Another approach needed for trails
We applaud the efforts of Bragg Creek’s Sustain Kananaskis group. It is refreshing to see people get organized towards a goal, in this case, to raise awareness and concern about logging proposed to start this summer, in the area. We hope the group’s key demand for open, honest public consultation will be met.
A quick poll of the editorial staff at the Rocky View Weekly reveals that all of us have used the trails in Kananaskis country. Those pathways attract visitors from around the region and the globe, whether they are families, adventure seekers, bikers or nature lovers.
The effect on Bragg Creek is great, with businesseses reliant on tourism dollars. We worry about the impact on the hamlet should the 1,700 acres of old growth trees be cut down. Sustain Kananaskis states on its website that the logging will have a direct impact on 90 per cent of the area’s local trails.
We understand Spray Lakes Sawmills is a business and that the region, which is growing by leaps and bounds, has a need for building materials. We just hope the true costs are being taken into account when it comes to extracting those materials.
Spray Lakes isn’t to blame. In fact, over the years, the company has hosted a number of stakeholder meetings and open houses to provide information and gather input about its forest management plan. The onus is on Alberta’s Sustainable Resources, the Provincial department that regulates approvals for logging proposals. We would like to see the department take an honest, public look at alternatives to patch or clear cut logging.
None of us at the Rocky View Weekly are scientists but we wonder if there are other ways to keep communities safe from fire than clear cutting old growth forests.
According to the old saying, “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
There must also be more than one way to protect our forested communities from wild fire. Now is the time for new innovative ideas.
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Comments
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message ID: 334330
Post On: January 11, 2012
Posted by User #: Huckleberry
Posted by IP:
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Wow, how quickly we forget that only this summer, the Slave Lake fires caused the second largest insurance claim in Canada's history, hundreds of homes destroyed, thousands of people displaced. The difference between Bragg Creek and Slave Lake is that the forests here are older, more continous, with more rugged terrain, the access is narrower, and the properties have very small clearings around them. The concept of creating large fire breaks is not new. Large areas within both Jasper and Banff National Parks have been logged to make guards and there are trails right thru those areas. If we can have the foresight to reduce the risk of wildfire to a community in a National Park, why can't we do the same? Checkout the Carrot Creek fire break near Harvie Heights. It was logged, some areas were thinned but they blew down, they were piled and burnt. Fire specialists have been trying to reduce the risk to communities forever, you can't do it without cutting trees. Trails are important, recreation is important, peoples lives may top that though.