You may wish to print this out in printer-friendly format rather than reading it all from the page
Creston Valley Forest Corporation Backgrounder
Background to the Creston Community Forest
The community of Creston has always placed a high priority on its water supply, Arrow Creek.
A significant portion of the Creston economy depends on the watershed for abundant, clean
water. Consequently, timber harvesting within the drainage has been a contentious issue since the
last industrial logging took place in 1972. The community has been very effective in keeping
industrial logging out of Arrow Creek since that time. Other adjacent areas are equally sensitive.
History of The Creston Valley Forest Corporation
On January 2, 1996 the government of BC announced that a Forest Licence to harvest 15,000
cubic meters per year would be made available for a Community Forest in Creston.
Following that announcement a group consisting of the following organizations submitted an
application for the Forest Licence:
- Town of Creston.
- Regional District of Central Kootenay.
- Creston Development Authority.
- Lower Kootenay Indian Band.
- East Kootenay Environmental Society.
This group became the Creston Valley Forest Corporation on June 12, 1997 and
was awarded
the licence on October 1, 1997.
A ten person Board of Directors which represents the five shareholders and the community at
large governs the Corporation. Its office is presently located at 218 Pine Street in Creston. The
Corporation has only two direct employees, Pernita Armstrong (administrative clerk), and Dan Murphy (our business manager) who contracts
the operational work to local forestry contractors.
The Board of Directors
| Name
| Representing
| Profession
|
|---|
| Directors Appointed by Shareholder Group |
| Joe Snopek
| Town of Creston |
Mayor |
| Curtis Wullum
| Lower Kootenay Indian Band
| Forestry Consultant |
| Albert Brunham
| Regional District of Central Kootenay
| College instructor
|
| Laura Strom
| Creston Development Authority
| Specialty Mill Owner
|
| Ralph Moore
| Wildsight
| Woodlot owner
|
| Elected by Shareholder Directors from Community |
| Elvin Masuch
| Community Director
| Retired farmer |
| Don Root
| Community Director
| Consulting Engineer |
| Gary Sommerfeld
| Community Director
| Mechanic
|
| Merv Syroteuk |
Community Director (EID) |
Retired National Park Superintendent |
| John Chisamore |
Community Director | Retired teacher |
| Administrative Staff |
| Daniel Gratton | Business manager and forester | |
| Pernita Armstrong | Administrative Clerk | |
The mission statement for the Corporation is: To efficiently harvest the allocated volumes
while protecting the integrity of other resources and enhancing social and economic benefits
of the community.
See also our statement in our application for Community Forest Probationary Agreement
- To develop an ecosystem-based, ecologically responsible philosophy of forest
- stewardship that respects all forest values and functions.
- To encourage involvement and to inform the public in the management of forest
resources.
- To provide local employment in harvesting, silviculture, forestry and milling
sectors.
- To develop a local log market and examine the feasibility of a log sort yard.
- To encourage education and training in all aspects of sustainable forestry.
- To provide the maintenance of water quality, quantity and flow regime of all
streams and lakes within the operating area of FL A54214.
- To use existing local facilities for primary breakdown. Local refers to an area from
Yahk to Riondel.
- To provide a timber supply for existing value-added enterprises and to provide a
timber supply as an incentive to promote local, value-added opportunities in thecommunity.
- To pursue "Green" (FSC) certification on all timber harvested under FL A54214.
- To pursue incremental forestry projects as opportunities occur.
- To pursue effective, biologically oriented methods dealing with forest health issues.
Operations to date
- The operating area assigned by the Ministry of Forests includes Arrow Creek, Goat Mountain and Sullivan Creek on Thompson Mountain. All highly contentious areas.
- In the past four operating seasons we have harvested nearly 80,000 m3 of timber (2,700 truckloads).
- The harvesting has been done using gentle silvicultural systems and harvesting methods that are compatible with community values.
- We have built trust in our operations with the community, to where we could now operate in Arrow Creek with community support – not resistance!
- We have paid over $1,000,000 in stumpage fees to the Province.
- Over 85% of our logs have been sold locally or regionally. All high value logs (peelers, premium sawlogs, building logs, etc) have been sold within BC. All our logs are offered first to local manufactures! Only low value species and size classes (known as "guts and feathers") have been exported to the US!!
Benefits of CVFC
- Creation of 20+ jobs during the logging season.
- An average of $1.5 million is put into the Creston economy annually!
- All harvesting is incremental to industrial operations. None of the timber harvested would have been harvested using industrial forestry practices in this sensitive operating area.
- The operation has built trust with the community and now enjoys general community support, even for logging in the watershed!
- One local mill, Wynndel Box and Lumber, has been our largest customer over the years.
- We offer opportunities to encourage other value added businesses through access to a secure log supply.
- We are providing educational opportunities for local high school students and regional college students.