(2024-03-15) Letter to Jennifer Peschke (TimberWest) from Eileen Sowerby regarding proposed TFL 47 logging plan

Attn: Jennifer Peschke

(1) Given that logging in BC is the largest single largest contributor to GHG emissions and climate change is becoming climate chaos, there is NOTHING in your Forest Stewardship plan to address this.
You seem to think planting your super-seeds and waiting for more research and the provincial government to do something is the way to go— meanwhile you continue logging as usual.
What are your personal and corporation’s statement of Ethics?

(2) Small island eco-systems are particularly fragile and species more easily extirpated than elsewhere yet you continue to patch clearcut even more heavily than on the mainland—especially West Thurlow Island. Given that logging is now NOT the priority and the eco-system must come first (see David Eby’s recent changes to the “without unduly” clause)—you have not made any changes in your logging plans. Why is this?

(3) Given that in order to nest Marbled Murellets need a high horizontal branch of 15 cms or more diameter within 2-3 kms of the sea (expert, Dr. Alan E. Burger, retired prof. U.Vic.) this means a large proportion of the areas you are logging ARE marbled murrelets’ HABITAT. You have ignored this. Why?

(4) My particular concern is Hyacinthe Creek watershed where for 23 years I have watched TimberWest/Mosaic patch-clear-cut as the coho numbers have declined from 3,500 in 1947 to 44 in 2022. This area is only about 1% of TFL 47 yet you will not stop your ‘death by a thousand cuts’—because of “market forces and economic constraints” (to quote one of your employees).
How can you justify your SFI membership?

Sincerely
Eileen M. Sowerby M.B. Ch.B. M.A.
Friends of Hyacinthe Creek