Band Ordered To Leave Logging Site

Written by Peter McIntyre Friday, 23 October 2009 15:07 107.5 KISSFM

Okanagan First Nations leaders say they've been served legal notice by Tolko Industries, to vacate the Brown's Creek area west of Vernon. The site is part of a decade long court battle between the province and Okanagan Indian Band. Okanagan chief Fabian Alexis says the two sides will hold a court injunction meeting November 19th to discuss the issue.Alexis says they don't think Tolko should be allowed to log in the disputed area, prior to that meeting."We think that's unfair. It's not very reasonable. We are trying to be reasonable. If we remove ourselves, Tolko has to agree that they won't log in the area until the 19th and 20th as well. I mean if we give up something, they have to give up something as well."

BC grand chief Stewart Phillip (pictured) says they will continue to monitor the flow of traffic in the Brown's Creek area, where they have set up a main checkpoint and three camps."We're deeply disappointed that Tolko is not being reasonable."Phillip says they are obligated to protect the "litigation" area from destruction that he says clear cut logging would produce.The native groups are concerned about preserving important historical evidence in the area, for its court battle with the province.

Tolko's Okanagan woodlands manager Mark Tamas had this to say on the latest development."I can confirm that we are pursuing an injunction. As this is now moving into a legal process we won't be commenting on the proceedings until they've been completed in the court, and until obviously a date has been set for us."About 27,000 hectares of the Brown's Creek area is in Tolko's tree farm license.Tolko has said it wants to harvest the pine beetle infested trees as soon as possible, to get some value from them, and reduce the threat of wildfires.