AWA Wilderness & Wildlife Defenders: Stop Star Creek Logging

December 8, 2014

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• Action Alerts
• Castle
• Grizzly Bears
• Headwaters
• Native Coldwater Fish
• Rocky Mountain and Foothills Forests
• Species at Risk

Dear Wilderness Defender,

AWA has learned that the experimental logging of Star Creek is going ahead.

Despite the number of groups and individuals expressing concern about the planned logging of Star Creek, it seems the logging operation is set to begin. As part of the Southern Rockies Watershed Project, the Alberta government has approved logging next to a sensitive watershed. This ecologically significant area falls within core grizzly bear habitat and within mountain goat and sheep ranges. The creek, downstream of the proposed logging area, contains threatened pure strain westslope cutthroat trout and other important aquatic species. The area has already surpassed its linear density thresholds for more than one species’ recovery strategy and we believe logging must not take place at this location for any reason. The state of our headwaters affects all of us. Your letter may help make a difference and together we could suspend this planned logging.

Background

 
The Alberta Government has approved logging just south of Highway 3 in AWA’s Castle Area of Concern. They have contracted Canfor, a BC logging company, to harvest the upper valley of Star Creek. The details on how it will be logged are part of the Southern Rockies Watershed Project.

This research project includes comparing natural disturbance to human disturbance and has contributed to forest hydrology science. AWA supports the use of sound scientific information for decision making and does not oppose hydrological research along the Eastern Slopes. However, we do OPPOSE the experimental logging of Star Creek for the following reasons:

1. Westslope Cutthroat Trout is a federally and provincially listed threatened species. In the federal Recovery Strategy a segment of Star Creek downstream of the proposed forest harvest is identified as critical habitat and it still has a rare pure strain westslope cutthroat population. Logging will reduce the recovery potential for cutthroat populations and further threaten the health of aquatic ecosystems.
2. Linear disturbance thresholds that have long been surpassed in the Castle and Crowsnest area will increase substantially with logging roads and skid trails planned for harvesting upper Star Creek valley.
3. Research Repeatability: Each watershed can respond uniquely to logging due to local characteristics such as slope, elevation, size, geology, drainage density, groundwater contribution, and runoff timing. This suggests that logging Star Creek will not produce research results that necessarily reflect across the entire eastern slopes.

For AWA’s full letter to then ESRD Minister Robin Campbell click here.
 

Map shows Star Creek Logging plan overlaid on a map with new SSRP provincial park designations (green) and critical habitat streams containing westslope cutthroat trout with 1200m buffer (yellow).
 

Take Action

 
Write your letter to:

Honourable Kyle Fawcett
Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
#420 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
Email: ESRD.Minister@gov.ab.ca
 
…and please send a copy to bverbeek@abwild.ca for our files.

20141208_aa_wwd_star_creek_logging.pdf