Peachland residents gathered on Friday afternoon (March 19) along Highway 97 to bring awareness to the negative impact of clearcut logging.
Forest March BC is now in its third year of organizing marches to call on the provincial government to reform B.C.鈥檚 forestry legislation. The organization has also said that its goal is to 鈥渦nite communities across B.C. to push for equitable, nature-based, and community first approaches to forestry management鈥�.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, many of this year鈥檚 marches and activities moved virtually and were replaced with art installations and other informational activities instead.
But in Peachland, several residents still came out as a show of solidarity with other communities and to show people that the effect of clearcut logging in this particular community affects flooding as well as the water source.
鈥淧eachland鈥檚 freshwater supply is under threat by numerous industrial activities including clear-cut logging in the watershed,鈥� Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA) communications chair Alex Morrison said.
鈥淲ith spring floods on Okanagan Lake becoming a regular event as a result of these logging practices, PWPA is demonstrating to our provincial government that they are failing Peachland and other similar communities across B.C.鈥�
PWPA director Taryn Skalbania said 27 communities throughout the province gathered, in one way or another, to raise awareness about the issue.
鈥淲e鈥檙e telling our government we don鈥檛 like the way that our forests are being managed,鈥� she said.
As logging continues, Skalbania said that water quality, flood control, and wildlife biodiversity are all suffering as a result.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 different in each community. Peachland鈥檚 all about water quality. We had to put a $24 million water treatment plant in partially due to clearcut logging and it鈥檚 also about flooding.鈥�
鈥淔loods don鈥檛 happen on Okanagan Lake, they happen in the watershed. They happen because of excess runoff due to too much logging and deforestation in the high altitudes,鈥� she said.
Skalbania added that while trees are a renewable source, they take time to grow back and the industry doesn鈥檛 give them enough time to do just that.
鈥淲ho鈥檚 going to wait a thousand years for that seedling to grow again?鈥�
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