Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

"A Blockade is Planned if Logging Plan isn't Modified for Cultural and Environmental Concerns."

(Skeetchesn, Secwepemc Territory/September 15, 2000) - The Skeetchesn Indian Band announced today that they will block the Logging Company, Weyerhaeuser (Weyco), from commencing with a massive 986 hectare (4 square mile) clear-cut in the area of Heller Creek, if Weyco and the Ministry of Forests (MOF) do not include Secwepemc cultural and environmental concerns in a modified cutting plan.

The Ministry of Forests issued Cutting Permit (C.P.) 615 to Weyco, and the company plans to start cutting around September 18, 2000. Skeetchesn has been in discussions with MOF and Weyco, regarding their cultural and environmental concerns, which are:

$ The majority of this cutblock is within the hydrologically sensitive sub-basin of an already compromised watershed (Deadman Creek). The Skeetchsn Indian Band has been involved in comprehensive inventorying of fish stocks and habitat restoration in Deadman Creek for approximately 15 years. There have been severely declining fish stocks partly due to loss and degradation of spawning and rearing habitat. Both steelhead and coho stocks in the Deadman system have been experiencing drastically low escapements for a number of years.

$ In June 1990 Deadman Creek had a 200 year flood event after a sustained period of rain, this flood was partially attributable to logging within the watershed.

$ In the case of many streams and wetlands, proposed riparian buffers are insufficient to provide adequate protection for hydrological and wildlife concerns.

$ Without sufficient riparian buffering this cutblock will only fragment the forest even more, as all animal species require water and the majority of species use riparian areas as critical travel corridors.

$ C.P. 615 is a very high elevation forest (approximately 1500-1800 metres), which has a short growing season, a very high water table and shallow frost prone soils, a large scale clear-cut of this nature could make re-establishment of a forest difficult or even impossible within a reasonable length of time.

$ Priority should be given to remove all beetle infested timber and stands prone to beetle attack, instead of concentrating on logging of healthy stands of timber in C.P. 615.

$ Lastly, but not least, is the inadequate buffering of identified Secwepemc cultural areas (ie. spiritual, food plant and medicine plant areas).

$ All economic benefits of logging in C.P. 615 will occur to Weyco and the provincial government, while all environmental risks and destruction of cultural resources will fall on the community of Skeetchesn.

$ Part of C.P. 615 is located in a community watershed = (Tranquille Creek) which, according to provincial guidelines, should be subject to strict limitations on cutblock size and logging methods.

Skeetchesn Chief, Ron Ignace, stated today AC.P. 615 is a proposed, precedent-setting, massive clear-cut of our already degraded landscape. If carried out it will negatively affect our future connection to that part of our land use area. Our cultural survival and livelihood comes from our connection to our lands. It is time our Secwepemc traditional knowledge is accommodated and included in provincial forest plans. After three years of talks, MOF appears to be disregarding our cultural and environmental concerns. If Weyco attempts to proceed without modifying its cutting plan to meet our concerns, we will protect our traditional territory at C.P.615=.