Find a compromise

I am a resident and business owner in close proximity to the logging proposed in Noojee.

At the town meeting in November which was arranged by concerned residents, I stood and spoke of my concerns with it being so close to our town despite the room being purposefully filled with loggers to intimidate those opposing.

Vicforest advised us that they plan to remove the buffer which is policy between logging and a town. Why? Because they said logging creates a wind tunnel and the wind tunnel could then knock over the trees left for a buffer onto the DWELP department sheds.

I suggested a thicker buffer and they said less trees they can cut down means less money for them so it's not something they will do.

I then had a logger ask me “are you going to pay me 100,000 a year not to log love?"

My response: “my home was my father's home before me, I have put blood, sweat and tears into fixing it up so that I can raise my daughter here in her grandfather's home and have work very hard over the last four years to make it onto something I am proud of and to establish two home businesses within it which are based on tourism, the beauty of the environment and tranquillity.

I run abed and breakfast as well as women's massage and retreats. This is the first year of establishment so I'm only breaking even and of course I don't make as much as a logger.

I had people from Vicforest and others come up to me after the meeting and say they were really sorry yes they admit this will affect my home and business and our town but there is no stopping it. This to me is unacceptable.

I have finally been able to meet personally with Liz Langford from Vicforest last week who gave me a tour of the coupes. My main reason for going was because I wanted to see why they felt this buffer needed to go.

She explained again about safety and the wind tunnel. So I pointed out the trees next in line within the day park area, along the Loch River and asked what about those trees if there will be no buffer between the logging/ wind tunnel they are so concerned about. Their response “oh they should be right"

Liz Langford assured me my concerns have been noted but it's not up to her. They need to discuss it internally and her boss will decide what happens with the buffer.

They said they will hold an open day for residents to explain what they have decided and how it will all work late April but also, shortly after, logging will begin.

I'm sorry but this is not good enough. I have requested them to do a wind tunnel assessment and provide me and other residents that could be affected with the results.

So I wait. Meanwhile being lynched by locals because I shouldn't have moved here for the beauty, it's a logging town. Is it nothing more? I don't believe that to be true one bit and everyone knows it.

What happened to working together and compromise. Jessica Edmondson, Noojee