T his week:

fy ilton Jovial sat sullen- M ly at his forester’s desk reviewing the

work to date on his Manage- ment and Working Plan. This was not an easy task. A failed political offensive to Victoria had left his ego in a state of depression. All he had wanted was. a fair shot at a pulp chip export licence.

After being fog-bound in Terrace for a week, waiting for a flight out, he . subsequently ‘found himself fog-bound in the Victoria bureaucracy. It was like being in a holding pattern

as the premier and forest minis-—

ter dodged skilfully around. his pathetic ploys for an audience. .

"It’s not fair," he had said... a phrase, it seemed, that was becoming his most favoured saying. And he left... vowing to return another day.

He. scanned the title page:

"Five year. Management and Working’ Pian, Jovial Logging

applies."

Getting down to the vague specifics

Inc., Coastal Forest Licence #12345, Kalum Forest District,

_ For the five year period 1993 - —

1998. Prepared by Herbert P. Squish, RPF, Terrace, B.C."

He quickly reviewed "Manage- ment Goals" and the first couple of sections of "Timber Management" — he had looked at these parts before —— and then began studying in detail the text under Timber Manage-

ment subtitled: "2,22 Engincer-

ing.” Here he learned the ‘timing and construction of roads would

‘be "...outlined in the Five Year Development Plan and updated

as required". These roads would only be built when favourable weather conditions prevailed and would follow "...the Minis- try of Forests, Prince Rupert Region Engineering Standards and Classes, or the Kalum T.S.A. standards, whichever Most would built to Class 5 or 6 standards; main

roads would be Class 4.

Terrace Review — Wednesday, February 27, 1991 “AT

by Tod Strachan, in consultation with Rod Arnold and Doug Davies

This was followed by, "2.23 Harvesting." The harvesting system, he read, would generally be clearcuts with a maximum opening size of +60 hectares in mature hemlock and spruce stands. Opening size

would be reduced in higher.

elevation balsam stands. Selec- tive harvesting "might" ‘be-used in multi-storied stands of young

(10-50 years) hemlock, balsam:

and spruce, and "in theory" a

three-pass system would be- overmature’

implemented in - stands with 15 to 20 years between passes. Jovial liked the vagueness of words like "might" and "intheory".

The first pass, he continued,

would harvest up to 40 percent of the area in a "“leap-frog™ patiern as road systems are developed. And, "The blocks will tend to be rectangular in shape, but will be landscaped to blend into the surrounding countryside where visual quality objectives required by the developing guidelines for the Highway 16/37 Corridor

Plan."

Logging methods, Jovial

‘learned, would generally be a . typical highlead system and in

site-sensitive area they would investigate the use of a low ground pressure rubber-tired skidder. Selective harvesting

To the Editor; I am writing in regard to’ the letters and comments that have

been made regarding the pro-

posed location of the new cor- rectional centre. First of all, Terrace residents

- reject having it in their back

yard. Then Thornhill gets up in arms and demands — yes, demands — that another loca- tion be found. So the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine goes along with the complainers and rejects the rezoning application. I am a resident of Thornhill, and I feel that having the centre located in Thornhill isn’t such a bad idea. Also, should take into consideration what the Corrections Branch has

Clarifying the mythology of pull- tabs.

Editor’s note: Local individuals have contacted this newspaper from time to time to inform us that they are presenting a large number of beverage can pull-tabs to one organization or another under the misconception that a major corporation will then donate medical services to needy people. We contacted Allan Hewitson, public affairs manager for Alcan’s Kitimat Works in an effort to clarify the myth. He responded with the following letier.

To the Editor;

Thank you for your call ear- lier this week on the subject of aluminum can pull tabs.

Let me tell you that aluminum pull tab collecting is something

Thornhill residents

Letters to the Editor What Corrections has done for Thornhilt

done for the community. Cor- rections played a very large part in the construction of the Aspen Park playground for the kids, and we, the residents, should be grateful. (Are we?) Also, a re- quest came to Corrections from the principal of Thornhill Primary School to see if the bush at the rear of the school could be thinned out as there was a concern that someone could lurk in the bush and pos- sibly attack or maim school chil-

dren. The Correctional Centre’

was asked if they would clear the bush. This they did, no ques- tions asked. And again, we, the residents, should be grateful. (Are we?) Once again, the assis- tance of the Centre was re-

we’ve heard a great deal about.

