I recently hiked a portion of the proposed Vancouver Island Spine trail located in my backyard — Cumberland. It’s a fantastic piece of trail starting from the village and on mountain bike trails weaving its way expertly through ribbons of uncut forest to the Beaufort mountain range and its relatively untouched alpine area.
I camped a night on Mount Clifton before returning home, the short way, on logging roads through acres of unsightly clearcuts.
When people visit the backcountry wilderness, they learn to love it. If people were to see the true extent of logging on Vancouver Island, they would be shocked. Measure that against the actual dollars created from logging that remain locally and it adds further insult to injury.
It’s hard not to believe that limiting people’s access to private logging lands isn’t in some way trying to hide from the public the shameful sight of the privately owned logging areas around the Island.
James Powsey
Cumberland
