NCC-Darkwoods
 

 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada


- Bad News! NCC, Government Subsidies and Job Loss

Letter regarding the intentions of "The Nature Conservancy of Canada" regarding the Pluto Darkwoods Contractors.

For an original copy of the letter: CLICK HERE!

All Pluto Darkwoods Forestry Contractors and their employees

July 29, 2008

D.E. (Dave) Hillary
Program Manager -Canadian Rocky Mountains Nature Conservancy Canada
P.O. Box 2767
Invermere, BC
VOA lKO

Subject: Darkwoods -ongoing forest management and timber supply.

It has come to our attention that there is some confusion on the part of Pluto Darkwoods contractors about the purchase of Darkwoods by the Nature Conservancy ofCanada (NCC) as announced by media on July 24th, 2008. Some of the facts have been misinterpreted by the media and thereby caused confusion to key stakeholders who are working for Pluto Darkwoods.

We welcome the opportunity to present the facts about the purchase and forest management of the property.
  1. NCC is the new owner ofthe property, not the federal government.
  2. As reported, the total project value is approximately $125,000,000. This total project value includes the cost of purchase, immediate stewardship and management cost, a perpetual stewardship endowment to provide annual stewardship and management inputs, and a generous ecological gift provided by Pluto Darkwoods. The total cost to NCC is far less than the total project value.
  3. The property is not a park. It is being operated as a managed forest.
  4. There will be an ongoing timber supply coming off the property for the foreseeable future. The facts around timber supply and forest management are:
    • NCC has entered into a 5 year Forest Management agreement with Pluto Darkwoods and the property will continue to be managed as a Private Managed Forest from now until 2013 .
    • Pluto Darkwoods will continue to manage the forest activities on the property on behalf of and as directed by NCC.
    • Darkwoods staff includes a general manager, two forest managers and an executive assistant.
    • Previous timber supply was sustainably harvested at a volume rate of approximately 50,000 cubic meters a year.
    • Short term (next two years) timber volume will remain relatively unchanged from previous years, provided economic market conditions do not preclude harvesting.
    • Current harvesting will focus on forest health and blow down disturbance. This means logging will remove pine beetle and areas that are blown down by wind over the next two years.
    • NCC is developing a management plan to set conservation objectives for the property. These conservation objectives will guide future forest harvesting, road building and silviculture.
    • It is expected that the long term timber supply on the property will be reduced. It will not be known until a management plan is completed.

Darkwoods has a long standing, proud, tradition of being open and transparent about its management with its contractors. NCC would like to carry on that tradition and offer up a face to face meeting to reiterate the facts. We would be privileged and prepared to answer any questions related to the conservation planning process that we plan to execute in order to guide future forest management on the property.

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions and/or concerns. You can reach me by telephone in Invermere at 250-342-5521 , on cellular at 250-341-7203 or by email at dave.hillary@natllreconservancy.ca.

Best Regards,

D.E. (Dave) Hillary


"Darkwoods and the Nature Conservancy of Canada"