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Logging in Vernon’s watershed

It’s time to look after the area’s natural resources
10785156_web1_180222-VMS-M-watershed

I’m writing this letter because of the logging currently being performed on the top of Vernon Mountain in the Vernon’s watershed areas. To say I’m concerned is an understatement. It is obvious that our world weather is changing to more extremes.

Let’s use our local weather for last year as an example, with huge dumps of snow late in the winter season, floods followed by a very aggressive warming trend then almost immediately we went in to super dry conditions with half the province on fire. Vernon mountain conditions were so dry that forestry had to shut down the use of any traffic in the bush.

It’s a known fact that logging, once done, dries out that terrain. Logging on Vernon Mountain like what’s going on right now will lead to less water holding, faster run off, more erosion and ultimately less water for all the residents of Vernon. There will be less underground water running, wells will dry up, lower reservoirs will overfill early and wreak havoc on their systems. Becker Lake on the top of the mountain is one of our natural reservoirs that could easily dry up without the forest around it to conserve water runoff.

Now I’m not an expert but in my 65 years of life I have watched all these trends and it is very obvious to me that what we are currently doing will be catastrophic for our future of life in Vernon. Are we that short-sighted that a few dollars in the logging system’s pockets is more important than our most precious resource, water? I ask why it’s being allowed to happen with no oversight from the city of Vernon, B.C. government and federal government? Aren’t these controlling parties supposed to be looking after our resources and our people? I only hope this letter can make more Vernon people aware of what’s going on just out of their sight on the top of Vernon Mountain. The photo on the left shows what it looks like today on the top of Vernon Mountain.

John Huddart, project manager