Dear editor:
Recently we have seen a number of letters to the editor published in local papers driven by the Stop Ghost Clearcutting group with excerpts and references directly from their anonymous website. Much of the information they are presenting is misleading and some statements are simply false.
Spray Lake Sawmills (SLS) has a long and proud history as a family owned and operated company, manufacturing quality products in Southern Alberta for 72 years. Recently, I took my 95-year-old father and founder of the company on a tour of our operations and it was very gratifying to see the new forest growing back so healthy in previous harvest areas. Our primary business is the production of lumber and treated wood products necessary for housing and agriculture. We are committed to sound forest management practices allowing for the present utilization of forest resources, while ensuring healthy and growing forests for the future. We are also committed to the communities we operate in and provide economic stability through stable employment to over 300 families. Our operations also generate tax revenues to various levels of government and donations to many causes across Southern Alberta. SLS is proud of our employees and their commitment to quality and sustainability.
Some important facts:
- We build healthy forests. SLS treats every harvest area to ensure successful reforestation and plants in excess of two million seedlings annually.
- We keep the water clean to ensure downstream users continue to enjoy high water quality.
- Logging in Alberta does not cause downstream flooding. Extensive hydrologic modelling has been completed and reviewed by a professional hydrologist to ensure negligible impact on stream flow.
- We protect wildlife habitat. For example, SLS reclaims as many kilometres of road on an annual basis as it builds so we do not contribute to the present road density on the landscape.
- Forestry, like all industries in Alberta, is regulated and monitored by the Alberta government.
- Registered Professional Forest Practitioners employed by both the government and industry oversee the planning, operations and monitoring of the forest resources to ensure the forests are managed in a sustainable manner.
- SLS achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) certification for its Forest Management Agreement area and northern timber quota in 2013.
- Running a safe log haul is a priority and we have a program that includes training, monitoring and reporting.
The areas we operate in are generally classified as “mixed use” areas with forest management as one of those uses. Striking the right balance of conservation and well-planned harvesting of renewable forest resources ensures we continue to contribute to Alberta’s economy in a sustainable and responsible manner. In the interest of joining in the effort to help the community engage in the dialogue, we have built topic specific pages on our website: you can find the pages at spraylakesawmills.com. We look forward to continuing to share our methods and information resources with our community.
Barry Mjolsness, owner, Spray Lake Sawmills
