Dear Editor:
Re. Gambier Woodlots Put on Hold, July 2
I own the existing woodlot on Gambier Island. My family first came to Gambier in 1912 and I moved to Gambier from North Vancouver in 1968. Everyone said I was nuts to come to Gambier. They said I'd never get a job. But I found work and then in 1990 I received approval for my 400- hectare woodlot.
The people I see and talk to on Gambier support my woodlot. When I build roads I leave them there for the future. People like it because they can walk through the forest. More people are coming over to the island now because of the openings and the trails the woodlot creates.
Some people are worried about the two new woodlots tendered for sale on Gambier. I don't think there's reason to be. The woodlot program makes sense for this kind of area. Woodlots are usually locally owned and operate with local contractors. Because of their smaller size and local ties, they're a good tenure for working with community members.
And it won't be logged all at once as was suggested in the article. With an annual cut of 3,000 m3 for each woodlot, it'll take approximately 100 years to fully harvest both woodlots.I can testify to the fact that in 100 years the first new trees planted will be 150 feet tall. There are also a lot of regulations and planning in forestry. They won't be logging near streams or beside the lake. But the roads they build will be great hiking trails for years to come. A lot of the trails we use now in the area are from logging that happened in the 1940s.Finally, woodlots prevent development. Anywhere there is private property on Gambier and someone can get their hands on it, it gets developed. I know development is not always a bad thing, but I like the woods.
Bill Errico
Gambier Island
