News/Reports

Drizzle lake Ecological Reserve Compromised by Logging Plans

Posted August 10, 2015 | Categories : 52,Issues,Logging old-growth,Management,Maps |

July-2015: The Friends of Ecological Reserves was contacted by Mark Spoljaricon, M.Sc. Haida Fisheries Program Biologist, Skidegate Haida Gwaii on July 22 about an increased risk to the Drizzle Lake ER due to BC Timber Sales (BCTS) planned auction of harvest Block DRL I05 which makes the access to the lake more exposed. Any anthropogenic alteration to this lake would result in loss of ecological integrity. Unfortunately, this heads-up has come a bit late to probably have any effect on the decision in BC Timber Sales to auction off the blocks for logging.

Research on the Drizzle Lake Ecosystem started in 1975 and Dr.Tom Reimchen the principle researcher says a conservative estimate of the research investment is between $120,000 to $150,000 in the Drizzle Lake ER.

Friends of ER have reviewed the situation and are very alarmed that this risk is apparently acceptable to BCTS. We do not think they really understood the value of this EC and were not aware of the investments or the risk.

The 4 blocks are going up for auction and now that we asking for DRL 105 to be taken out of the package, however our concerns have nbot found any sympathy in the Forestry bureaucracy. We sense it has been placed on fast forward.

Mike Fenger has made a good attempt to raise this concern with FLNRO. More information on this will be added later.