Industrial bugs
I appreciated reading the informative article of January 12 which described the outbreak of the Douglas fir bark beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae) in the Sunshine Coast Forest District (SCFD) [“Bark beetle threatens coastal forests”]. It will be interesting to me if the Peak can publish additional information, preferably from independent scientific research on the subject. Meanwhile, some things were omitted in the section of the article which presumed to explain the reason for the rapid population increase of the voracious insects.
Western Forest Products’ representative Rudy van Zwaaij states that “The preferred tree for a bark beetle to go to is a healthy tree that is freshly blown over or freshly felled.” He neglected to mention the part which industrial logging plays in the phenomenon of felled trees and subsequent blowdowns. Logging accounts for especially large numbers of blowdowns of otherwise healthy trees wherever big cutblocks leave the nearby standing timber vulnerable and exposed.
Ministry of forests, mines and lands resource technologist Martin Plewak was quoted in the Peak article saying: “Trees...on the ground are like candy to the bark beetle.” The time frame addressed in the article is exactly the time frame when Plutonic Power Corporation deforested thousands of acres of land for their power transmission line right-of-way in a swath which traversed the SCFD. It is claimed that substantial amounts of timber were felled and left to rot on the ground—a shocking waste of wood and a hefty source of greenhouse gas emissions. Now we hear of a beetle outbreak of similar proportions.
Until logging is done differently and independent power project transmission lines are done differently, we will continue to see imbalances in nature in BC. Will the ministry’s researchers connect the dots and assign blame where it belongs?
The ministry and industry are now asking the public to cooperate and help by checking what they have in their woodshed. Corporations will duck, dodge and hide, so a truly independent study is needed. Bark beetles and their babies should not be feared or scorned for this. Resource and energy corporations are another matter.
David Moore
Weldwood Road
Speak up for arena site
The old arena site was a park gift [“Council votes to hold second public hearing,” January 26]. My dad and many others built the arena. It was a wonderful example of people caring and building for the benefit of their hometown.
Last year, after a public hearing, it was clearly stated the majority wanted it to remain park area.
It is such a special beautiful area and tourists rave about the natural beauty. As our town grows the need for peaceful waterfront becomes more precious.
Speak up, people. After February 16 it will be up to City of Powell River council and it could be lost forever, unaffordable and very sad. We will have lost a treasure.
Rosemary B. Hawkins
Manitoba Avenue
