[can.general] Help Save The Carmanah Valley

a13@mindlink.UUCP (Peter Ronald) (05/28/89)

              DON'T LET IT BE A CLEAR-CUT DECISION!

On  the  west  coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, grows
the  best  Sitka spruce left in Canada.  Canada's tallest tree, a
311  foot  giant  is  found  here.   Ancient groves of Sitka once
dominated  the  alluvial  river  flats  near the mouths of rivers
emptying  into the Canadian Pacific.  Nearly all have been logged
over  the  last  century.   Concerned  people want to save the 27
square  mile Carmanah Valley to ensure that this natural heritage
is preserved forever.

Logging  giant MacMillan Bloedel is spending thousands of dollars
to  convince  us  that  more  than 90% of Carmanah Valley must be
logged.

The  greatest  threat  to  the  forest industry is not wilderness
preservation,  as  claimed,  but  over  cutting, soil erosion and
inadequate forest regeneration.

We cannot sustain our economy AND destroy our environment.

When  you  help  preserve Carmanah Valley you are helping to save
planet  earth, of which we are all a part:  rainforests stabilize
the  earth's  climate  and  release  life giving oxygen.  You are
helping us to live within the web of life without destroying it.

Please  take  a  moment  to  write  to  the government of British
Columbia  and  add  your voice to the many that want the pristine
majesty   of   Carmanah   saved   from  logging.   We  expect  an
announcement  on  the fate of the Carmanah Valley within the next
two  weeks.   There  is  just  enough  time to have your feelings
represented to the government of British Columbia.


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     PLEASE PRINT AND MAIL THE FOLLOWING LETTER IMMEDIATELY!
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Premier W. Vander Zalm
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C.  V8V 1X4


Dear Honourable Premier,

Logging interests believe that preserving 8% of Carnanah Valley
is enough to ensure protection of the 700 year old spruce growing
there.  They claim that reserving 538 hectares where the largest
of the Sitka spruce grow while logging over 90% of the valley is
sufficient protection and that road access into the bottom of the
valley will enhance recreation opportunity.

Environmentalists hold that the entire 6,700 hectare valley must
be preserved.  They believe that extensive logging will result in
irreversible blowdown and erosion.  They state that to fully
protect the Carmanah watershed and giant spruce, 100% of the
primordial ecosystem must be preserved and that a system of
hiking trails throughout the valley will enhance the West Coast
Trail in the adjacent Pacific Rim National Park.

Regarding these two options, I support:
 _
|_|  Preserving 8% of Carmanah, the area proposed by logging
     interests.
 _
|_|  Preserving all of Carmanah, the proposal supported by
     environmentalists.

Other opinion ___________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Sincerely,



--
Peter_Ronald  a13@mindlink.uucp            ///   They don't understand
1441 E. 2nd Ave., Vancouver, BC CANADA \\\///  We live on Indian land.
(604) 255-4556                          \\\/      - Spirit of the West
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