A community non-profit may be the best shot for saving private land near Cottonwood Lake from logging, a packed public meeting in Nelson heard tonight.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay has been negotiating for the purchase of the property from Mike Jenks, which has already been partly logged.
But Nelson city councillor Rik Logtenberg and others suggested that a better alternative may be for a community group to at least raise an initial investment.
“That’s a statement that they care, and it’s a really important statement to other potential funders,” he said after the meeting. “When the community leads it, it’s much easier to sell [the idea] to the province, federal government, and land conservancy organizations.”
Logtenberg also notes that while any RDCK deal to the buy the property for park land requires approval from Nelson, Salmo, and rural areas E, F, and G, “a society taking the lead has the complete freedom to do what they want, as fast as they want.”
He notes the local rock climbing community has acquired two properties in recent years using such a model.
Over 350 people packed the Nelson Rod and Gun Club for the meeting, which heard from a variety of experts, including a hydrologist, bear biologist, geotechnician, and avalanche expert, as well as representatives of the Nordic skiing and mountain biking communities, who discussed the ecology and recreation values of the area.
Many fear that unchecked, the logging could have a detrimental effect on the area. Cottonwood Lake itself is in a regional park, but the surrounding area is not. Some logging has already taken place.
Concerns were also raised about the broader issue of private land logging in BC, which is unregulated.
Over 350 people turned out for the meeting.
Bear biologist Michael Proctor addresses the crowd.