Island Timberlands discloses its logging plans

Editor’s Note: Please note clarification in brackets from PRSC and City following two of the statements provided by Morgan Kennah.

Island Timberlands has detailed its current and near future activity on land within the City of Powell River through a press release issued Wednesday, April 22.

Morgan Kennah, manager of sustainable timberlands and community affairs for the company, provided the Peak with a map and the following details.

The company owns timber rights in areas marked 2, 3 and 4 on the map, and owns property marked as 1 as private managed forest land. Areas 2 and 3 are owned by PRCS while Catalyst owns the area marked 4.

Kennah wrote:

•  Island Timberlands commenced road building activity today on its managed forest property in Lot 450. The area of activity is in the north of the area marked number 1 illustrated on the attached map. Island Timberlands owns this property marked (rough drawing) as number 1 as private managed forest.
• Island Timberlands has plans to develop roads and harvest timber is the area marked as number 1 over the next several months.
• The areas marked number 2 and 3 are owned by PRSC. The area marked number 4 is owned by Catalyst Paper Corporation. Island Timberlands and its predecessor companies have held the right to harvest the timber in these three areas for the past several decades.
• Island Timberlands and PRSC have come to an agreement on a plan to move forward together on tree harvest and timber rights within the city. [The agreement between Island Timberlands and PRSC Limited Partnership is limited to the condition of the lands post harvest as per the Timber Reservation agreements that were put in place prior to the creation of PRSC LP.]
• Road and harvest activities are expected to commence in the area marked number 2 and 3 in the following weeks. Once activities commence, Island Timberlands anticipates workers to be in the area weekdays. Depending on how our activity progresses, there may be a summer suspension of activities with further work scheduled in the fall. This is subject to change with little or no notice.
• Island Timberlands is, in essence, harvesting its trees previously not capable of harvest under a municipal bylaw. [Kennah’s reference to the city bylaw recently changed relates to the amendment of Tree Protection Bylaw 2174, 2008, at the Thursday, April 2 council meeting. The amendment allows the rate of harvest to increase.]
• Island Timberlands employs qualified professionals to ensure our forest activities have considered a full range of public values including but not limited to localized riparian areas and recreational trails.
• Island Timberlands recognizes this activity will be audible to some of our residential neighbours. We will work within the confines of the city bylaw on noise disturbance to best maintain the peace and enjoyment during our operations.
• For the safety of the public and the workers onsite, please do not enter this area, on trails or otherwise, if you see signage, encounter trail blocks (for example, rope or flagging across the trail) or hear loud equipment working within these numbered areas.
• Future land use decisions for the PRSC and the Catalyst properties are unrelated to the current harvesting activities.

Kennah referred enquiries relating to harvesting activities at the site to be made via email to environment@islandtimberlands.com. Enquiries relating to Millennium Park are referred to the city, while enquiries relating to future land use of the PRSC properties can be made to PRSC.

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