Opposition to clear-cut logging in southern Alberta's castle watershed and support for its permanent protection is unprecedented. Alberta Premier Alison Redford and former Premier Ed Stelmach have received 80,000 letters and emails, and hundreds of phone calls from Albertans as well as people from around the world.
Despite this and a 3-week long protest at the logging site, road building has begun and logging will commence any day. Now it's time for Alberta's legislators (called MLAs) to hear from people who want to see change.
On Tuesday February 7, we are asking people across Alberta and all around North America to make phone calls to ask for change.
Albertans Click here to find the contact information for your MLA. If you live elsewhere, call the Premier at the number below.
What should you say? Tell your MLA or the Premier's Office that:
· You are opposed to logging in the Castle watershed.
· You support its permanent protection as a Wildland Provincial Park.
If you live in Alberta, please call your MLA first, and then the Premier. You can reach them both through Alberta's toll-free line at 310-0000. If you live outside of Alberta, call the Premier at 780-427-2251.
People have been working to protect the Castle Special Place for more than 30 years. Let your voice be heard!
Together we can save this special place.
What’s Next?
Rally to support Alberta’s forests
Rallies in support of stopping clear-cut logging in Alberta's designated protected areas and popular recreation areas, including the Castle and Bragg Creek, will take place at 12:00pm to 1:00pm on Tuesday, February 14.
Gordon Petersen
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Online petition
I started an online petition to stop clear cutting in the Castle area. I need your help by not only going to this link and adding your name but also by helping me share it.
Stop Castle Logging: Stop clear cutting in the Castle area
http://www.facebook.com/l/EAQE0Dl_MAQG_ZRxpTPIcQmvn_ND9jKT8O9u_Ou5ajEa1hA/www.change.org
Its a super easy way to get peoples' support, we just need to spread the word!
Thanks for you help!!!
www.change.org
Sarah Freeman
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Castle Phone-a-Thon Coincides with Opening of the Legislature
To coincide with the opening of the Alberta Legislature today, hundreds of people will phone their elected representatives to ask that the Province halt clear cut logging in the Castle Special Place, and protect it as a Wildland Park.
“We are asking people across Alberta will participate in a phone-a-thon,” says Sarah Elmeligi of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. “We expect hundreds of Albertans to add their voice to the unprecedented level of support for protecting, not plundering, the Castle Special Place.”
According to the Office of the Premier, between 70 and 80 calls have been received each day for many weeks running in support of protecting the Castle Special Place. Some days as many as 100 calls are being received asking that the logging be halted and the area, protected in 1998, be given permanent status as a Wildland Park.
Now individual Members of the Legislature will hear from their constituents that the Castle is a critical part of the recovery of the grizzly bear in Alberta, and a vital part of Alberta’s tourism economy, which is third in terms of economic drivers in the province.
“The Premier has the power to stop the logging with 30 days notice and with no compensation under the Provincial Public Lands Act,” adds Elmeligi. “She would be doing what 75% of local residents say they want: stop the logging and create a Wildland Park. There is unprecedented support for this in Alberta, and from around the world.”
Close to 100,000 letters and emails have been sent to the Office of the Premier over the last year from across Alberta and across North America.
“This is an issue that has galvanized support for protection of Alberta’s environment,” says Elmeligi. “Business owners, ranchers, hunters, local residents, families who camp in the Castle: we’re all speaking with one voice. Is the Premier listening?”
The Castle Phone-a-thon begins with the opening of the Legislature today. In Alberta people will call 310-0000 and ask for their MLA’s Edmonton office. Many more will then ask for the Premier to reinforce their message. Outside of Alberta people will call 780-427-2251.
Concurrent rallies in Edmonton, on the steps of the Provincial Legislature, and in Calgary, at the McDougall Centre, will be held next Tuesday February 14 from 12-1 to demonstrate public opposition to this logging and support for increased protection of the forests in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes.
Sarah Elmeligi, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
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Fencepost mentality.
That's literally what the ruling Conservative party here in Alberta has, insisting on clear-cutting in the Castle Crown Wilderness to make fenceposts. Oh, and wood chips too, we all know the world needs more of both of those. To be fair they will also get some actual lumber out of it too, and since people in wood houses shouldn't throw stones (or grenades or anything like that - to paraphrase a familiar saying), I must say that I don't have a problem with the logging in itself but rather the choice of location. As the last of the "Special Places" , created to preserve Alberta's natural heritage,this important ecological oasis recognised by National Geographic as the 'Crown of the Continent", is about to become instead a 'Special Clearcut Area' with special stumps as far as the eye can see. This will really draw in those tourists. Remember to breathe, as the new Travel Alberta ad advises.
