Following up is good
In the course of searching for something else, I came across this determination published by the Managed Forest Council (MFC).
I knew some of the background already.
Background
The (now defunct) Pebble in the Pond Environmental Society had asked me to provide my impressions on the status of riparian areas in Lot 450 (on 16 May).
This I did (on 19 May). You can read it here.
My impressions were that the riparian areas surrounding McGuffie, McFall and Wys Creek remained mostly intact. By that time Pebble in the Pond had announced that they’d retained a lawyer, contacted the MFC, and that a “file had been opened”.
The investigative process
What I didn’t realize at the time was that a legal complaint had already been drafted and submitted (on 14 May). That letter stated, in part, that:
“Our client has further concerns that riparian values and fish habitat are also being unlawfully impacted, and our client has been advised by members of the local community that logging equipment has been crossing through streams without sufficient safeguards for water quality and fish habitat during harvesting”
This was (is?) news to me.
The result
In any event I’m greatly encouraged to report that MFC took the matter seriously. Thus another registered professional biologist (RPBio) was employed to visit the site (on 15 June) to examine the aforementioned riparian areas and report his findings. Based on that report, MFC determined that Island Timberlands had not contravened the Private Managed Forest Land Act or regulations.
We should all sleep better – though nary a tree was saved, the process worked.
The Hamilton & Associates report was thorough, professional, and in my estimation, accurate. This fact notwithstanding, I wonder what the cumulative costs of this “investigative process” were?
I suspect they were substantial, including legal fees paid for via public donations, and administrative fees and a professional report commissioned by, and ultimately paid for, by MFC and PMFL landowners.
In retrospect… I think my effort had nicer photos…but he had way better maps…
Updated: 23 July 2016