Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
To preserve, enhance and maintain natural areas of Sechelt and its surrounds
with special emphasis on the Sechelt Heritage Forest and the Hidden Grove.
"Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a songbird will come." -- Chinese proverb
SOME OF THE OTHER GOINGS ON
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SEPTEMBER 24/11
About 16 folks turned out for the tour. Dave Lasser, Ops Manager of the SCCF lead the tour and was very good at explaining things along the way.
Of particular interest to those of the Society was to get an idea or a commitment that some parts of Block A009 (See Map right) would not be logged to preserve the ambiance of the grove and to stop light pollution ruing the walking experience. Lasser reserved his position but this will be ironed out in the near future.
SEE A SMALL SLIDE SHOW OF TOUR
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THIS IS A PAGE TO GIVE VISITORS NEWS AND BACKGROUND ON OTHER THINGS FOR WHICH A SPECIFIC PAGE DOES NOT SEEM APPROPRIATE:
  • Negotiations
  • New overall developments
  • Publicity, and
  • MORE
SEPTEMBER 28TH AND AFTER
(You may wish to view the MAP -< Left to fully understand this message which was sent to all current members of the Society)
MORE OF HIDDEN GROVE AREA IS PROTECTED
You are all aware of the recent walk about in the Hidden Grove conducted by Community Forest Ops Manager Dave Lasser. It was primarily to review the cutting plans for what are called Blocks AN8, AN9 and AN10 all of which are close to the Grove above and out towards the power line sort of. 8 and 10 are really of no concern but AN9 is another story.

AN9 really borders on the north east side of the grove and some of our Green trail goes through it. We have long recognized that we might have to move the green trail since it is clearly outside the Grove and District boundaries. Our biggest concern was blow down and light pollution into the Grove by cutting too close and in particular near our post 19. On the map you can see the little square block that juts in. Light might well penetrate all the way to the Lonely Giant spoiling the abeyance forever.

On Wednesday the 28th we met with Dave. After a brief introduction, Dave pushed a map into the centre of the table and drew two lines on it. No logging within those. We were very pleasantly stunned.

You can see that the little bit past post 19 is saved. But so too is a very nice large chunk enclosing the green trail towards the north. The green trail can remain fully protected. It is like a good sized enlargement of the Grove.  These areas had always been legal cut blocks even going back to the Interfor and Canfor days. Folks, this is a very generous concession and we can celebrate.

While it is expected that any heavy equipment can be brought in from the east over a long deactivated logging road it is not practical for the hauling out of the logs. Dave tried to get the now defunct Silverback group to allow a road from the power line over to Sechelt Inlet Road but with them in receivership no decision could be obtained. That leaves reactivating the old logging road through the lower part of the Sechelt Heritage Forest - down where the chain is for the former entrance to the Lion's Club tree farm.

Logging of all three blocks is expected to start towards the end of this month and will only go on for about 6 months - the winter months thank goodness. Dave has done this before and will do it in a most sensitive way taking care to disturb as little as possible on that short stretch of road. There will be no new roads. There will be a flagman when trucks are moving out so those coming down the hill curves will be safely controlled. At the end of the logging they will deactivate the road, restore it as best can be done and will even sow grasses to help Mother Nature take over again better than now. That will be the end of logging near the Grove for probably 100 years.

A letter from the Society of support for the road opening was requested and after a unanimous vote by your board such a letter (with lots of provisos!) was sent out.

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