President Alan Brown welcomed 67 members to our November General Meeting.
New club members Barrie Russell, Joanne Endacott, and Diana Guinn were mentioned. President Brown reminded us there will be no GM in December. Instead the club will celebrate with a Dinner and Dance on December 3. There are 8 tickets left and they are available from Michele Morton today. President Brown announced to raucous applause that Michele would be staying on as Special Events Coordinator until June 2023. The club is looking for an assistant to work with Michele and eventually become the Special Events Coordinator. If anyone is interested contact Michele, Jim Belair, or John McGinn.
President Brown thanked Vice President Lorne Meyer who stood in for him in his absence last month. President Brown stated he was happy to be back and handed the mic over to Vice President Lorne.
Lorne introduced our guest speaker, Dave Weaver, who worked in Forestry in BC for 37 years from Vancouver Island to Smithers. He was a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) since 1981. Dave’s last 12 years were spent working for the Provincial Government in Silviculture Policy and Legislation in Smithers and Victoria. Retired now, Dave is the Vice President of the Beaufort Watershed Stewards (BWS) primarily involved in administration and water sampling.
Have our local watersheds been logged too much or not hydrologically?
What would be the implications?
Dave stated he will try to answer these questions by presenting his findings from the Beaufort Watershed Stewards’ 2021 Hydrological Health Report Card on four local watersheds on the east side of the Beaufort Mountains. The Mud Bay, Waterloo Creek, Wilfred, and Cowie Creek ranging in size from 363 hectares to 2057 broken down by percentage of public and private ownership. Dave is neither a hydrologist nor against logging but sees a better way and would like all values to be considered from the start of tree harvesting.
The Mission of the BWS is to promote the health and resilience of local watersheds in the Beaufort Range and to ensure the quality and quantity of fresh water for the future. Dave drew up the report card with graphs and findings to promote the next steps and the change necessary if we value our drinking water. The BWS is a small group of 35 members working out of Fanny Bay. Their major activity is sampling streams.
If a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear or CARE?
That depends on how many, where, and how.
Why should we care? In 2022, the Forest Practices Board (FPB), which is an independent watchdog that audits the government on forestry performance practices and water, reported that current practices already have a negative impact on drinking water, fish habitat, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Younes Alila, a Forest Hydrologist and Professor at UBC, states it would take years, sixty to eighty for watersheds to recover. Three out of five watersheds in BC had sediment from forest harvesting roads that increases risk to fish. The FPB recommends that the Equivalent Clearcut Area (ECA) percentage be reviewed as the first step in assessing watershed health.
What are the potential effects of Harvest Activity?
Three aspects need to be considered:
The BWS Study examined 7 of the 9 primary factors:
The BWS Study found the Cowie Creek Watershed to be of concern today earning a D grade and being the most unhealthy.
Next Steps
Vice President Meyer thanked Dave for his fascinating presentation and expertise and dedication.
President Brown asked those present whether they preferred regular or decaf coffee and as there was not a definitive answer the club will continue to serve both.
He again reminded us there is no General Meeting in December.
The winners of Mudshark gift certificates were: Deb Haynes and John McGinn. The winners of Benino gift certificates were: Al Sabey and Anne Champagne.
President Alan again thanked everyone for coming.
NEXT GENERAL MEETING JANUARY 5, 2023.
Pictures of meeting and guest speaker Dave Weaver, winners Anne Champagne and Al Sabey and Dorothy picking husband John's name as winner! Photos compliments of Ian Thompson.
New club members Barrie Russell, Joanne Endacott, and Diana Guinn were mentioned. President Brown reminded us there will be no GM in December. Instead the club will celebrate with a Dinner and Dance on December 3. There are 8 tickets left and they are available from Michele Morton today. President Brown announced to raucous applause that Michele would be staying on as Special Events Coordinator until June 2023. The club is looking for an assistant to work with Michele and eventually become the Special Events Coordinator. If anyone is interested contact Michele, Jim Belair, or John McGinn.
President Brown thanked Vice President Lorne Meyer who stood in for him in his absence last month. President Brown stated he was happy to be back and handed the mic over to Vice President Lorne.
Lorne introduced our guest speaker, Dave Weaver, who worked in Forestry in BC for 37 years from Vancouver Island to Smithers. He was a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) since 1981. Dave’s last 12 years were spent working for the Provincial Government in Silviculture Policy and Legislation in Smithers and Victoria. Retired now, Dave is the Vice President of the Beaufort Watershed Stewards (BWS) primarily involved in administration and water sampling.
Have our local watersheds been logged too much or not hydrologically?
What would be the implications?
Dave stated he will try to answer these questions by presenting his findings from the Beaufort Watershed Stewards’ 2021 Hydrological Health Report Card on four local watersheds on the east side of the Beaufort Mountains. The Mud Bay, Waterloo Creek, Wilfred, and Cowie Creek ranging in size from 363 hectares to 2057 broken down by percentage of public and private ownership. Dave is neither a hydrologist nor against logging but sees a better way and would like all values to be considered from the start of tree harvesting.
