Salmon can't speak, so Greg Billard does it for them. Billard is the president of the Salmonid Association of Eastern Newfoundland (SAEN). Billard said west coast salmon and trout will suffer under a recent decision by Environment Minister Charlene Johnson - who recently approved a five-year forest cutting plan to supply wood for Corner Brook Pulp and Paper (CBPP).
"Your inaction and lack of public accountability is incomprehensible," Billard said in a letter to Johnson and copied to The Telegram.
Billard - and other environmentalists - are upset the province agreed to CBPP's environmental assessment over its logging plans from Burgeo and Port aux Basques in the south to the southern boundary of Gros Morne National Park.
CBPP plans to cut approximately 1,684,000 cubic metres of timber and build 77 kilometres of access roads. It also plans to plant trees on 6,250 hectares and use herbicides on about 200 hectares.
The plan involves clear cutting some areas.
SAEN says the plan will hurt salmon and trout in the area.
"The imposition of simple measures like wider buffers around all water bodies and forbidding cutting in broader areas around salmon rivers and all the important spawning tributaries would have gone a long way towards mitigating the undeniably adverse impacts of this plan," wrote Billard.
Two environmental groups - the Canadian Parks and Wildlife Society (CPAWS) and the Coalition for Sustainable Forests -are asking Johnson to reverse her decision.
"The extensive proposed clearcutting will negatively affect everything from sensitive salmon spawning grounds, endangered species to natural scenic beauty of this tourism active area," said Julie Harrington, the executive director of CPAWS.
She said the plan could destroy as much as 20,780 square kilometres, or 20 per cent of Newfoundland's insular forests.
"With the limited information available in the registration document by Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, it is evident that the public could witness the clearcutting of natural jewels, such as the Humber River Valley, Pinchgut Lake and extensive tracts of watersheds of internationally renowned salmon rivers, including the Harry's River and others along the southwest coast," said ecologist Ian Goudie.
They also criticized access to Johnson in the lead-up to her decision.
"Requests for meetings and discussion on the process have been met with a stone wall of silence from you and your officials," Billard said.
Johnson said she plans to write back to Billard and explain her decision, which was based on advice from her officials and the outside opinions of the inland water division of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Johnson said those officials said the plan does protect fish and wildlife in the area.
"I certainly will respond to (SAEN) and provide them with the same clarification that I did with the Atlantic Salmon Federation showing that we take the environmental assessment process very seriously and there's the opportunity for the public to comment," said Johnson. "We have to rely on the expert advice of people such as our water resources division and the DFO, so when they come back to me and say they're satisfied that salmon are being protected and caribou - which is also mentioned - and the pine martin, then that's the advice I have to rely on."
Johnson said there are regulations that require the CBPP to use proper buffer zones around sensitive salmon areas. The company must also respect a 500-metre "no roads" buffer next to Flat Bay Brook and must contact the province if it plans to cut within one kilometre of a protected area.
pwalsh@thetelegram.com
Speaking up for salmon
Environmentalists say clearcutting will hurt west coast salmon
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Comments
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- David
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:18:46
Turn the forest into newsprint (a product no one needs), to maintain some mill jobs (that are doomed anyway), at the expense of rivers (which can't be fixed once ruined).
Danny, use that big brain and enormous majority of yours and come up with the kind of long-term ideas and policies that will improve the province, not oversee its continued demise. -
- Brian
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:17:53
Unbelievable. The apparent disregard for the environment in this process appears to me to be done for no other reason than to bend to industry demands. The clearcutting of our forests will inevitably negatively impact fish habitat, be there buffer zones or not. the flooding events we have seen in Gambo and other areas are a direct result of clearcutting inland, since there are no trees and other vegetation to absorb rainfall. Silting of our riverways can be directly attributed to clearcutting. We're supposed to 'rely' on the advice of DFO? The DFO that continually cuts back on science research and enforcement? Since we're relying on the advice of DFO, we must assume that they also don't think there will be any adverse affect on Sandy Pond? Who cares about the environment, there's money to be made by multinationals, the same money which flows out of NL and into the pocket of shareholders in some far reaching land. Accountability? We clearly haven't learned much have we? These actions serve no long term interest for NL - we'll just be left to deal with the fallout from the environmental destruction projects of this nature will inevitably cause, with the blessing of our provincial government no less.
