A campaign to protect Stillwater Bluffs south of Powell River received high-profile help from a provincial organization recently.
Jason Addy, of the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs, joined Ken Wu, co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance, at a press conference at the Sooke Potholes. The groups were calling on the BC government to form a land acquisition fund dedicated to protecting parkland.
Powell River Regional District’s Parks and Greenspace Plan identifies Stillwater Bluffs as one of the top five sites earmarked as priorities for parks acquisition. The regional district discussed the issue at its Thursday, March 8 committee-of-the-whole meeting, during which Laura Roddan, regional district planner, reported on a meeting with Island Timberlands on March 8.
Stillwater Bluffs is part of the 48-hectare District Lot 3040, owned by Island Timberlands. The company has completed a timber cruise to identify high value timber and logging may start next year or the year after.
Planning work has started and will continue over the coming months. It includes confirming road access, ground-truthing sensitive ecosystems, setting visual management objectives and considering recreational uses and community interests.
Planning work to date has confirmed that mosses and lichens, classified as herbaceous sensitive ecosystems, are on the rocky bluffs, which don’t have a high timber value.
The company’s real estate group handles all negotiations for land acquisitions. Park acquisitions are considered more valid if requested by local governments and there have been no park acquisitions negotiated with community groups.
If negotiations begin with the regional district, a confidentiality agreement would be signed and all planning activities would be suspended. Market value of the land would be determined through a property assessment based on residential use plus timber valuation.
Island Timberlands will not approve a moratorium on logging unless the regional district is in negotiations with the real estate group.
The Friends of Stillwater Bluffs has offered to pay Island Timberlands’ property taxes on the property while negotiations take place.
The committee agreed to refer the issue to the parks and greenspace plan implementation advisory committee.
Colin Palmer, board chair and Electoral Area C director, said there is no money in the system to purchase any land. However, he said the regional district should have some way of raising money for regional parks and suggested a parcel tax across the region, including in the city, should be explored. He also said the board would want to know from the parks and greenspace plan committee what other organizations or groups would be interested in raising money for Stillwater Bluffs.
The regional district has close to $300,000 in a community parks reserve. When asked about the funds, Palmer said it is not money for regional parks, because it came from subdivisions within the rural areas. “You can’t move money from an electoral function, which is where the money is, and put it into regional parks, which is a totally separate service,” he said.
When asked if the money in the community parks reserve could be used as an electoral area contribution toward a regional park, Mac Fraser, regional district chief administrative officer, said not without reviewing the terms in which it was accepted. “I believe we lack specific policy about how to use it,” he said. “In that situation, it would default to what was the statutory intention.”
Fraser said he would research the issue and bring the answer back to the committee.
The UBC Ancient Forest Committee (AFC) is hosting an afternoon slideshow event on Thursday March 15th in the SUB Room 207/209. This is in conjunction with Student Environment Centre’s Responsible Consumption Week.
Thursday March 15th from 2:30-5pm “An Afternoon of BC’s Ancient Forest” Slideshow Events! Expand your knowledge and relationship with BC’s old-growth forests with these stunning photo and film adventures from two separate slideshows. These are the first public old-growth forest slideshow events to come to UBC in over 2 years! Help the UBC Ancient Forest Committee turn out a good crowd – invite your friends! Show your support and please help spread the word!!!
In SUB Room 207/209
Schedule
2:30 pm “Ecology and Politics of BC’s Ancient Forests: Avatar Grove, Cortes Island, Walbran Valley, Fangorn Forest, and much more…” presented by Ken Wu, the founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance.
3:45 pm “The Great Vancouver Forest” A film and photo documentation of the ancient rainforests of Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains. Presented by Ira Sutherland, UBC Forestry student and director of the UBC AFC.
https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/afc-slideshow-poster-lg.jpg800619TJ Watthttps://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ancient-Forest-Alliance-logo.svgTJ Watt2012-03-13 00:00:002023-04-06 19:09:19An Afternoon of BC’s Ancient Forests at UBC Slideshow Event
The 2012 Tree Huggers Ball – Dance Party Extravaganza is here! This is going to be another huge night of live music, DJ’s, dance-offs, limbo contests, prizes and as always, a great crew of folks! Come dressed in any forest themed attire you desire!
DATE: Saturday, March. 10th TIME: 8pm – 1am LOCATION: Felicita’s Pub @ UVic TICKETS: $10 @ the UVSS booth in the SUB and at the door!
MUSIC FROM: The Stowaways! Compassion Gorilla! Benny The Jett! 5AM!
Through the last 2 events the UVic club has raised over $11,000 for the AFA making it nearly the largest contributor to the organization so far! So bring out your friends and get ready for an awesome time!
***********************************
★ COMPASSION GORILLA ★
Known for inciting dance parties in the street, where circus monkeys hang from streetlights and grizzly bears do cartwheels over cars, Compassion Gorilla takes the pulse and groove of an electronic dance party, and delivers it in an entirely live format. This 8-piece troupe of musical magicians packs a full-on festival presence and enwraps the audience in a spell of dance, magic and melody. https://www.compassiongorilla.com/
★ THE STOWAWAYS ★
If you feel like dancing, it’s The Stowaways prerogative: ripping fiddle tunes, mixed with high energy driving originals were the right medicine to get Raffi in the middle of the dance floor on Saltspring Island. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stowaways/190331387687024?sk=wall
Bluffs receive high-profile focus
/in News CoverageA campaign to protect Stillwater Bluffs south of Powell River received high-profile help from a provincial organization recently.
