Trap line forestry interruption.

[mark-edmonton]

A logging company is beginning to clear cut some sections I our trapline. They stated that they do not have to pay compensation!! What are our options? Has anyone had this happen to them? What did you do and what were the outcomes?

[magnummike]

Are there any mandatory guidelines for the protection of marten habitat in your area/province?
Martens will not return to a clearcut area for 30 years.
In Ontario they have to protect the ground of your trails.

[Dog hunter]

This is my first year of trapping in ab,not sure on compensation but I don't think there is a friend is being logged out from 2 sides and rumour has it they are moving into my area in a few years just wondering if you were given any notice.Sorry about you're line.

[mark-edmonton]

10 days notice

[Jetlee]

Compensation will likely be a tough battle if they gave you notification of the harvesting operations. If you were notified, they will likely say that you should have expressed your concerns earlier. If you were not notified you may have a chance. You have the rights to harvest fur bearers, they have the rights to harvest timber. This is the difficult part of "managing" the land between all of the different stakeholders. Good luck!

[Torkdiesel]

My line has been getting hammered for a few years now. They just give you notice of their intent and offer to keep any existing trails open. I haven't got a penny from anybody and don't expect to either. If somebody has some info on stopping them I would be interested also.

I did suggest that the oil company notification companies just send me a $10 Tim Hortons gift card in the regular mail and email me the particulars instead of sending registered mail all the time. They bit on the email but no luck with the gift cards. At least the wife doesn't have to go to the post office twice a week anymore.

[jim summit]

I got a notice from the mill to notify them if i had any concerns, approx 3 months before they started. I consulted with their rep, told me there is nothing I could do about the block layout, but would leave area's with cabins or other structure.

Now it looks like they won't make it to our line, which is good, trees stay but not lines get opened up. As far as compensation, have not been that far.

Best of luck.

[Dog hunter]

10 days notice!!! they have plans laid out 2-3 years trappers should get at least a year notice 10 days is nothing

[dugh]

Mark, the ATA has a trapper compensation review board. Call the store
780-349-6626 for contact info or the phone numbers are in the magazine.
Doug

[sourdough doug]

There is not enough money in any compensation program, in place, to BEGIN to even the score when it comes what has been done to traplines by the forest industry or oil companies unless you are First N-----. and thats all there is to it.. You know I wouldnt sh## you Mark
Way back when, we tried to get a program in place and as always, there was to much on our plate and it became smoke and mirrors with no resolve. The ball was dropped and lost in the smoke, so hold your breathe and see how long you will last......

[st99]

I think the best you can do is try to stay positive.... less marten, more coyote

[mark-edmonton]

Thanks guys. Positive note is they are punching access to new areas!

[sourdough doug]

Originally Posted by mark-edmonton

Thanks guys. Positive note is they are punching access to new areas!

And that is about all you can expect from them. Get to know the forester, preferrably or the logging contractor and work with them. Make sure all your trails are accessible before they leave and just maybe they could do something extra for you, a lot depends on just how well you know your line and the area you might be using a couple of years down the road. I have found them to be fairly descent but unless you ask, they will not make any attempt to read your mind.....rottas ruck.....

PS. Almost forgot, in most cut blocks, these days, they make their haul road put thru the middle of the block and really do not leave the perimeter of it accessible to anything, let alone the trapper. See if they would clear a trail that is quad friendly, around the outside of the block, especially if there is a stand of trees that one can set in. This is something that got by me and I would need a dozer to get to the boundary because of the mess that is left....doug

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by sourdough doug

And that is about all you can expect from them. Get to know the forester, preferrably or the logging contractor and work with them. Make sure all your trails are accessible before they leave and just maybe they could do something extra for you, a lot depends on just how well you know your line and the area you might be using a couple of years down the road. I have found them to be fairly descent but unless you ask, they will not make any attempt to read your mind.....rottas ruck.....

PS. Almost forgot, in most cut blocks, these days, they make their haul road put thru the middle of the block and really do not leave the perimeter of it accessible to anything, let alone the trapper. See if they would clear a trail that is quad friendly, around the outside of the block, especially if there is a stand of trees that one can set in. This is something that got by me and I would need a dozer to get to the boundary because of the mess that is left....doug

I have them doing that exact thing on my line right now. They leave a 5 foot run around all new cuts thats cleaned and not scarified by the ripper. Small compensation but better then nothing.

[Brian Bildson]

I've been battling Weyco for decades and I have not been quiet about it. In the end it makes no difference. Good luck on any compensation. I worked for a year negotiating an agreement on behalf of trappers and Weyco on a public advisory board. On the day of signing they pulled the agreement and told us US head office wouldn't sign off on it. They went right back to their original position so wasted a year of mine.

I support logging but not the current practices. I've written columns on this subject as nothing impacts us more than logging. Mark Boyce has some interesting stats about the economic returns of each industry in his last column.

[bullgetter]

The environmentalists are all over the oil sands. Perhaps an invite to come up for a quick heilcopter tour of what timber companies have been doing to this province would cause them to have to harvest more ethically. Just a thought