For over six weeks, a group in Alberta has been demonstrating against a forestry company’s plans to cut down a significant area of trees in the Crowsnest Pass.
Members of Defenders of the Eastern Slopes are opposed to West Fraser’s expedited logging of approximately 460 hectares of forest in the Allison Creek region, located in southwestern Alberta near the border with British Columbia.
While the organization argues that residents of Crowsnest Pass require effective wildfire protection, they are questioning whether the intended logging is appropriate in terms of location, method, and scale.
Colin Smith, a community organizer with Defenders of the Eastern Slopes, stated that support within the community has increased since group members have set up camp on-site and have been raising awareness about the planned logging.
Members of Defenders of the Eastern Slopes gathered around a fire on Tuesday. (Avery Woods/CBC)
“We are truly gaining traction with our message that a new approach is needed for forest management in the Eastern Slopes,” Smith told CBC News.
The Defenders of the Eastern Slopes are urging the Alberta government to implement legislation that would provide special protections and management practices for the Eastern Slopes.
“We need to adopt long-term, intergenerational perspectives that prioritize water over the next century,” Smith emphasized.
Group claims to be engaging in peaceful civil disobedience
Members of Defenders of the Eastern Slopes are trying to delay West Fraser’s operations, but they are doing so in a peaceful and non-violent manner, according to Smith.
They successfully blocked a bridge in a meadow from being relocated three times, he mentioned.
West Fraser subsequently obtained a temporary injunction and, under police supervision, relocated the bridge, which is intended to provide access to a logging site.
“Our actions were not violent; we remained peaceful while simply hindering the bridge’s movement,” Smith stated.
The court injunction permits West Fraser to continue its operations, and Smith indicated that the group does not plan to obstruct the company further.
Sgt. Mark Amatto, the Crowsnest Pass RCMP commander, noted that the RCMP and conservation officers have been conducting regular patrols to ensure both Defenders of the Eastern Slopes and West Fraser are “conducting themselves appropriately.”
However, he reported that the situation at the site has remained peaceful.
West Fraser replies
In a statement to CBC News, West Fraser asserted that its planned logging in the Allison Creek area aligns with the Alberta government’s Community Hazardous Fuels Reduction (CHFR) program.
This initiative was created to safeguard communities against wildfire risks by instructing forestry companies to focus on reducing fuel loads near identified high-risk areas.
The Defenders of the Eastern Slopes have been protesting for six weeks against the planned logging of about 460 hectares in the Crowsnest Pass. (Avery Woods/CBC)
The company emphasized that Alberta has a “strong” regulatory framework that includes requirements for forestry operations, covering environmentally sensitive areas and water sources.
“West Fraser is dedicated to conducting the work in Allison Creek while adhering to the highest environmental standards and meeting all regulatory mandates. Our planning includes monitoring conditions before and after the harvest to ensure responsible stewardship,” the company stated.
West Fraser also mentioned that it had commissioned an independent review to assess the hydrological impacts of the upcoming CHFR logging.
“The review indicated that the planned logging would minimally affect the Allison Creek area, with further impacts being reduced as the forest regenerates,” the company explained.
“Importantly, considering the need to safeguard aquatic habitats in Allison Creek, the hydrological evaluation predicts only slight changes in streamflow.”
‘Timely wildfire risk reduction’
In a statement to CBC News, Alberta Forestry and Parks indicated that the Community Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program was developed following a wildfire risk assessment of over 200 communities within Alberta’s forest protection zone.
“Allison Creek has been designated as a priority community, and the efforts underway will provide timely wildfire risk reduction for both the community of Tecumseh and the Crowsnest Pass municipality,” the department stated.
During an interview with CBC News on Wednesday, Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen mentioned that West Fraser’s logging will primarily involve removing spruce and pine trees, which are the most fire-prone species, to better protect the community from wildfires.
Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen states that logging in the Crowsnest Pass will aid in wildfire protection for the community. (Jamie McCannel/CBC)
“Without that combustible material in the environment, fires won’t spread as quickly or as intensely,” Loewen remarked at the legislature on Wednesday. “This approach has been applied in many other communities throughout the province.”
Similar initiatives have previously been conducted in Whitecourt, Hinton, and Canmore, with additional projects planned, according to Loewen.
Mike Judd, a member of Defenders of the Eastern Slopes. (Avery Woods/CBC)
Old-growth forest preservation emphasized by DOES member
Nevertheless, Mike Judd, a member of Defenders of the Eastern Slopes, insists that it is crucial to protect old-growth forests.
“Old-growth forests are essential for maintaining water quality, regulating water flow, preventing flooding, and slowing the drying out of the landscape,” Judd stated.