NewsSlow down on protests, say long-time island loggersGulf Islands Driftwood
Wednesday, January 26, 2000By Mike Levin
Paul Konig, Fred Howard and Scott Royal feel opposition to Texada Land Corporation’s south-island cutting operations has gone far enough.The three long-time loggers believe they are part of a silent majority on Salt Spring which feels mounting protest is more likely to have negative effects on the island’s environment and economy. Their beliefs are based on experience that goes back through Salt Spring’s modern-era logging operations and back before eco-protests were even a glimmer in island eyes.
“What’s happening down there now is no worse than what was done years ago except that Texada is doing a pretty good (forest-management) job of it,” Howard said. “If (the protesters) don’t lay off, (Texada) will sell off and then we’ll get some real clear-cutting. It has happened before, and I guarantee you it will happen again.”
Howard, Royal and Konig spoke out on the touchy issue because they were tired of loggers being painted as evil and because they believe the majority of islanders understand that trees are a crop like any other, and one that is well-managed on Salt Spring.
“We’ve had real clear-cutting here before in 1918, 1924 and 1950, and each time (the forest) has come back. Loggers in the ‘50s didn’t replant, and it came back,” Konig said. “That mess you see after a cut is fertilizer for trees waiting underneath to come up. That’s how a forest works. Why can’t (these protesters) understand that?”
One reason was the near-hands-off approach taken by the former German owners of the land that runs from Mount Maxwell through the Fulford Valley and up to Mount Tuam. The family did not need to generate revenue and islanders grew spoiled by the unchanging environment.
Now the stage has changed, and the conflict centres around the extent of Texada’s logging.
Protesters say it is clear-cutting; Konig (and company forester Julian Dunster) say it is patch-cutting, and minimal at that.
“I don’t think there is any real numbers for clear-cutting or patching, but I’d say clear-cutting is something that goes for miles, and that’s not what is happening here. We’ve already been through this in the (Official Community Plan),” said Konig. “Patch-cutting can be bad in some places, but not on Salt Spring. Cutters here are very responsible because wood is scarce.
“All this about Texada clear-cutting is really just hype. Scott and Fred have both driven through the Texada land and not seen (any evidence) of environmental problems. I can’t see where there will be a major erosion problem because of what has happened before.
“(The company) is listening to the community and really doing a good job at being careful, with setbacks and other things. Making them out to be the bad guys just doesn’t make any sense to us, not from the point of view of our experience anyways.
“What is really happening is a bunch of multi-purpose protesters stirring up emotions because it is going on in their backyard. They wouldn’t be out there if it was happening up coast. These people have no idea about what a forest is and how it works. They really are out of touch with reality.”
Royal is upset with what he sees as a short-sighted community attitude, and is convinced that stonewalling Texada will inevitably lead to a situation similar to what happened on MacMillan-Bloedel lands on Salt Spring and Galiano islands in the late ‘80s.
“Mac-Blo was doing sustainable logging in both places but people were still whining. They drove MB out, each block was sold off and logged to death, Does anyone remember the 1,000 acres Murray Cyprus bought and clear-cut in 1988? Do they really want to see that again?” Royal asked, “because that’s how economics works these days.”
Konig says industry reality makes it virtually impossible to create integrated community forestry that keeps the wood on the island and adds value to its end products.
“It is a global market today. You can’t control prices, which means that the cheap fir has to go off the island because local mills can’t make enough off it,” he explained. “You think the wood in the lumber yards here is from Salt Spring? Think again. This is reality.”
Although the B.C. government plans to introduce controls on private-land cutting in April, the bottom line on southern Salt Spring is how the forest fits into island life.
“Salt Spring wouldn’t be the way it is today without logging. Everyone uses wood, whether for houses, toilet paper or musical instruments,” said Konig. “If this is going to change it means changing the system, such as reusing shopping bags and using alternative materials for housing.
“I don’t think people have the (courage) to do it. But the thing is, these alternative materials are usually non-renewable, and trees are.”
E-mail the writer: Mike Levin
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