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Company has plans to log in QC watershed

A new proposal to log in the Queen Charlotte's community watershed adds one more potential disturbance to the area.Queen Charlotte Mayor Carol Kulesha told councillors at the Dec. 3 council meeting that Western Forest Products contacted her about logging in the watershed.When the Observer phoned Hyland Fraser of Western Forest Products to clarify, he confirmed the company has plans to harvest within an area defined as the Honna Community Watershed.These plans are part of their Forest Stewardship Plan for TFL 39 and would not begin until summer 2008. He has no specific volumes to report and added that a private land company has access to timber in the watershed as well.He said letting Queen Charlotte know of the company's plans was done informally as he is only required to inform the Ministry of Forests and the Council of the Haida Nation.He offered no further details but he committed to getting more information to the council after the holidays.The Honna Community Watershed includes the catchment of the Honna. Mr. Fraser said the watershed continues to kilometer 11 on the QC Mainline. This area includes Stanley Lake and all tributaries of the Honna RiverSandspit-based J.S. Jones also has plans to log in the Queen Charlotte watershed, but these plans are on hold, awaiting approval of a licence renewal by the regional manager. Brian Fraser of J.S. Jones said part of the reason for the hold up is the pending Land Use Plan. Some portions of some blocks are protected by the draft plan. The J.S. Jones blocks are not within the area defined as the Honna River Community Watershed, but are directly above the communities of Queen Charlotte and Skidegate.