Texada Land Corporation believes that good land management is good business. Our goal is to integrate sound management practices in a manner that meets our fiscal and social responsibilities.  We recognize that the Salt Spring community has valuable local knowledge which may assist us to find common ground where mutual goals can be achieved.  For our part, we will adhere to the following:

Forest Harvesting Plan and Principles

We will be harvesting second growth timber only; buffers around old growth trees will be left in place, as appropriate, to encourage ecological diversity and ensure that the old growth are wind-firm.  Our intention is to harvest approximately 60% of our merchantable timber in such a manner that will support and enhance the value of our land holdings.  The timber harvesting will occur over a three to five year period.

We will reforest the harvested lands using both natural and supplemental planting, and we will incorporate seed tree retention in our harvesting plans.

We will provide employment opportunities to local people to help us implement our harvesting and replanting.

We will sell the majority of our timber to local B.C. mills for processing, to help ensure that jobs are created and retained in the Province of British Columbia.  Currently, 100% of the Salt Spring timber is being sold to a mill in Nanaimo, B.C.

We will undertake our work in such a manner that we not only respect environmental values, but we use them to enhance the value of our lands.  We will also respect the value of our neighbours’ lands with measures such as
vegetative buffers and drainage planning.

We will evaluate the land before harvesting to ensure that we do not damage creeks, and associated riparian and other ecologically sensitive habitats.  Riparian and site specific sensitive areas will be protected with a twenty meter setback, planned at a site specific level to reflect topography, environmental values, and harvesting approaches, thus providing connectivity opportunities.  Within the twenty meter protective setback, there will be no significant ground disturbance.

Where it is possible to do so without endangering worker safety, we will retain wildlife trees and appropriate no-disturbance zones around them as specified in the WCB approved Danger Tree Assessment procedures.

We will employ low impact harvesting methods, and skilled operators, in order to minimize damage to the ground.

We will make timber available to the community at prevailing B.C. market pricing.

We will meet or exceed the requirements of the Private Land Forest Practices Regulations, and be further guided by the Forest Practices Code for Crown lands.

We will respect the forested viewscapes in visually sensitive areas of Burgoyne Bay and the Fulford Valley through measures such as selective harvesting and managing the size and shape of harvest openings.

We will not apply to exclude land from the Forest Land Reserve (FLR), except in the rare circumstance where forest harvesting is not  an appropriate use of the FLR-designated land. In these cases we would offer to
contribute other of our lands into the FLR or ALR.

Land Ownership Plan and Principles

Our intention is to locate home sites on our existing titles, unless discussions with the community and the Islands Trust provides alternatives that meet mutually acceptable goals.

Texada has no intention, and does not plan,  to do any rezoning or land development on Salt Spring Island unless such discussions are encouraged and desired by the Islands Trust.

If any development or further subdivision of  the lands occurs it must respect the environment and would have to integrate community parkland into the design.

We will be cognizant of community values in any planning, and we will endeavour to integrate the community’s needs with our own goals and objectives.

We will respect the agricultural ambiance and pastoral landscape of the Burgoyne and Fulford Valleys.

We will respect the Salt Spring Island Official Community Plan and will endeavour to meet or exceed the expectations described in it.

We will strive to preserve the unique architectural character of the Island.

We will preserve and protect heritage sites that are part of the Island and its landscape.

We will respect the archaeological sites located on our property.

When needed, we will provide roads of a standard that are sensitive to the character of the Island.

We will work with the community and various government agencies in their endeavour to acquire additional land for parks, trails and other areas of conservation value.

We respect that many Salt Spring residents feel strongly about our property.  Though we may not always agree with the position of each and every Salt Spring resident, we believe that an open, honest and civil two-way dialogue will ultimately produce overall results that are mutually beneficial.  In a spirit of cooperation, we will be available to meet with community leaders and interested citizens and be as accessible as reasonably possible.
 

TEXADA LAND CORPORATION
Rob Macdonald
Derek Trethewey
Brent Kapler 
Regan Trethewey