This is being done in spite of 75% of area residents being opposed, raising their voices with thousands of emails and phone calls. Didn't I hear some murmurs about CHANGE in the government recently? That must have been just the wind blowing through the still-standing trees.
The supporting arguments of fire safety and economic development are pretty flimsy as well, taken down as easily as the trees in front of the feller buncher currently cutting a swath in the landscape. Clear cuts do not keep fires at bay (look at the recent fires by Claresholme and Nanton), and as for the "economic benefits" of this logging, there are none, these trees were sold for a pittance (possibly $250,000 or so) and would be far more valuable to the residents, surrounding businesses and Albertans in general if left standing. The few remaining grizzly bears and other wildlife would appreciate it too.
Although the road building has begun the government still has the authority to stop the logging and direct Spray Lakes Sawmills to a more appropriate place.This is PUBLIC land, but the public voice opposing the logging is being ignored. It's like talking to a, well..., fencepost. I'm stumped, and so will the forest of the Castle Crown if we don't do something soon.
Patricia Johnson
Calgary
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Castle Special Place Court Case to continue on Feb 24th
Citizens to Rally to stop logging and protect the Castle in Edmonton and Calgary
Calgary, AB - On Friday February 3, 2012, area residents and concerned citizens were on hand for the first day of court proceedings addressing a decision by the Alberta government to close an area of public land to allow Spray Lake Sawmills to log within the Castle Special Place.
“I have a court room full of people; there is a significant issue going on here,” said Court of Queen’s Bench’s Justice, Rosemary Nation, concluding that there should be court time scheduled to expeditiously hear all the arguments regarding the closure of the Castle Special Management Area to public use in order to allow clear-cut logging to proceed. The area closed is where residents and business owners protested against the logging for the past three weeks. “This is a highly contentious matter,” the Justice said.
Lawyers for four of the five residents named in the court order, and for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) agreed to having the case heard on February 24th for the Court of Queen’s Bench. Until the Court can hear the case, the Court Order enforcing SRD’s closure of the logging site to public access remains in effect and the public cannot block SRD and Spray Lake Sawmills of Cochrane from clear-cutting in the popular recreation area. Construction of the logging road started Wednesday morning after four of the 35 people present were arrested for refusing to leave the site.
The logging is taking place in an area protected by Alberta in 1998 as one of 80 Special Places throughout the province. Legislation permanently protecting the Castle has never been passed. Protesters have asked that Alberta’s Premier Alison Redford use her authority under the Public Lands Act to direct logging away from the ecologically significant and economically important Castle region.
Governor General Award winning author Sid Marty; second generation outfitter Mike Judd and three other area residents, Gordon Petersen, Tim Grier and Diana Calder were served with a Court Order on January 30th, indicating that they and all members of the public had to obey SRD’s closure of the forest to public use.
Without public notice, SRD issued an 81 square kilometer logging license covering the recreation core of the Castle. The license is within former Waterton National Park lands and what the province had designated as a Special Management protected area for “preserving Alberta’s Natural Heritage” in 1998. Half of the mature forest within the license is scheduled for clear-cutting over the next three winters, including woods that cover several recreation trails. Clear-cuts will even abut campgrounds in the area.
The province isn’t contractually obligated to have clear-cutting in the protected area. In the public interest, SRD can move the logging to any alternate location and the Forest Act specifies that no compensation is due from taxpayers to the company, as long as they are given 30-days notice.
While the court action proceeds business owners, residents, and concerned citizens will hold simultaneous rallies in Edmonton and Calgary on Wednesday, February 8th in advance of the provincial budget and the start of what is expected to be a spring election campaign. In Edmonton the rally will occur on the steps of the Legislature while in Calgary citizens will voice their support for the Castle Special Place at the McDougall Centre. Both rallies will happen at noon on the 8th. The public is encouraged to come out to show their support for permanently protected the provinces Special Places.
For more information, contact:
Gord Petersen, Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition: 403-627-3732; gordon@diomedea.com
Sid Marty, 403-628-2331, sid@sidmarty.com
Peter Sherrington, Beaver Mines, 403-627-3522, psherrin@telusplanet.net
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I made a petition on change.org that people can sign
ReplyDeletehttp://www.change.org/petitions/sustainable-resource-development-alberta-stop-the-clearcut-logging-of-the-castle-area