, the economic argument not to log is much stronger than the economic rationale to log. What the government touts as a “balance” of environment and economics is, in reality, the blatant disregard of each of these values, followed by the illogical, incongruous rationalization of an inexplicable and ill-founded outcome: clear-cut logging of a revered, internationally marketed Crown of the Continent landscape.
The Castle’s billion-dollar landscape constitutes a strikingly unusual, viable, high-end ecotourism and geotourism product, a product that Travel Alberta is marketing around the world with a multimillion-dollar promotional campaign. This is vintage Alberta, and the marketed product relies on an intact landscape with aesthetic and ecological appeal. The Castle, as it exists today, is the foundation for a catch-and-release form of self-sustaining tourism.
Recent promotional efforts by Travel Alberta, coupled with cries of concern from troubled geotourism operators, have profiled the need for sustainable tourism, a product that’s currently in a state of perpetual degradation. The Castle’s dramatic Crown of the Continent landscape is showcased by Travel Alberta, and its managing director, speaking of the promotional images, says they are “powerful expressions” of what makes Alberta attractive to visitors. “We needed to peel back the layers and capture the authenticity of Alberta.”
Logging the Castle’s headwaters kills the land’s intrinsic, geotourism worth. Clear-cut logging of a revered heritage landscape is not an authentic and powerful marketing tool. It’s a lethal stab into the heart of the international tourist. It’s the death knell for tourism dollars.
Sustainable Resource Development and, apparently, the entire Alberta government, have lost touch with society’s pulse and its wishes. The government no longer hears the voice, nor the pleas, of the people.
How ironic that the government, with a cheering populace lauding it, could save the Castle in a heartbeat, but appears committed to throw away this vote-winning outcome in favor of degrading the province and kicking society in the teeth. Why? (This is the question that that leaves people shaking their heads.)

David McIntyre
email: ravensview@toughcountry.net

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Clear-Cut Logging in the Castle Special Place Begins – Demonstrating Government’s failure to listen to Albertans

The longest environmental standoff in Alberta history came to an end today as logging equipment began work in the Castle Special Place. On Monday January 30, five people were served with a court order to vacate the area where protesters had set up tents. On Wednesday February 1 at 8am, the RCMP arrived to enforce the court order. Officials from the department of Sustainable Resource Development were on hand to dismantle the camps. Shortly after 10:00am, road building began.

“The Premier has said this is an example of balancing ecological and economic needs of the community,” said Gord Petersen, President of the Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition. “In fact, economic indications are that legislating the Castle as a Wildland Park will have much greater long-term economic benefits for our communities, as well as protecting the ecological resources of this area. Protection of the Castle is a win-win for the environment and the economy.”

In addition to providing one-third of the water for the Oldman River basin, the Castle is essential habitat for several species at risk, including grizzly bears and cutthroat trout. It is considered a key part of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem that includes Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

“There is still time for the Premier to act,” says Peter Sherrington. “Before more damage is done, she can listen to what the people of Alberta and scientific research have been saying. She can listen to the solutions we’ve been presenting for years. She has the legal authority to stop the logging and protect the Castle as a Wildland Park.”

Despite two different public opinion polls that show close to 80% of regional residents are opposed to this logging, and 75% are supportive of Wildland Park designation, trees began to fall in the Castle this morning.

“The fact that road building has begun and trees are falling today demonstrates the complete failure of the Alberta Government to listen to its people and sound science when making land use management decisions,” said Sarah Elmeligi, Senior Conservation Planner of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. “There is absolutely no justifiable reason, scientific, social, or economical, that this logging should happen.”

Sarah Elmeligi, PBiol, MNRES
Senior Conservation Planner
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - Southern Alberta Chapter

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Award Winning Author and Four Others Named in Court Order for Blocking Logging in Former Waterton Lakes National Park Lands

February 1, 2012
Beaver Mines, Alberta – On Monday, January 30, after 20 days protesting logging in Alberta’s Castle Special Place, five residents of the area adjacent to the Castle Special Place were served a Court Order by the Alberta Department of Sustainable Resource Development and ordered to abandon their protest.

