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Logging near camp not popular

Logging crown land next to Mount Moresby Adventure Camp will hurt its outdoor education programming, camp staff recently told Teal-Jones Group foresters in a letter."The proposed cutblock is the patch of forest that we use for about 80 percent of our forest-based educational activities," read the letter addressed to Rob Sandberg and John Pichugin of Teal-Jones.The camp has been operating for nine years, and offers forest stewardship and outdoor education programs for students from ages nine to 18. The letter says staff estimate that at least 1,320 students have gone to the camp since it was opened.Trails in the proposed logging area are used for at least four programs each week, the letter says. MMAC built and maintain the trails on a section of crown land without permission, said Art Lew, one of the camp's directors.He met with camp staff on the weekend and is also in the midst of discussions with various groups including the Solutions Table, the Ministry of Forests and the Teal- Jones Group."We're now exploring how we can best approach this," Mr. Lew said, "The big thing is to ensure students who use the camp have a great place to be."He said the block is relatively small, and that the nicest and most attractive pieces are going to be preserved because they are along Mosquito Lake. He said he's optimistic that they'll come to a resolution that suits everybody's needs and supports the camp, which is "a boon to the students."The letter was signed by MMAC staff members Stu Crawford, Joanne Hager, Douglas Black, Dominic Legault, and director Mr. Lew.