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CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR northislandnissan.ca
FIRST ISSUE 1971
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HERD MENTALITY FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016
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ELK POPULATION REBOUNDS JOHN MCKINLEY
E
www.campbellrivermirror.com
City’s managed forest land bylaw stands
BLACK PRESS
very autumn, seasoned members of the Kwakwak’awakw nation gather their young hunters. They melt into the forests near Campbell River and Sayward to track and kill the resident Roosevelt elk — at more than 1,000 pounds, the world’s second-largest deer. They carefully record their catch and any other observations, then arrange for the butchering. Around Christmas the young hunters reconvene, load up the meat and hand-deliver packages to the community’s elders. It is a lesson in self-sustenance and providing for the community that was not possible a few decades ago when the North Island tribe was restricted to hunting only six elk a year. Last fall, tribe members took 101 because the resurgent elk population allowed for it. That population is a testament to a new approach to conservation and co-operation that has seen elk herds growing across Vancouver Island. Some are pointing to it as what should become a template for other British Columbia wildlife management practices. “The state of the herds is fantastic. They are doing very, very well,” John Henderson said. “We have developed a management plan where everybody benefits.” “The numbers have gone up. It’s a positive in a province where
ALISTAIR TAYLOR CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
PHOTO BY MALCOLM CHALMERS
A bull Roosevelt elk wanders along the highway near Youbou. Vancouver Island’s elk population has more than doubled in less than 30 years. The provincial government hopes to lift it from the species-at-risk list by 2024.
wildlife numbers are suffering,” Glenn Venus agreed. “I believe the government is doing a good job on our elk. It’s a real win/win. We’ve got a real good relationship with the First Nations and it’s all managed very well.” Henderson is First Nations, the vice-chairman of, and wildlife officer for, the Kwakiutl Dis-
trict Council. Venus is not First Nations. He operates a hunting lodge and guiding operation called TrophyWest from his acreage near Sayward. Historically, such men have butted heads in competition over hunting access. Today, they work together as president and secretary, respectively, of the Wildlife Stewardship Council, a
coalition of hunting guides and First Nations that takes great pride in the elk success story. Henderson said the first step in the relationship was the recognition that the health of the animal comes first. That means growing, self-sustainable herds take precedence over any harvest.
Continued on Pg. 6
TimberWest has decided not to launch a final challenge of the City of Campbell River’s authority to raise the tax rate on managed forest lands within city boundaries. The 60-day period for TimberWest to appeal a BC Court of Appeal ruling on the City of Campbell River’s 2014 Tax Rates Bylaw expired on March 29, meaning the BC Court of Appeal’s ruling is final. On Jan. 29, 2016 the BC Court of Appeal issued its judgment on TimberWest Corporation’s appeal of the BC Supreme Court decision upholding the City’s 2014 Tax Rates Bylaw. In its ruling, the BC Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed TimberWest’s argument that the city did not have the authority to raise the tax rate on managed forest lands within City boundaries. “We are pleased to hear that the BC Court of Appeal has upheld the City’s 2014 Tax Rates bylaw,” says Mayor Andy Adams. “The decision to raise property taxes in 2014 on managed forest lands simply brings the tax rates on TimberWest’s properties in Campbell River to the provincial average over a three-year phase-in period. The City recognizes TimberWest as a valued taxpayer and are happy this court case is behind us.” TimberWest, the city’s largest priContinued on Pg. 3
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