Among those ordered to abandon the longest environmental protest in Alberta history was Governor-General-Award-winning author Sid Marty.

This morning, just before 8 am, the RCMP returned to the protest site to enforce the Court Order. Three local residents refused to leave the site and were arrested. A fourth protestor was arrested a short time later.

“After these past three weeks of trying to prevent a significant portion of the Castle’s forests from being clear cut, we’re disappointed that this is how the government chose to respond,” said Gord Petersen, President of the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition and one of the people served with the Court Order. “We have shown the Alberta Government that this area is worth more, economically, socially, and culturally as an intact forest than as a series of clear-cuts. For more than two years we’ve been presenting alternatives and solutions to the government. There are other places within the Crowsnest Forest that could be logged that don’t have the same value for local tourism economies or are such important wildlife habitat.”

Much of the Castle Special Management Area was once part of Waterton Lakes National Park and was designated a Special Place in 1998 to “preserve Alberta’s Natural Heritage”. Unfortunately, the Castle Special Place is the only one of Alberta’s 81 Special Places that hasn’t received its final legislated protection.

As specified in Alberta’s Forest Act, the Government of Alberta has full authority to, in the public interest, move the logging to another location after giving the company 30 days notice. The Act also specifies that no compensation is due to the company for such amendments or changes in the government’s logging and forest management plans.

“Over the past months, the Office of the Premier has received more than 100,000 emails, phone calls, and letters from across Alberta and North America asking first Premier Stelmach and now Premier Redford to intervene and stop this logging. Neither of these governments has listened,” said Sid Marty, author of Men for the Mountains and Leaning on the Wind. “This is an inspirational landscape that not only provides habitat for species at risk, and water for 2 million people, but also provides us the opportunity to appreciate Alberta’s magnificent mountain landscape.”

“We saw a similar situation with the Whaleback Special Place in the 1990’s,” said Peter Sherrington, area resident and biologist. “The then Premier stepped in and settled the turf war between government departments and legislated the Whaleback as a protected area. Today, we are asking our current Premier to display that same courage and commitment to what the people of Alberta have asked for: clean water, wildlife, and equal and ample recreational opportunities.”

For more information contact:
Sid Marty, Author, 403-628-2331
Gordon Petersen, Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition, President, 403-627-3732
Peter Sherrington, Local Resident, 403-627-3522

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Will Alison Redford's clearcuts crush bear cubs in their dens?
Hibernating bears and winter logging

BEAR WINTER BEHAVIOUR
Alberta’s black and grizzly bears sleep in dens during the winter when conditions are harsh and food is scarce. They are dormant for months, without eating, drinking, defecating or urinating. Unlike “deep hibernators,” bears’ body temperatures do not decrease during winter sleep, although metabolism is slowed and heart rate drops significantly. Bears put on extra weight in the fall, and live off these fat reserves during winter sleep. Dens are dug into suitable soft soils, located in large hollow trees, under tree roots or large fallen tree trunks or branches, or in natural cavities, caves or rock shelters. In mild winters, bears may wake and wander about outside their dens. Grizzly bears are not considered to be true hibernators, as anything that would disturb a grizzly in summer is highly likely to do the same thing in winter. Bear cubs are born toothless, blind and naked in the den, and survive the winter period on their mother’s milk. Female bears can lose up to 40 percent of their body weight during winter hibernation, giving birth and nursing cubs.

