I’d like to thank the Elphinstone Community Association and the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association for a well researched, well considered response to the BC Timber Sales draft Hydrology Report on Mount Elphinstone that was released for public comment in March 2023. (See my post.)
Below is the covering letter and here is the the full ECA/SCCA response. (PDF)
_______________________________________
Dear BC Timber Sales and Decision Makers:
The Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) and Elphinstone Community Association (ECA) have been engaging with BC Timber Sales about logging issues on Mount Elphinstone for many years.
BCTS has recently undertaken watershed assessments for Mount Elphinstone South in response to community and local government concerns over logging in Mt. Elphinstone watersheds.
We appreciate this work. However, the Mt. Elphinstone Watershed assessment study findings and recommendations raise and reinforce serious issues around impacts of proposed logging in this area, for our communities. Especially for drinking water.
We have written a letter and critique of the study findings and recommendations, which we hope all will consider.
We are asking BC Timber Sales to heed our communities’ concerns by:
- Halting all forest development planning in the recharge areas of aquifers 560 and 552.
- Supporting a Water Sustainability Plan to conserve these source areas.
- Deferring Phase Three planning for Mt. Elphinstone South until a full watershed assessment is completed.
We hope you will support our requests of BCTS, and we look forward to engaging with you around this issue in the near future.
If you have any questions or requests about this letter, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Kind regards,
Suzanne Senger, Executive Director (she/her)
Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
