100 Mile House
Local veterinarian helps draw up code of practice
108 resident Gabe Bergen rowing in Olympics
The Bowling Alley wants to regain the glory years
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JULY 11, 2012
JobFest
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• 48 Pages • Two Sections
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Timber supply hearing attracts full house Carole Rooney Free Press
Chris Nickless photo
Putting paradise... Blue sky and hot weather set the tone for a successful Pud Griffin Memorial Golf Tournament at the 108 Golf Resort, July 7-8. Char Wahnschaff is a member of the 108 Ladies Golf Club, which hosted the annual event.
The Voice of the South Cariboo Since 1960 How to reach us: Ph: 250-395-2219 Fax: 250-395-3939 www.100milefreepress.net mail@100milefreepress.net
Numerous forestindustry stakeholders seized the opportunity to appear before the Special Committee on Timber Supply at its public hearing in 100 Mile House on July 5. It was standing-roomonly when presenters and member of the public to listen to the discussion on potential methods, impacts and effects of managing the impending timber supply shortages caused by mountain pine beetle devastation. Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett, who sits on the committee, said she has heard a common theme in most of the public hearings to date. “Communities want to be engaged, community support has been strong for the existing land-use plans and very strong for not making any changes to [those]. “People are not willing to have short-term gain for long-term pain.” Committee chair
John Rustad said he’d like to clear up the public perception that the committee is intending on “logging to the last stick and clear cutting the whole thing,” and devastating the remaining Crown forests in 10 to 20 years. “One of the key mandates of the committee is to look at not just the mid-term supply, and how to mitigate that, but how you manage it in the long term. “Whatever decisions come forward from this [series of province-wide meetings] need to be sustainable. And I think we’ve heard that from everybody.” Resorts seek restraint The presenting stakeholders in the 100 Mile timber supply area (TSA) included tourism representative Bill Vanes of the West Chilcotin Tourism Association, who is also heavily involved with the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association. Previously a nine-year participant in the round See TIMBER… page A6
Waterfalls trail getting upgrade, bridges replaced Ken Alexander Free Press
The waterfalls trail through Centennial Park is going to get some upgrades and the bridges are going to be replaced. District of 100 Mile House operations director Garry Laursen says the existing main trail, which is above the falls and behind the hospital, will be recapped, widened and generally
improved from the top half to two-thirds of the way down. The more intensive trail improvements will take place where it becomes muddy, with water seeping out of the ground and running over part of the trail surface. Laursen says this area has to be ditched and culverted with a general drainage and trail improvement. District operations supervisor Kevin
Dicken explains they will be using geotextile fabric in the trail reconstruction to help support the new construction materials and keep them in place to improve the longevity of the trail surface. “Geotextiles are permeable fabrics, which, when used in association with soil, have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or See FALLS… page A5