Jason Addy, of the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs, joined Ken Wu, co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance, at a press conference at the Sooke Potholes. The groups were calling on the BC government to form a land acquisition fund dedicated to protecting parkland.
Powell River Regional District’s Parks and Greenspace Plan identifies Stillwater Bluffs as one of the top five sites earmarked as priorities for parks acquisition. The regional district discussed the issue at its Thursday, March 8 committee-of-the-whole meeting, during which Laura Roddan, regional district planner, reported on a meeting with Island Timberlands on March 8.
Stillwater Bluffs is part of the 48-hectare District Lot 3040, owned by Island Timberlands. The company has completed a timber cruise to identify high value timber and logging may start next year or the year after.
Planning work has started and will continue over the coming months. It includes confirming road access, ground-truthing sensitive ecosystems, setting visual management objectives and considering recreational uses and community interests.
Planning work to date has confirmed that mosses and lichens, classified as herbaceous sensitive ecosystems, are on the rocky bluffs, which don’t have a high timber value.
The company’s real estate group handles all negotiations for land acquisitions. Park acquisitions are considered more valid if requested by local governments and there have been no park acquisitions negotiated with community groups.
If negotiations begin with the regional district, a confidentiality agreement would be signed and all planning activities would be suspended. Market value of the land would be determined through a property assessment based on residential use plus timber valuation.
Island Timberlands will not approve a moratorium on logging unless the regional district is in negotiations with the real estate group.
The Friends of Stillwater Bluffs has offered to pay Island Timberlands’ property taxes on the property while negotiations take place.
The committee agreed to refer the issue to the parks and greenspace plan implementation advisory committee.
Colin Palmer, board chair and Electoral Area C director, said there is no money in the system to purchase any land. However, he said the regional district should have some way of raising money for regional parks and suggested a parcel tax across the region, including in the city, should be explored. He also said the board would want to know from the parks and greenspace plan committee what other organizations or groups would be interested in raising money for Stillwater Bluffs.
The regional district has close to $300,000 in a community parks reserve. When asked about the funds, Palmer said it is not money for regional parks, because it came from subdivisions within the rural areas. “You can’t move money from an electoral function, which is where the money is, and put it into regional parks, which is a totally separate service,” he said.
When asked if the money in the community parks reserve could be used as an electoral area contribution toward a regional park, Mac Fraser, regional district chief administrative officer, said not without reviewing the terms in which it was accepted. “I believe we lack specific policy about how to use it,” he said. “In that situation, it would default to what was the statutory intention.”
Fraser said he would research the issue and bring the answer back to the committee.
Read more at: https://www.prpeak.com/articles/2012/03/14/news/doc4f5fe07ade3a4762868102.txt
An Afternoon of BC’s Ancient Forests at UBC Slideshow Event
/in AnnouncementsThe UBC Ancient Forest Committee (AFC) is hosting an afternoon slideshow event on Thursday March 15th in the SUB Room 207/209. This is in conjunction with Student Environment Centre’s Responsible Consumption Week.
Thursday March 15th from 2:30-5pm “An Afternoon of BC’s Ancient Forest” Slideshow Events! Expand your knowledge and relationship with BC’s old-growth forests with these stunning photo and film adventures from two separate slideshows. These are the first public old-growth forest slideshow events to come to UBC in over 2 years! Help the UBC Ancient Forest Committee turn out a good crowd – invite your friends! Show your support and please help spread the word!!!
In SUB Room 207/209
Schedule
2:30 pm “Ecology and Politics of BC’s Ancient Forests: Avatar Grove, Cortes Island, Walbran Valley, Fangorn Forest, and much more…” presented by Ken Wu, the founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance.
3:45 pm “The Great Vancouver Forest” A film and photo documentation of the ancient rainforests of Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains. Presented by Ira Sutherland, UBC Forestry student and director of the UBC AFC.
Tree Huggers Ball Dance Party at UVic! (Saturday, Mar. 10th)
/in AnnouncementsThe 2012 Tree Huggers Ball – Dance Party Extravaganza is here! This is going to be another huge night of live music, DJ’s, dance-offs, limbo contests, prizes and as always, a great crew of folks! Come dressed in any forest themed attire you desire!
DATE: Saturday, March. 10th
TIME: 8pm – 1am
LOCATION: Felicita’s Pub @ UVic
TICKETS: $10 @ the UVSS booth in the SUB and at the door!
MUSIC FROM: The Stowaways! Compassion Gorilla! Benny The Jett! 5AM!
FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/events/380718538605237/
Through the last 2 events the UVic club has raised over $11,000 for the AFA making it nearly the largest contributor to the organization so far! So bring out your friends and get ready for an awesome time!
***********************************
★ COMPASSION GORILLA ★
Known for inciting dance parties in the street, where circus monkeys hang from streetlights and grizzly bears do cartwheels over cars, Compassion Gorilla takes the pulse and groove of an electronic dance party, and delivers it in an entirely live format. This 8-piece troupe of musical magicians packs a full-on festival presence and enwraps the audience in a spell of dance, magic and melody.www.compassiongorilla.com/
https://
If you feel like dancing, it’s The Stowaways prerogative: ripping fiddle tunes, mixed with high energy driving originals were the right medicine to get Raffi in the middle of the dance floor on Saltspring Island.pages/The-Stowaways/190331387687024?sk=wall
https://www.facebook.com/