For over six weeks, a group in Alberta has been demonstrating against the proposed logging of a significant area of trees in the Crowsnest Pass by a forestry company.
Members of the Defenders of the Eastern Slopes oppose West Fraser’s accelerated logging plan, which aims to clear approximately 460 hectares of forest in the Allison Creek region, located in southwest Alberta near the Alberta-British Columbia border.
While the organization asserts that residents of Crowsnest Pass deserve effective wildfire protection, they are questioning if the intended logging is appropriate in terms of location, treatment, and scale.
Colin Smith, a community organizer for Defenders of the Eastern Slopes, stated that support within the community has increased since the group established a presence on-site, with some members camping there and raising awareness about the impending harvest.
Members of Defenders of the Eastern Slopes gather around a fire on Tuesday. (Avery Woods/CBC)
“We’re really gaining momentum with our message that a new vision is needed for managing the forests of the Eastern Slopes,” Smith told CBC News.
The Defenders of the Eastern Slopes are urging the Alberta government to introduce legislation that provides special protections and management practices for the Eastern Slopes.
“It’s about thinking long-term and intergenerationally, prioritizing water as the main concern, looking 100 years into the future,” Smith added.
Group claims to engage in peaceful civil disobedience
Members of the Defenders of the Eastern Slopes are trying to hinder West Fraser’s operations, but they are doing so in a non-violent and peaceful manner, according to Smith.
He mentioned that they have successfully blocked the relocation of a bridge in a meadow on three occasions.
West Fraser subsequently obtained a temporary injunction, and with police assistance, moved the bridge, which is now being placed across Allison Creek to facilitate access to a logging site.
<p"We were not acting violently; we were peaceful, but we were simply slowing down the progress regarding that bridge," Smith explained.
The court injunction permits West Fraser to continue its activities, and Smith indicated that the group has no plans to obstruct the company further.
Sgt. Mark Amatto, commander of the Crowsnest Pass RCMP, noted that both the RCMP and conservation officers have been conducting regular patrols to ensure that both the Defenders of the Eastern Slopes and West Fraser remain “in compliance.”
He added that the situation at the site has remained calm.
West Fraser responds
In a statement to CBC News, West Fraser asserted that its planned logging near Allison Creek aligns with the Alberta government’s Community Hazardous Fuels Reduction (CHFR) initiative.
This program was created to safeguard communities from wildfire risks by directing forestry companies to focus on reducing fuel loads near designated high-risk areas.
The Defenders of the Eastern Slopes have protested for six weeks against the planned logging of around 460 hectares of forest in the Crowsnest Pass. (Avery Woods/CBC)
The company emphasized that Alberta has a “strong” regulatory framework that includes specific requirements for forestry operations, addressing environmentally sensitive areas and water sources.
“West Fraser is dedicated to performing the work in Allison Creek to the highest environmental standards and in compliance with all regulatory obligations. Our planning process includes monitoring conditions before and after the harvest to ensure responsible management,” the company stated.
West Fraser also commissioned an independent review to assess the hydrological effects of the planned CHFR logging.
The review indicated that the expected harvest would have minimal impacts on the Allison Creek area, which would be further reduced as the forest regenerates,” the company added.
“Importantly, considering the need to protect aquatic habitats in Allison Creek, the hydrological assessment predicts only marginal changes in streamflow.”
‘Timely wildfire risk reduction’
In a statement to CBC News, Alberta Forestry and Parks mentioned that the Community Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program was developed after conducting wildfire risk assessments for over 200 communities within Alberta’s forest protection area.
“Communities in the Allison Creek area have been prioritized, and the ongoing work will provide timely wildfire risk mitigation for Tecumseh and the municipality of Crowsnest Pass,” the department stated.
In an interview with CBC News on Wednesday, Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen explained that West Fraser will primarily be removing spruce and pine trees, the two most susceptible types, to enhance community wildfire protection.
Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen states that tree removal in the Crowsnest Pass will assist in protecting the community from wildfire. (Jamie McCannel/CBC)
“Without that fuel on the landscape, fire won’t spread as quickly or as intensely,” Loewen remarked during a legislative session on Wednesday. “This is similar to practices we have implemented in various other communities across the province.”
Similar efforts have been carried out in Whitecourt, Hinton, and Canmore, with plans for more in the future, according to Loewen.
Defenders of the Eastern Slopes member Mike Judd. (Avery Woods/CBC)
Old-growth forest preservation emphasized by DOES member
However, Mike Judd, a member of the Defenders of the Eastern Slopes, stresses the importance of conserving old-growth forests.
“Old-growth forests play a crucial role in maintaining water quality, regulating its flow, preventing flooding, and slowing the drying of the landscape,” Judd stated.