ALBERTA SUSTAINABLE RESOURSE DEVELOPMENT (SRD) REQUIREMENTS
In Spray Lakes Sawmills and CO5 Operating Ground Rules (January 2011), the Alberta Ministry for Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) requires the sawmill to produce a map showing “known important wildlife sites,” including “denning and birthing sites” (7.2.1.3). “Roads, skid trails, landings” are to avoid “den locations” (7.7.1.5). Harvesting activities should avoid “known or discovered [grizzly bear] den sites” with buffers of “a minimum of 100 m” (7.7.1.8). (SRD has not responded to requests for bear den maps.) Spray Lakes Sawmills also is required to make special considerations for grizzly bears (see 7.7.1.1 et seq.), now listed as a threatened species in Alberta and managed under the Province’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Numerous additional provisions are stipulated for other plant and animal species (including wolverine, pileated woodpecker, long-toed salamander, etc.) and ecological sites (e.g., wetlands, water courses, cirque basins, alpine avalanche paths, etc.)

RESEARCH FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Numerous studies address the impacts of logging activities on bears in their winter dens. Generally, bears select den sites 1 to 2 kilometres from roads, and seem to tolerate industrial activity that occurs more than 1 kilometre from the den. Activity within 1 kilometre—and especially within 200 metres—causes varied responses. Some bears tolerate human and mechanical activity; others abandon their dens, particularly if the activity occurs early in the denning season. Logging activity can destroy den sites and reduce availability of potential denning structures and opportunities. Future den sites are best retained in a logged landscape within larger patches (greater than 1 hectare in size), rather than as individual trees, stumps or other isolated sites.

Bears are particularly vulnerable as they sleep in their winter dens. Disturbance during this period can have greater negative impacts on reproduction and survival than at any other time of the year. Responses vary, from degrees of tolerance and minor behavioural changes to displacement, reduced reproductive success and even death. Bears abandon their dens as equipment disturbs them. In many cases, these displaced bears loose weight and have lower survival rates. Cubs born in dens that are disturbed, and even older cubs denning with their mothers, may not survive disturbance. In more expansive logging operations, bears must travel longer distances, under adverse conditions, to find and excavate new den sites. Bears have been crushed and killed by logging equipment that drove over them asleep in their dens.

Researchers recommend that “activity should avoid known bear dens by at least 1 kilometre.” (SRD requires buffers of only 100 metres.)

- Jim Pissot

SOURCES

Bull, Evelyn L, CG Parks, TR Torgreson (1997) Trees and logs important to wildlife in the interior Columbia River basin. Gen. Tech Rpt PNW-GTR-391. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.

Cianrello, Lana M, MS Boyce, DC Heard, DC Seip (2005) Denning behavior and den site selection of grizzly bears along the Parsnip River, British Columbia, Canada. Ursus 16(1):47–58.

Davis, Helen, AN Hamilton, AS Harestad, RD Weir (accepted July 2011) Longevity and reuse of black bear dens in managed forests of coastal British Columbia. Journal of Wildlife Management.

Davis, Helen (1996) Characteristics and selection of winter dens by black bears in coastal British Columbia. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC.

Hodder, Dexter P, RV Rae. (2005) Bear den site selection and considerations for forest management in the interior of British Columbia. University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC.

Linnell, John DC, JE Swensen, R Andersen, B Barnes (2000) How vulnerable are denning bears to disturbance?  Wildlife Society Bulletin. 28(2): 400-413.

Mattson, David (1990) Human Impacts on Bear Habitat Use in Bears: Their Biology and Management, Vol. 8, A Selection of Papers from the Eighth International Conference on Bear Research and Management, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. International Association of Bear Research and Management. pp. 33-56.

Province of Alberta (a). C5 Forest Management Plan (2010) Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.  http://www.srd.alberta.ca/LandsForests/ForestManagement/ForestManagementPlans/ForestManagementUnitC5.aspx

Province of Alberta (b). Spray Lake Sawmills and CO5 operating ground rules (2011). http://spraylakesawmills.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=OucR4ia5nYs%3D&tabid=204&mid=616

Swenson, Jon E, F Sandegren, S Brunberg, P Wabakken (1997) Winter den abandonment by brown bears Ursus arctos: causes and consequences. WildlBiol. 3: 35-38.

WildCanada Conservation Alliance
155 Benchlands Terrace
Canmore, AB  T1W 1G2
403-678-0016   jpissot@shaw.ca   www.MyWildCanada.ca

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