West Fraser's request to increase logging by 32% should NOT be approved. ACT TODAY.

Your letter will be sent to the Minister of Forestry and Parks, as well as your Member of the Legislative Assembly. West Fraser will be cc'd.

Minister

Todd

Loewen

Government of Alberta

Minister Todd  Loewen ,
Government of Alberta

Dear Minister Loewen,

I am writing to state my opposition to increases in logging volume in the Crowsnest FMA (Forest Management Agreement) and request that the draft Forest Management Plan for the region not be approved in the absence of additional assessments described below.

West Fraser Cochrane has drafted a Forest Management Plan (2026-2036) for the Crowsnest FMA. The company is seeking a 32% increase to their Annual Allowable Cut. Previously, logging in the area was directly managed by the Government of Alberta as the C5 Forest Management Unit, who had set a logging level of 157,800 m3 per year. In 2021, Spray Lake Sawmills (now West Fraser Cochrane) was awarded a Forest Management Agreement, and the company is now asking for approval for a cut level of 208,000 m3 per year in their draft Forest Management Plan.

The C5 region provides Critical Habitat for threatened native trout species, key connectivity corridors for grizzly bears and elk, and high value habitats for many other species such as mountain goats and bighorn sheep. It is an area of cultural significance to Indigenous Peoples and extremely high priority for watershed management and headwaters protection. It is also a highly popular area for recreation. Increases in logging volume in this region should not be approved under current conditions.

(1) Land Use Planning is Incomplete:

The FMA falls within the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP). The SSRP recognized the impacts of cumulative effects on the landscape and the need to effectively manage them with meaningful environmental thresholds. However, important commitments made in SSRP planning processes have not been upheld.

As part of the SSRP, the Livingstone-Porcupine Hills Land Footprint Management Plan (LFMP) was released in 2018. This plan outlined specific timelines for developing thresholds to manage the cumulative effects of spatial human footprint. Years later, this work has yet to be completed, despite it being essential for successfully managing the cumulative effects of all activities, including forestry, on this ecologically and socially important landscape.

I request that the Alberta government complete the promised sub-regional planning, and use thresholds identified in this process to determine appropriate forestry cut levels before approving any change to the Annual Allowable Cut.

(2) Watershed Security:

The Crowsnest FMA is vitally important for water security, encompassing much of the headwaters of the Crowsnest, Livingstone, and Oldman Rivers. The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP), which sets the management priorities for the region, states "Watershed management and headwaters protection is the priority. Forests will be managed with this as the highest priority (including water storage, recharge and release functions)."

However, the draft forest management plan relies solely on simplistic and outdated methods for assessing the risks that the proposed logging poses to forest hydrology. Recent research has made it clear that clearcutting increases the risk of flooding, that these risks have been consistently underestimated, and that a new approach to manage risk is needed.

Given the importance of this headwaters region for water supply across southern Alberta, and the risks that clearcutting creates for watersheds, a modern and comprehensive approach to forest hydrology in the Crowsnest FMA is urgently needed. Logging plans should not be approved until such assessments are completed and necessary adjustments are made to minimize risk.

I request that the Alberta government implement modern watershed assessment processes before granting any approvals; these assessments must be used to determine appropriate cut levels that prioritize a precautionary approach to watershed protection.

Sincerely,

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CC: My MLA

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