Neither Alcan, nor any other al-.

uminum company is involved

with any tab-collection pro-__

grams. Unfortunately rumours persist that companies like Alcan ‘will provide dialysis machine time’ or, as in the case of some of your readers, wheel chairs in exchange for large numbers of tabs. These rumours are untrue. Dialysis is a service provided by provincial health care and cannot be bought for private use.

Companies like Alcan are in- volved in large-scale recycling of aluminum cans as well as other aluminum products.

Many communities are involv- ed individually of through fe-

quested to paint and decorate the Thornhill Community Cen- tre, inside and out, a big job. And they did an excellent job. (Are we grateful?)

The Correctional Centre also did the landscaping around the Thornhill animal shelter. They also helped to clear the area for a future tennis court, helped clean the area in the Thornhill clean-up of 1989/90. (Are we grateful?) Not only that, I would

like to bet that some of the com-. plainers even buy their firewood

from the centre..

The Correctional Centre works Monday through Friday, finishing at 4:30 p.m. each day. There are no chain saws going,

‘other. than those being used by

cycling organizations in the col- lection of aluminum for re- cycling, most frequently in the form of used beverages cans.

Alcan, like most aluminum companies, believes in the future of recycling but does not have

-the available manpower to or-

ganize formal programs in all areas where it operates, tending to organize formal programs in all areas where it operates, tend- ing to rely on recycling organ- izations or otherwise environ- mentally-aware organizations to arrange collection, and crushing activities in an area where it makes some economic sense to do so.

I am sure that you will recog- nize the difficulty associated with the organization of a

‘the neighbourhood residents.

These are some of the things that the Correctional Centre has done’ for Thornhill. We should be grateful... but then again, what has the centre done for Terrace? Probably a lot more, but then again that’s another story.

If you think that I am disap- pointed, that the Thornhill residents jumped the gun, so to speak, then I guess you’re right.

While writing this letter, it has

come to my: knowledge that a |

few homes have been broken in- to, and upon: investigating, it was hot anyone from the Cor- rectional Centre: Name withheld at writer’s request.

‘regional’ body to either support or to compete with groups already carrying on recycling ef- forts in various communities. This is our position at this time and it may change as more and more effort is brought to bear by people interested in our environ- ment and the contribution to its protection of recycling activities. Most B.C. lower mainland com- munities have taken some action on these issues — but in the north the isolated nature of the communities, the very great distance involved and lack of a coordinated approach render the organization of bulk recycling activities very difficult. Allan C. Hewitson Manager, Public Relations Alcan, Kitimat, B.C.

are high or .as.

Landscape

site-specific

would use small cats, tractors and/or horses.

Cutting priority would initially be the same as is designated in the Kalum Timber Allocation Plan. That is, trees damaged by fire would be taken first. Those damaged by insect attack second. Then diseased, over- mature or decadent, mature and finally thrifty mature. And something new to Jovial, stand utilization would "initially" be

coniferous species only, but his -

company would pursue markets for cottonwood, aspen and birch in the future. —

"] wonder if cottonwood, aspen and birch would make good export pulp chips?" he muttered to himself. And then read aloud, "..sawlogs will go directly to the Company’s saw- mill, pulp fogs will. be chipped in the Company's ‘ sawmill." Jovial liked the vagueness: of this statement as well. It didn’t say the chips would be sold at a loss to local pulp mills. On the other hand, it didn’t say the chips would be exported at a profit either.

“Could the exclusion of one fact be construed as. permission for another?" he wondered aloud.

"Herby?" There was no reply. Herby Squish was in no mood to hang around his own office in the presence of Milton Jovial. Jogging in the rain was much. more pleasant. "Squish?"

The submission continued by spelling out exactly when speci- fic sites would ‘be harvested; wet ground when it’s frozen,

- gravelly soils at break up/freeze

up, etc. And then indicated that i¢ ~=problems would "always" be considered, and potential damage would be minimized through the timing of

~ harvesting operations.

With this, Jovial began the next section of the submission: "2,24 Silviculture, 2.241 Basic." It began: *Jovial Logging Inc. is

committed..." His mind began to wander.

He couldn’t get the simple facts out of his mind. Sell his pulp chips on the domestic market for $35 a cubic metre as the government required, and lose $2.5 million a year on the entire logging and milling operation. Or sell them on the export market for $90 a cubic metre and make a profit of $5.9 million a year.. "Enough for now," Jovial said aloud. "I’m beginning to feel a little depressed. I'll read the rest later." -_

her nhac: a.