The Mission of the BWS is to promote the health and resilience of local watersheds in the Beaufort Range and to ensure the quality and quantity of fresh water for the future. Dave drew up the report card with graphs and findings to promote the next steps and the change necessary if we value our drinking water. The BWS is a small group of 35 members working out of Fanny Bay. Their major activity is sampling streams.
If a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear or CARE?
That depends on how many, where, and how.
Why should we care? In 2022, the Forest Practices Board (FPB), which is an independent watchdog that audits the government on forestry performance practices and water, reported that current practices already have a negative impact on drinking water, fish habitat, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Younes Alila, a Forest Hydrologist and Professor at UBC, states it would take years, sixty to eighty for watersheds to recover. Three out of five watersheds in BC had sediment from forest harvesting roads that increases risk to fish. The FPB recommends that the Equivalent Clearcut Area (ECA) percentage be reviewed as the first step in assessing watershed health.
What are the potential effects of Harvest Activity?
Three aspects need to be considered:
- Harvesting: the extent and size of clearcuts (where every tree is disturbed and denuded and defined as anything greater than 2 tree lengths apart) to consider leaving a lighter footprint.
- Method of Harvesting: Heli-logging where logs are lifted up leaving a minimal footprint as opposed to skidders and tractors etc. but this is expensive and used for steep terrain.
- Road building: The actual construction should mimic the natural waterflow. The construction time of year can also minimize damage as can the maintenance of roads decreasing the amount of sediment loss.
The BWS Study examined 7 of the 9 primary factors:
- ECA - “a snapshot in time of the percentage of the watershed area still in a hydrological ‘clearcut state’
- Total Area Harvested.
- Road Density - the more roads and creeks one crosses equals more damage
- Number of Streams
- Number of Landslides
- Riparian Protection (vegetation along streams)
- Road Maintenance
The BWS Study found the Cowie Creek Watershed to be of concern today earning a D grade and being the most unhealthy.
Next Steps
- Determining the source of sediment (natural or not?)
- Instituting a water quantity monitoring program
- Perform Hydrological Health Report Cards (HHRC) on other Watersheds. The Tsable River Watershed at 10,000 hectares.
- Advocate for reform of the Private Managed Forest Land Act (PMFLA) to control and lower rates of harvesting.
- Become informed and spread factual knowledge. Check out:
www.evergreenalliance.ca
Google earth engine: google.com/timelapse
Mission, BC: mission.ca/city-hall/departments/forestry - Advocate for responsible forest harvesting and insist on reducing the rate of harvest on Private Forest Land.
- Are there ways of harvesting trees to leave mother trees in the ground intact? There are other ways but they are not openly accepted and clearcutting is the cheapest. The 3 other ways are: Variable Retention, Patch Harvesting, and Single Entry Dispersed Retention. Check out Dr. Suzanne Simard and The Mother Tree Project of UBC.
- Anything over a 60% slope must be heli-logged as access is the issue.
- With regards to logging on Private Land, major corporations have licences from the PMFLA which governs 800,000 hectares. This allows them a reduction in taxes.
Vice President Meyer thanked Dave for his fascinating presentation and expertise and dedication.
President Brown asked those present whether they preferred regular or decaf coffee and as there was not a definitive answer the club will continue to serve both.
He again reminded us there is no General Meeting in December.
The winners of Mudshark gift certificates were: Deb Haynes and John McGinn. The winners of Benino gift certificates were: Al Sabey and Anne Champagne.
President Alan again thanked everyone for coming.
NEXT GENERAL MEETING JANUARY 5, 2023.
Pictures of meeting and guest speaker Dave Weaver, winners Anne Champagne and Al Sabey and Dorothy picking husband John's name as winner! Photos compliments of Ian Thompson.
GLACIER PROBUS CLUB MEET AND GREET OCTOBER 25,2022 was held from 3:30-5:30 at Murrelet Place Club House for all new members having joined since June, 2022. It was a wine and appies gathering with veggie, fruit, and sweet snack trays.
33 new members were invited and 22 attended along with 8 Management Committee members.
President Alan Brown welcomed all and shared what we do at Probus. After speaking about a number of activity groups, Alan invited Jim Belair, Activity Groups Coordinator to speak more about our Activity Groups.
Everyone had a great time.
Thank you to Brenda Latta for organizing this successful event. Brenda noted it was great to put faces to the names of folks she had been dealing with via email.
Thank you to all the helping hands.
Thank you to Mary Ann Tait who secured the Club House for this event.
Pictures by Ian Thompson. Thank you Ian.
33 new members were invited and 22 attended along with 8 Management Committee members.
President Alan Brown welcomed all and shared what we do at Probus. After speaking about a number of activity groups, Alan invited Jim Belair, Activity Groups Coordinator to speak more about our Activity Groups.
Everyone had a great time.
Thank you to Brenda Latta for organizing this successful event. Brenda noted it was great to put faces to the names of folks she had been dealing with via email.
Thank you to all the helping hands.
Thank you to Mary Ann Tait who secured the Club House for this event.
Pictures by Ian Thompson. Thank you Ian.