Disgusting. -
- greg
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:12:14
Mr. Billard, you should see what the Minister of Environment approved on the Avalon. The destruction of all forms of life in Sandy Pond, Long Hr. It will become a toxic dump for the new tenant on an already toxic work site. In addition to that , they will pump toxic water into Placentia Bay, with thumbs up from the Provincial Government and DFO. But, your Grandmother's home heating oil tank. Well, thats a huge matter. They are cracking down on those errant senior citizens. Heads will roll on that issue. The courts will be full of seniors. Pathetic ,isn't it!
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- Lloyd
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:10:32
She said the plan could destroy as much as 20,780 square kilometres, or 20 per cent of Newfoundlands insular forests. Unquote.
Seems to me that ALL Newfoundland's forests are 'insular'.
This government is clearly showing itself to be not very considerate of environmental issues. Note the recent proposal to destroy the Gros Morne Park with transmission lines - which incidentally require huge perpetual clearcuts on it's way from Grand River to Newfoundland. That and the downsizing of key parts of the proposed National Park in the Mealy Mountains area in Labrador. It also appears they are not very considerate of public discussion regarding any particular issue. -
- David
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:00:23
Turn the forest into newsprint (a product no one needs), to maintain some mill jobs (that are doomed anyway), at the expense of rivers (which can't be fixed once ruined).
Danny, use that big brain and enormous majority of yours and come up with the kind of long-term ideas and policies that will improve the province, not oversee its continued demise. -
- Brian
- - July 1st, 2010 at 19:58:51
Unbelievable. The apparent disregard for the environment in this process appears to me to be done for no other reason than to bend to industry demands. The clearcutting of our forests will inevitably negatively impact fish habitat, be there buffer zones or not. the flooding events we have seen in Gambo and other areas are a direct result of clearcutting inland, since there are no trees and other vegetation to absorb rainfall. Silting of our riverways can be directly attributed to clearcutting. We're supposed to 'rely' on the advice of DFO? The DFO that continually cuts back on science research and enforcement? Since we're relying on the advice of DFO, we must assume that they also don't think there will be any adverse affect on Sandy Pond? Who cares about the environment, there's money to be made by multinationals, the same money which flows out of NL and into the pocket of shareholders in some far reaching land. Accountability? We clearly haven't learned much have we? These actions serve no long term interest for NL - we'll just be left to deal with the fallout from the environmental destruction projects of this nature will inevitably cause, with the blessing of our provincial government no less.
Disgusting. -
- greg
- - July 1st, 2010 at 19:49:19
Mr. Billard, you should see what the Minister of Environment approved on the Avalon. The destruction of all forms of life in Sandy Pond, Long Hr. It will become a toxic dump for the new tenant on an already toxic work site. In addition to that , they will pump toxic water into Placentia Bay, with thumbs up from the Provincial Government and DFO. But, your Grandmother's home heating oil tank. Well, thats a huge matter. They are cracking down on those errant senior citizens. Heads will roll on that issue. The courts will be full of seniors. Pathetic ,isn't it!
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- Lloyd
- - July 1st, 2010 at 19:46:37
She said the plan could destroy as much as 20,780 square kilometres, or 20 per cent of Newfoundlands insular forests. Unquote.
Seems to me that ALL Newfoundland's forests are 'insular'.
This government is clearly showing itself to be not very considerate of environmental issues. Note the recent proposal to destroy the Gros Morne Park with transmission lines - which incidentally require huge perpetual clearcuts on it's way from Grand River to Newfoundland. That and the downsizing of key parts of the proposed National Park in the Mealy Mountains area in Labrador. It also appears they are not very considerate of public discussion regarding any particular issue.
