ADAM OLSEN: I am well aware of the economic burden First Nations face and the scarce resources they have to deal with their challenges … The air we breathe and the water we drink, depend on it
Property owners have the right to log their property. They have the right to raze entire ecosystems. In spite of decades of evidence showing the devastating effects of clear-cut logging, unfortunately it's still legal for people to strip their property to the skin. Most of the Saanich Peninsula is already bare. But there are still some beautiful forests on the Southern Gulf Islands. I first understood the vulnerability of these important forest lands few months ago, when a private property owner began clear cutting on Saltspring Island. After some digging, I found out that currently there seems to be very little that can be done about it. It's a frustrating response to give to people concerned about the loss of habitat. Then I began receiving calls from Tsawout First Nation members notifying me that their First Nation was clear cutting reserve lands on Saturna Island. It’s a c lear-cut response to poor resource management … s top clea...