In March 2008, Tolko formally submitted
a plan to the Manitoba Government's Environmental Licensing
branch (Tolko's Dickstone South Road, file 3094.70)
to cut a logging road across Grass River Provincial
Park.
Although Grass River Provincial Park
wasn't entirely protected from logging in 2008, much
of Grass River Provincial Park has been off-limits to
logging since the 1980s because it is home to herds
of woodland caribou.
In May of 2008, public consultation
ended on the proposed road. Of the roughly 330 people
who contacted the Manitoba government through the Wilderness
Committee website—the majority of the respondents
according to the government license approval letter—about
300 of them were opposed to the project. Put simply,
THE MAJORITY OF MANITOBANS WHO VOICED THEIR OPINION
ON THIS PROJECT WERE OPPOSED TO IT.
In June 2009, the Manitoba government
passed new legislation—Bill 3, the Park Logging
Ban —which protected Grass River and three other
parks from logging.
In August 2009, the Manitoba Government
quietly approved the license application for the Dickstone
Road. The government rationale for approving of this
continued logging activity in Grass River Park despite
the new legislation IS THAT A LOGGING ROAD IS NOT LOGGING.
The logging area that Tolko wishes to
access already has road access to it. This all-weather
road, which will leave a long-term footprint, is only
intended as a short-term measure to lessen the time
it takes to haul wood. Therefore, THIS ROAD AND BRIDGE
ARE NOT REQUIRED, and definitely not in the best interests
of all Manitobans, but only the out-of-town owners of
Tolko.
The Dickstone South Road will traverse
an area of the park that has been closed to protect
woodland caribou. Woodland caribou are protected under
federal and provincial endangered species legislation.
For 18 months, the Wilderness Committee has been continually
asking the Manitoba government for the raw data on woodland
caribou populations in and around Grass River Park,
so the data can be independently analyzed and Manitobans
can make informed decisions about development. Despite
sending over 60 letters to the government during this
time, and a PERSONAL PROMISE FROM CONSERVATION MINISTER
STAN STRUTHERS TO SUPPLY THE DATA, the Wilderness Committee
received a letter on May 9, stating
"Manitoba Conservation is not prepared to release the
raw data."
No explanation has been given as to why the data will
not be released. During taping of a CBC interview about
this road, the Minister was asked three times why he
wouldn't release the data. After the third time, he
said if we want the data we'd have to file a Freedom
of Information request. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! Manitobans
paid for that data, and the Conservation Minister works
for the people of Manitoba. We must demand more responsible
action from the people who work for us.
Please
follow this link below to learn how to register
your opinion with the government of Manitoba on this
industrial development in a protected area of a provincial
park.
It is the responsibility of every
Manitoban to voice our opinion on a better Manitoba
now, and for the future. |
