millar western cutting in white zone south of whitecourt

[crittergitter]

Just a heads up to anyone that hunts in 346 and 348 near whitecourt. Millar western has made an application to cut a large area in the white zone that was previously off limits to them. I believe that they are only releasing a 1 year plan to start with as the public outcry would be huge if there long term plans were known. They only sent out notices about the public meeting in the last week of September, they meetings were yesterday,today and tomorrow and they are proposing to start cutting in November. Pretty tight timeline for something that supposedly hasn't been approved yet. This will significantly impact the McLeod river, groat creek and hardluck creek areas and watershed as well as a large area near chip lake. The map they provide is very small and has no detail, but don't be fooled, it is a pile of habitat in a very sensitive area in an extremely short time frame. I do not know how to attatch anything to this post but if someone could, the info and map is on millar's website.. The map is intentionally small and poorly detailed but the one for my trapping area just about gave me a stroke!!!!

[kujoseto]

Do you know what steps can be taken to affect whether this happens? Is it something locals to that area have a voice on?

[Stinky Buffalo]

Link to the information is here (https://millarwestern.com/company/latest-projects/whitezone/).

Maps are here (https://millarwestern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Simple-map-for-WO1-White-Zone-CTP-3.pdf), here (https://millarwestern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/GC-and-HLC-09-28-17.pdf)and here (https://millarwestern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/CL-09-28-17-1.pdf).

[crittergitter]

There is an information Open House in Whitecourt today until 7 pm at the Westward Hall, and tomorrow at the McKaY Hall in McKay from 1-7pm We have sent our concerns in a letter to different government offices including Minister Carlier's office voicing our concerns and we were advised that anyone can do the same af.minister.m@gov.ab.ca Another grave concern is the lack of advertisement and notice given to all parties that may have a voice with respect to this issue.

[HoytCRX32]

Those maps are a joke....they have state-of-the-art GIS capability...they could put much better detail up...having said that they may have better mapping at the open houses...is this in White Area crown land or on privately owned lands?

[Slicktricker]

Nothing wrong with new cut blocks if your against it guess you don't buy tp hey

[woods_walker]

They do have slightly better maps at the open house, but not much better. Also, the plans are in white zone crown land.

[ward]

Do you know what steps can be taken to affect whether this happens? Is it something locals to that area have a voice on?

One would have thought voting NDP would have been enough.

[M shooter]

Why the outcry, cut block is a cut block. What does it matter that it's in the white zone. Just a bunch of whiny NIMBYs!

[JohninAB]

Why the outcry, cut block is a cut block. What does it matter that it's in the white zone. Just a bunch of whiny NIMBYs!

More to the issue than cut blocks. Oh and it is the white area not white zone.

[oldgutpile]

With the proper management, this is one way to reduce another run-away fire season. We no longer allow nature to clean-up old growth areas by fire, and the tinder continues to pile up. Waterton was a prime example.
Timber is a "renewable" resource after all. Cutblocks eventually lead to new growth and incredible feed areas for big game. Not in favor of the big outfits taking out a township at a time, but responsible harvesting definitely has its place.

[jawa]

thats the price of saving some inbred caribou and supporting y to y wood has to come from somewhere to keep the mills going hope they get it a lot of people depend on miller to feed there families.
Plus does help prevent forest fires and will be way better hunting in a couple years

[nube]

They have sure ripped up my trapline with all the cutting in years past. On one hand it has to be done somewhere and on the other they sure leave a disgusting footprint that basically wipes out a ton of wildlife for a long time. It's a trappers worst nightmare

[ESOXangler]

With the proper management, this is one way to reduce another run-away fire season. We no longer allow nature to clean-up old growth areas by fire, and the tinder continues to pile up. Waterton was a prime example.
Timber is a "renewable" resource after all. Cutblocks eventually lead to new growth and incredible feed areas for big game. Not in favor of the big outfits taking out a township at a time, but responsible harvesting definitely has its place.

Timber is 100% renewable and I'd bet 30% of my game has been taken in and around new cuts. My only problem lies in the spraying they do(wrecks the berries) and now they only plant selective trees. If they cut, ground up stumpage, and let the forest work it's magic, I would never complain.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Large Godzilla cut blocks by West Fraser/BRL just devasted the forest north of Edson. Wind broke off tops of thousands of pine and spruce trees over many townships because of our reckless logging practises with no control by Alberta Forestry.

[sweld]

Large Godzilla cut blocks by West Fraser/BRL just devasted the forest north of Edson. Wind broke off tops of thousands of pine and spruce trees over many townships because of our reckless logging practises with no control by Alberta Forestry.



We were up at tom hill tower tonite and it looked like a tornado went through


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[jawa]

Large Godzilla cut blocks by West Fraser/BRL just devasted the forest north of Edson. Wind broke off tops of thousands of pine and spruce trees over many townships because of our reckless logging practises with no control by Alberta Forestry.

WOW wouldnt be from eight inches of wet snow and being hit by a plow wind when they were weighed down
nothing anyone can do to control that

[normanrd]

WOW wouldnt be from eight inches of wet snow and being hit by a plow wind when they were weighed down
nothing anyone can do to control that

In the areas I hunt that are close to the areas those guys are referring to the trees were broken before the wet snow. Seen them around work this summer. They do make a horrific mess when they log, with most places that are logged not being practically useable recreation for a generation. I grew up out here and it is a shame what has become common practice. Just saying.

Norm

[Timothy]

Saw it out in b.c when I was treeplanting. THose trees are used to being in the middle
Of a forest. They aren't strong enough to stand up the wind like the perimeter trees were.