After months of lobbying, letter-writing campaigns and protests, opponents of plans to clearcut over 2,700 acres of forest in the Upper Highwood area of Kananaskis country have received good news from the logging company that had planned to start clearcutting this winter.
West Fraser Timber Co., the international forest products company that bought Spray Lake Sawmills in November, announced this week they will not be sending their harvesting crews into Kananaskis this winter after all, citing the need for greater consultation with local groups.
Their statement reads:
“Following West Fraser’s acquisition of Spray Lake Sawmills, now known as West Fraser Cochrane, we decided to pause this year’s harvest plan for the Highwood. We want to take time to meet with local groups that have expressed an interest in our planned activities and to meet with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to discuss the bridge over the Highwood River.
“We are now in the process of meeting with local groups that are interested in sharing information regarding forestry operations in the region. We will work to incorporate actionable information that we garner through these conversations into our future harvest plans for the Highwood. Additionally, we are scheduling meetings with DFO to discuss the bridge over the Highwood River and will not be using it in advance of these discussions.
“West Fraser appreciates the input we have received to date and the opportunity to meet with local residents as we learn more about the region.”
Environmental groups opposed to the clearcutting expressed cautious optimism about the news. The company appears to be open to listening to them but has stopped short of announcing a permanent ban or moratorium on clearcutting in the area.
Josh Killeen, Conservation Science & Programs Manager at the Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society (CPAWS), met with West Fraser officials last week, and so far he likes what he’s heard.
“We definitely see it as a positive step and we’re really pleased to see that West Fraser has responded to all the public concerns that have been raised,” he said.
He estimates over 6,500 letters were sent to ministers, MLAs, and others.
“All sorts of groups and folks reached out to the company as well,” he said. “So it’s great to see that’s had an impact.”
He called the news “a morale booster” but stressed there’s still a long way to go. Finding out where the company stands on a variety of environmental issues surrounding clearcuts will be the true test.
Several other river/stream crossings would be required before West Fraser could go ahead with logging plans in the area, each of which could be the subject of scrutiny.
Killeen said CPAWS will continue to push West Fraser, the province and the DFO on this issue, and he looks forward to ongoing discussions with the company.
“We see it as really important this kind of large scale clearcut harvesting just doesn’t happen in this particular area, in the upper Highwood because it is so sensitive and important.”
Becky Best-Bertwistle, a volunteer with Take a Stand for Kananaskis helped organize opposition to the logging.
"This pause is welcome news and we want to thank the 6,000 plus Albertans who took a stand in opposition to these clearcuts alongside us,” she said. “The fight is not over and we won't stop until this pause becomes permanent and all our sensitive headwaters across the eastern slopes are protected."
Devon Earl, a conservation specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) said the pause is good news.
“It’s definitely a win, that it’s been paused,” she said. “Of course, they haven’t said they’re going to stay out of the area completely . . . and we don’t want logging to go forward at all because those forests are important for other reasons, like recreation, watershed integrity, and species-at-risk.”
Opposition to the logging plans began last fall when observers noticed a new bridge had been built over the Highwood River. Opponents claimed the company (then Spray Lake Sawmills) built the bridge without proper approvals from the DFO.
SLS claimed at the time the rules did not require them to have a permit from DFO before construction.
Currently, logging companies submit their plans to the province for approval. Critics have been calling for a review of current legislation covering forestry activities in Alberta for a few years.
The Highwood area is home to the Bull trout, listed as an “at-risk species” under DFO guidelines. They were made aware of the bridge, did some inspection, and launched an investigation last fall. They have confirmed they are investigating, but have not released the reasons why, nor do they provide any timelines, or any other details. That investigation is ongoing.
The most recent boost to the opposition to the clearcutting came in late January when a new scientific field study commissioned by an environmental group proved the at-risk Bull trout is present in the nearby Loomis Creek area where the harvest is planned.
Protesters and other opponents were encouraged to see the results of the eDNA study, as it confirmed the presence of Bull trout upstream from the confluence of the Loomis Creek and Highwood River. The result means they now know the Bull trout is much more widely dispersed throughout the area than previously known.
The mayors of Okotoks and High River joined the fight last fall.
Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn sent a letter dated Nov. 24 to Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz requesting a moratorium on logging in southern Alberta, and High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass wrote a letter in support as well.
Their opposition is based on mitigating the potential effects of drought and flooding.
