Peachland residents gathered on Friday afternoon (March 19) along Highway 97 to bring awareness to the negative impact of clearcut logging.

Forest March BC is now in its third year of organizing marches to call on the provincial government to reform B.C.sa国际传媒檚 forestry legislation. The organization has also said that its goal is to sa国际传媒渦nite communities across B.C. to push for equitable, nature-based, and community first approaches to forestry managementsa国际传媒�.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, many of this yearsa国际传媒檚 marches and activities moved virtually and were replaced with art installations and other informational activities instead.

But in Peachland, several residents still came out as a show of solidarity with other communities and to show people that the effect of clearcut logging in this particular community affects flooding as well as the water source.

sa国际传媒淧eachlandsa国际传媒檚 freshwater supply is under threat by numerous industrial activities including clear-cut logging in the watershed,sa国际传媒� Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA) communications chair Alex Morrison said.

sa国际传媒淲ith spring floods on Okanagan Lake becoming a regular event as a result of these logging practices, PWPA is demonstrating to our provincial government that they are failing Peachland and other similar communities across B.C.sa国际传媒�

PWPA director Taryn Skalbania said 27 communities throughout the province gathered, in one way or another, to raise awareness about the issue.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e telling our government we donsa国际传媒檛 like the way that our forests are being managed,sa国际传媒� she said.

As logging continues, Skalbania said that water quality, flood control, and wildlife biodiversity are all suffering as a result.

sa国际传媒淎nd itsa国际传媒檚 different in each community. Peachlandsa国际传媒檚 all about water quality. We had to put a $24 million water treatment plant in partially due to clearcut logging and itsa国际传媒檚 also about flooding.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淔loods donsa国际传媒檛 happen on Okanagan Lake, they happen in the watershed. They happen because of excess runoff due to too much logging and deforestation in the high altitudes,sa国际传媒� she said.

Skalbania added that while trees are a renewable source, they take time to grow back and the industry doesnsa国际传媒檛 give them enough time to do just that.

sa国际传媒淲hosa国际传媒檚 going to wait a thousand years for that seedling to grow again?sa国际传媒�

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